diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.test.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9dcfc1a470e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { getEditToolPreview } from "./editToolPreview";
+
+const saved = {
+  url: "https://example.com/mcp",
+  transport: "http",
+  auth_type: "basic",
+  static_headers: [{ header: "X-Tenant", value: "original" }],
+};
+
+describe("getEditToolPreview", () => {
+  it("keeps saved discovery for unchanged settings and unrelated edits", () => {
+    expect(getEditToolPreview({ ...saved, server_name: "renamed" }, saved)).toEqual({ kind: "saved" });
+  });
+
+  it("previews URL changes with the existing server credential left for server-side inheritance", () => {
+    expect(getEditToolPreview({ ...saved, url: "https://correct.example/mcp" }, saved)).toEqual({
+      kind: "preview",
+      config: {
+        url: "https://correct.example/mcp",
+        transport: "http",
+        auth_type: "basic",
+        static_headers: { "X-Tenant": "original" },
+        credentials: undefined,
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("uses edited static headers and only the static auth value", () => {
+    expect(
+      getEditToolPreview(
+        {
+          ...saved,
+          static_headers: [{ header: "X-Tenant", value: "corrected" }],
+          credentials: { auth_value: "user:password", access_token: "old-oauth-token", client_secret: "old-client" },
+        },
+        saved,
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      kind: "preview",
+      config: {
+        url: saved.url,
+        transport: "http",
+        auth_type: "basic",
+        static_headers: { "X-Tenant": "corrected" },
+        credentials: { auth_value: "user:password" },
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each(["", "https://", "file:///tmp/server"])("does not connect to an incomplete or unsupported URL: %s", (url) => {
+    expect(getEditToolPreview({ ...saved, url }, saved)).toEqual({ kind: "incomplete" });
+  });
+
+  it("waits for a static header value before connecting", () => {
+    const values = { ...saved, static_headers: [{ header: "X-Tenant", value: "" }] };
+    expect(getEditToolPreview(values, saved)).toEqual({ kind: "incomplete" });
+  });
+
+  it("waits for credentials when switching from None to Basic Auth", () => {
+    expect(getEditToolPreview(saved, { ...saved, auth_type: "none" })).toEqual({ kind: "incomplete" });
+  });
+
+  it("does not forward old credentials when switching to None", () => {
+    const result = getEditToolPreview(
+      { ...saved, auth_type: "none", credentials: { auth_value: "old-secret" } },
+      saved,
+    );
+    expect(result.kind).toBe("preview");
+    if (result.kind === "preview") expect(result.config.credentials).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it.each(["oauth2", "true_passthrough", "oauth_delegate", "oauth2_token_exchange", "oauth2_id_jag", "aws_sigv4"])(
+    "preserves the existing discovery path for %s",
+    (auth_type) => {
+      expect(getEditToolPreview({ ...saved, auth_type, url: "https://changed.example/mcp" }, saved)).toEqual({
+        kind: "saved",
+      });
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("keeps stdio and OpenAPI on their existing discovery path", () => {
+    for (const transport of ["stdio", "openapi"]) {
