diff --git a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/mcp_server_manager.py b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/mcp_server_manager.py
index 7c17da36bb7..4dd7a87dca1 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/mcp_server_manager.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/mcp_server_manager.py
@@ -315,6 +315,10 @@ class MCPServerManager:
                 command=server_config.get("command", None) or "",
                 args=server_config.get("args", None) or [],
                 env=server_config.get("env", None) or {},
+                # byok fields
+                is_byok=bool(server_config.get("is_byok", False)),
+                byok_description=server_config.get("byok_description", []) or [],
+                byok_api_key_help_url=server_config.get("byok_api_key_help_url", None),
                 # oauth specific fields
                 client_id=server_config.get("client_id", None),
                 client_secret=server_config.get("client_secret", None),
@@ -1008,22 +1012,21 @@ class MCPServerManager:
                     extra_headers = {}
                 extra_headers.update(server.static_headers)
 
-            stdio_env = self._build_stdio_env(server, raw_headers)
-
-            client = await self._create_mcp_client(
-                server=server,
-                mcp_auth_header=mcp_auth_header,
-                extra_headers=extra_headers,
-                stdio_env=stdio_env,
-            )
-
-            ## HANDLE OPENAPI TOOLS
+            ## HANDLE OPENAPI TOOLS — skip MCP client creation entirely
             if server.spec_path:
                 _tools = global_mcp_tool_registry.list_tools(tool_prefix=server.name)
                 tools = global_mcp_tool_registry.convert_tools_to_mcp_sdk_tool_type(
                     _tools
                 )
             else:
+                stdio_env = self._build_stdio_env(server, raw_headers)
+
+                client = await self._create_mcp_client(
+                    server=server,
+                    mcp_auth_header=mcp_auth_header,
+                    extra_headers=extra_headers,
+                    stdio_env=stdio_env,
+                )
                 tools = await self._fetch_tools_with_timeout(client, server.name)
 
             prefixed_or_original_tools = self._create_prefixed_tools(
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/rest_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/rest_endpoints.py
index 16f8f835430..60277b91d5d 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/rest_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/rest_endpoints.py
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ if MCP_AVAILABLE:
                 arguments=tool_arguments,
                 allowed_mcp_servers=allowed_mcp_servers,
                 start_time=datetime.now(),
-                user_api_key_auth=data.get("user_api_key_auth"),
+                user_api_key_auth=data.get("user_api_key_auth") or user_api_key_dict,
                 mcp_auth_header=data.get("mcp_auth_header"),
                 mcp_server_auth_headers=data.get("mcp_server_auth_headers"),
                 oauth2_headers=data.get("oauth2_headers"),
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/server.py b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/server.py
index 5c063839304..f728582d5c6 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/server.py
@@ -1762,6 +1762,14 @@ if MCP_AVAILABLE:
         # These tools are registered with their prefixed names
         #########################################################
         local_tool = global_mcp_tool_registry.get_tool(name)
+        # OpenAPI tools are always registered with their prefixed name.  If the
+        # caller used the bare (unprefixed) name and we already resolved the
+        # server, construct the prefixed name and try again.
+        if local_tool is None and mcp_server is not None and mcp_server.spec_path:
+            prefixed_name = add_server_prefix_to_name(name, get_server_prefix(mcp_server))
+            local_tool = global_mcp_tool_registry.get_tool(prefixed_name)
+            if local_tool:
+                name = prefixed_name
         if local_tool:
             verbose_logger.debug(f"Executing local registry tool: {name}")
             # For BYOK servers the credential must be injected via a ContextVar