+      expect(getEditToolPreview({ ...saved, transport }, saved)).toEqual({ kind: "saved" });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb46c33c4e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/editToolPreview.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { AUTH_TYPE, TRANSPORT } from "@/components/mcp_tools/types";
+import { AUTH_TYPES_REQUIRING_AUTH_VALUE, reduceStaticHeaders } from "./createServerPayload";
+
+const connectionConfig = (values: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>>) => {
+  const credentials = values.credentials;
+  const authValue =
+    credentials && typeof credentials === "object" && "auth_value" in credentials ? credentials.auth_value : undefined;
+  const needsAuthValue =
+    typeof values.auth_type === "string" && AUTH_TYPES_REQUIRING_AUTH_VALUE.includes(values.auth_type);
+  return {
+    url: typeof values.url === "string" ? values.url : "",
+    transport: typeof values.transport === "string" ? values.transport : "",
+    auth_type: typeof values.auth_type === "string" ? values.auth_type : "",
+    static_headers: Object.fromEntries(
+      Object.entries(reduceStaticHeaders(values.static_headers)).sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b)),
+    ),
+    credentials:
+      needsAuthValue && typeof authValue === "string" && authValue.trim() ? { auth_value: authValue } : undefined,
+  };
+};
+
+type EditToolPreview =
+  | { readonly kind: "saved" }
+  | { readonly kind: "incomplete" }
+  | { readonly kind: "preview"; readonly config: ReturnType<typeof connectionConfig> };
+
+export const getEditToolPreview = (
+  values: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>>,
+  initialValues: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>>,
+): EditToolPreview => {
+  const staticAuth =
+    values.auth_type === AUTH_TYPE.NONE ||
+    (typeof values.auth_type === "string" && AUTH_TYPES_REQUIRING_AUTH_VALUE.includes(values.auth_type));
+  if (!staticAuth || ![TRANSPORT.HTTP, TRANSPORT.SSE].includes(String(values.transport))) {
+    return { kind: "saved" };
+  }
+
+  const config = connectionConfig(values);
+  if (JSON.stringify(config) === JSON.stringify(connectionConfig(initialValues))) {
+    return { kind: "saved" };
+  }
+
+  const missingNewCredential =
+    config.auth_type !== initialValues.auth_type &&
+    AUTH_TYPES_REQUIRING_AUTH_VALUE.includes(config.auth_type) &&
+    config.credentials === undefined;
+  const validUrl = URL.canParse(config.url) && ["http:", "https:"].includes(new URL(config.url).protocol);
+  const incompleteHeaders = Object.values(config.static_headers).some((value) => !value.trim());
+  if (!validUrl || missingNewCredential || incompleteHeaders) {
+    return { kind: "incomplete" };
+  }
+  return { kind: "preview", config };
+};
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.integration.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.integration.test.tsx
index a9664191f3f..f3cd37cc580 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.integration.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.integration.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import React from "react";
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen, waitFor, act } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { render, screen, waitFor, act, fireEvent } from "@testing-library/react";
+import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
+
+import { selectOption } from "./testUtils";
 
 import MCPServerEdit from "./mcp_server_edit";
 import * as networking from "@/components/networking";
@@ -27,10 +30,6 @@ vi.mock("./mcp_server_cost_config", () => ({
   default: () => <div data-testid="mcp-cost-config" />,
 }));
 
-vi.mock("./mcp_tool_configuration", () => ({
-  default: () => <div data-testid="mcp-tool-config" />,
-}));
-
 const BASE: MCPServer = {
   server_id: "srv_1",
   server_name: "srv",
@@ -369,3 +368,105 @@ describe("mcp_server_edit save payload contract", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("MCPServerEdit live tool preview", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.resetAllMocks();
+    vi.mocked(networking.listMCPTools).mockResolvedValue({
+      tools: [],
+      error: "connection_error",
+      message: "Saved credentials rejected",
+    });
+    vi.mocked(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).mockResolvedValue({
+      tools: [
+        { name: "echo", description: "Echo the supplied message", inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: {} } },
+      ],
+    });
+  });
+
+  const renderEditor = (server: MCPServer = BASE) =>
+    render(
+      <MCPServerEdit
+        mcpServer={server}
+        accessToken="access-token"
+        userID="user-1"
+        onCancel={vi.fn()}
+        onSuccess={vi.fn()}
+        availableAccessGroups={[]}
+      />,
+    );
+
+  it("replaces the saved connection failure with tools after correcting Basic Auth without saving", async () => {
+    renderEditor();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Saved credentials rejected")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    await selectOption("Authentication", "Basic Auth");
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Authentication Value"), { target: { value: "preview:correct" } });
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Saved credentials rejected")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Loading tools...")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Flat List" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    const expectedConfig = {
+      server_id: BASE.server_id,
+      url: BASE.url,
+      auth_type: "basic",
+      credentials: { auth_value: "preview:correct" },
+    };
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(
+      "access-token",
+      expect.objectContaining(expectedConfig),
+    );
+    expect(networking.updateMCPServer).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("refreshes tools when a static header is corrected", async () => {
+    renderEditor({ ...BASE, static_headers: { "X-Preview-Key": "wrong" } });
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Saved credentials rejected")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText("Header value"), { target: { value: "correct" } });
+    fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Flat List" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(
+      "access-token",
+      expect.objectContaining({ static_headers: { "X-Preview-Key": "correct" } }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("coalesces URL edits and ignores an older failed preview after the latest preview succeeds", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    const older = Promise.withResolvers<{ tools: never[]; error: string; message: string }>();
+    vi.mocked(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).mockImplementationOnce(() => older.promise);
+    renderEditor();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Saved credentials rejected")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("MCP Server URL"), { target: { value: "https://first.example/mcp" } });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    await user.clear(screen.getByLabelText("MCP Server URL"));
+    await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("MCP Server URL"), "https://latest.example/mcp");
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Flat List" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(networking.testMCPToolsListRequest).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(
+      "access-token",
+      expect.objectContaining({ url: "https://latest.example/mcp" }),
+    );
+    await act(async () => older.resolve({ tools: [], error: "connection_error", message: "Older request failed" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Older request failed")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("ignores a saved-record response after editing and restores saved discovery when changes are reverted", async () => {
+    const saved = Promise.withResolvers<{ tools: never[]; error: string; message: string }>();
+    vi.mocked(networking.listMCPTools).mockImplementationOnce(() => saved.promise);
+    renderEditor();
+    await waitFor(() => expect(networking.listMCPTools).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("MCP Server URL"), { target: { value: "https://correct.example/mcp" } });
+    fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Flat List" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    await act(async () => saved.resolve({ tools: [], error: "connection_error", message: "Stale saved response" }));
+    expect(screen.getByText("echo")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Stale saved response")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("MCP Server URL"), { target: { value: BASE.url } });
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Saved credentials rejected")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(networking.listMCPTools).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.tsx
index 8793c45371a..5316a22ce27 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_server_edit.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import EnvVarsSection from "./EnvVarsSection";
 import { validateMCPServerUrl, validateMCPServerName, normalizeToolOverrideMap } from "./utils";
 import { EditServerFormValues, buildEditServerPayload, editPayloadErrorMessage } from "./editServerPayload";
 import { toast } from "@/lib/toast";
+import { getEditToolPreview } from "./editToolPreview";
 import { useMcpOAuthFlow } from "@/hooks/useMcpOAuthFlow";
 import {
   MountedFormField,
@@ -449,14 +450,27 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
     }
   }, [mcpServer]);
 
-  // Fetch tools when component mounts for a saved server
+  const toolPreview = getEditToolPreview(allFieldsValue(form), initialValues);
+  const toolPreviewKey = JSON.stringify(toolPreview);
+
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!mcpServer.server_id || mcpServer.server_id.trim() === "") {
+    let active = true;
+    setTools([]);
+    setToolsError(null);
+    setIsLoadingTools(false);
+    if (!accessToken || !mcpServer.server_id) return;
+    if (toolPreview.kind === "incomplete") {
+      setToolsError("Complete the URL, authentication, and header settings to load tools.");
       return;
     }
-    fetchTools();
+    setIsLoadingTools(true);
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => fetchTools(() => active), toolPreview.kind === "preview" ? 500 : 0);
+    return () => {
+      active = false;
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+    };
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [mcpServer, accessToken, userID, oauthTokenResponse?.access_token]);
+  }, [mcpServer, accessToken, userID, oauthTokenResponse?.access_token, toolPreviewKey]);
 
   // Invalidate a token authorized in this edit session once any mint-relevant field diverges from the
   // identity it was minted against (url, auth_type, oauth_flow_type, client creds/scopes, or the
@@ -519,6 +533,7 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
   const previewWithStagedInteractiveToken = async (
     isPassthrough: boolean,
     isBrowserHeldTokenMode: boolean,
+    isCurrent: () => boolean,
   ): Promise<boolean> => {
     const stagedToken =
       !isPassthrough && !isBrowserHeldTokenMode && getEffectiveAuthType() === AUTH_TYPE.OAUTH2
@@ -550,6 +565,7 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
         registration_url: values.registration_url,
       };
       const toolsResponse = await testMCPToolsListRequest(accessToken, previewConfig, stagedToken);
+      if (!isCurrent()) return true;
       if (toolsResponse.tools && !toolsResponse.error) {
         setTools(toolsResponse.tools);
       } else {
@@ -557,15 +573,16 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
         setToolsError(toolsResponse.message || "Failed to load tools");
       }
     } catch (error) {
+      if (!isCurrent()) return true;
       setTools([]);
       setToolsError(error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to load tools");
     } finally {
-      setIsLoadingTools(false);
+      if (isCurrent()) setIsLoadingTools(false);
     }
     return true;
   };
 
-  const fetchTools = async () => {
+  const fetchTools = async (isCurrent: () => boolean) => {
     if (!accessToken || !mcpServer.server_id) return;
 
     // OBO/M2M/static auth is attached server-side from the stored credential, so
@@ -574,6 +591,7 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
     // same way the Tools playground does.
     let customHeaders: Record<string, string> | undefined;
     const isPassthrough =
+      toolPreview.kind === "saved" &&
       getMcpOAuthMode({
         auth_type: mcpServer.auth_type,
         oauth2_flow: mcpServer.oauth2_flow,
@@ -581,9 +599,10 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
       }) === "passthrough";
     const isBrowserHeldTokenMode = isClientForwardedTokenMode(getEffectiveAuthType());
 
-    if (await previewWithStagedInteractiveToken(isPassthrough, isBrowserHeldTokenMode)) {
+    if (await previewWithStagedInteractiveToken(isPassthrough, isBrowserHeldTokenMode, isCurrent)) {
       return;
     }
+    if (!isCurrent()) return;
     if (isPassthrough || isBrowserHeldTokenMode) {
       const token =
         oauthTokenResponse?.access_token ??
@@ -591,6 +610,7 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
           ? getToken(mcpServer.server_id, userID)?.access_token ?? null
           : null);
       if (!token) {
+        setIsLoadingTools(false);
         setTools([]);
         setToolsError(
           isBrowserHeldTokenMode
@@ -608,7 +628,15 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
     try {
       // include_disabled_tools: configuring the allowlist needs the full server
       // catalog, so tools toggled off still render (as unchecked) instead of vanishing.
-      const toolsResponse = await listMCPTools(accessToken, mcpServer.server_id, customHeaders, true);
+      const toolsResponse =
+        toolPreview.kind === "preview"
+          ? await testMCPToolsListRequest(accessToken, {
+              ...toolPreview.config,
+              server_id: mcpServer.server_id,
+              server_name: mcpServer.server_name || mcpServer.alias,
+            })
+          : await listMCPTools(accessToken, mcpServer.server_id, customHeaders, true);
+      if (!isCurrent()) return;
 
       if (toolsResponse.tools && !toolsResponse.error) {
         setTools(toolsResponse.tools);
@@ -617,10 +645,11 @@ const MCPServerEdit: React.FC<MCPServerEditProps> = ({
         setToolsError(toolsResponse.message || "Failed to load tools");
       }
     } catch (error) {
+      if (!isCurrent()) return;
       setTools([]);
       setToolsError(error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to load tools");
     } finally {
-      setIsLoadingTools(false);
+      if (isCurrent()) setIsLoadingTools(false);
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
index 274bdf63e32..a3d62de9941 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/mcp-servers/_components/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ const MCPToolConfiguration: React.FC<MCPToolConfigurationProps> = ({
         {isLoadingTools && (
           <div className="flex items-center justify-center gap-3 py-6">
             <UiLoadingSpinner className="size-6 text-muted-foreground" />
-            <p className="text-sm">Loading tools from spec...</p>
+            <p className="text-sm">Loading tools...</p>
           </div>
         )}