diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/constants.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/constants.ts
index 7115fa1e8c5..95974aae58d 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/constants.ts
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/constants.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 // Must match the backend SpecialMCPServerNames.no_mcp_servers enum value.
 export const NO_MCP_SERVERS_SENTINEL = "no-mcp-servers";
+
+export const MCP_TOOLS_PREVIEW_FORBIDDEN_MESSAGE =
+  "Tool preview is not available for submissions. Tools will be verified by an admin during review.";
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/create_mcp_server.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/create_mcp_server.tsx
index b45c902b9d7..85fe51c1263 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/create_mcp_server.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/create_mcp_server.tsx
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ const CreateMCPServer: React.FC<CreateMCPServerProps> = ({
   const [oauthDocsUrl, setOauthDocsUrl] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   // Single hook call shared by MCPConnectionStatus and MCPToolConfiguration to avoid duplicate requests.
-  const { tools, isLoadingTools, toolsError, toolsErrorStackTrace, canFetchTools, fetchTools, clearTools } =
+  const { tools, isLoadingTools, toolsError, toolsErrorStatus, toolsErrorStackTrace, canFetchTools, fetchTools, clearTools } =
     useTestMCPConnection({
       accessToken,
       oauthAccessToken,
@@ -1088,6 +1088,7 @@ const CreateMCPServer: React.FC<CreateMCPServerProps> = ({
               tools={tools}
               isLoadingTools={isLoadingTools}
               toolsError={toolsError}
+              toolsErrorStatus={toolsErrorStatus}
               toolsErrorStackTrace={toolsErrorStackTrace}
               canFetchTools={canFetchTools}
               fetchTools={fetchTools}
@@ -1112,6 +1113,7 @@ const CreateMCPServer: React.FC<CreateMCPServerProps> = ({
               externalTools={tools}
               externalIsLoading={isLoadingTools}
               externalError={toolsError}
+              externalErrorStatus={toolsErrorStatus}
               externalCanFetch={canFetchTools}
             />
           </div>
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.test.tsx
index b9a33a91422..15e5d886d37 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.test.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,21 @@ describe("MCPConnectionStatus", () => {
     expect(screen.getByText("Connecting...")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it("should show info message without retry when tool preview returns 403", () => {
+    render(
+      <MCPConnectionStatus
+        {...defaultProps}
+        canFetchTools={true}
+        toolsError="Tool preview is not available for submissions. Tools will be verified by an admin during review."
+        toolsErrorStatus={403}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("alert")).toHaveTextContent(/Tools will be verified by an admin during review/i);
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Connection Failed")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: /retry/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it("should show error state with retry button when toolsError is set", async () => {
     const fetchTools = vi.fn();
     const user = userEvent.setup();
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.tsx
index 422cb7273ef..469f372409c 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_connection_status.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ interface MCPConnectionStatusProps {
   tools: any[];
   isLoadingTools: boolean;
   toolsError: string | null;
+  toolsErrorStatus?: number | null;
   toolsErrorStackTrace: string | null;
   canFetchTools: boolean;
   fetchTools: () => Promise<void>;
@@ -18,10 +19,12 @@ const MCPConnectionStatus: React.FC<MCPConnectionStatusProps> = ({
   tools,
   isLoadingTools,
   toolsError,
+  toolsErrorStatus = null,
   toolsErrorStackTrace,
   canFetchTools,
   fetchTools,
 }) => {
+  const isPreviewForbidden = toolsErrorStatus === 403;
   // Don't show anything if required fields aren't filled
   if (!canFetchTools && !formValues.url && !formValues.spec_path) {
     return null;
@@ -54,7 +57,9 @@ const MCPConnectionStatus: React.FC<MCPConnectionStatusProps> = ({
                     : tools.length > 0
                       ? "Connection successful"
                       : toolsError
-                        ? "Connection failed"
+                        ? isPreviewForbidden
+                          ? "Ready to submit"
+                          : "Connection failed"
                         : "Ready to test connection"}
                 </Text>
                 <br />
@@ -75,7 +80,7 @@ const MCPConnectionStatus: React.FC<MCPConnectionStatusProps> = ({
                 </div>
               )}
 
-              {toolsError && (
+              {toolsError && !isPreviewForbidden && (
                 <div className="flex items-center text-red-600">
                   <ExclamationCircleOutlined className="mr-1" />
                   <Text className="text-red-600 font-medium">Failed</Text>
@@ -90,7 +95,11 @@ const MCPConnectionStatus: React.FC<MCPConnectionStatusProps> = ({
               </div>
             )}
 
-            {toolsError && (
+            {toolsError && isPreviewForbidden && (
+              <Alert message="Tool preview unavailable" description={toolsError} type="info" showIcon />
+            )}
+
+            {toolsError && !isPreviewForbidden && (
               <Alert
                 message="Connection Failed"
                 description={
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
index 870cdfb1e3b..a1061c10515 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/mcp_tools/mcp_tool_configuration.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ interface MCPToolConfigurationProps {
   externalTools?: any[];
   externalIsLoading?: boolean;
   externalError?: string | null;
+  externalErrorStatus?: number | null;
   externalCanFetch?: boolean;
   /** When true, do not auto-select all tools for servers with no stored allowlist. */
   isEditMode?: boolean;
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ const MCPToolConfiguration: React.FC<MCPToolConfigurationProps> = ({
   externalTools,
   externalIsLoading,
   externalError,
+  externalErrorStatus = null,
   externalCanFetch,
   isEditMode = false,
 }) => {
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ const MCPToolConfiguration: React.FC<MCPToolConfigurationProps> = ({
   const hasInitializedRef = useRef(false);
   const previousSuggestedToolNamesRef = useRef<string>("");
   const [expandedTools, setExpandedTools] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());
+  const isPreviewForbidden = externalErrorStatus === 403;
 
   // Tool list is fetched by the parent (create/edit flow) and passed in. This
   // component renders that state; it never fetches on its own, so there is a
@@ -429,7 +432,13 @@ const MCPToolConfiguration: React.FC<MCPToolConfigurationProps> = ({
         )}
 
         {/* Error state */}
-        {toolsError && !isLoadingTools && (
+        {toolsError && !isLoadingTools && isPreviewForbidden && (
+          <div className="rounded-lg border border-blue-200 bg-blue-50 p-4">
+            <Text className="text-sm text-blue-800">{toolsError}</Text>
+          </div>
+        )}
+
+        {toolsError && !isLoadingTools && !isPreviewForbidden && (
           <div className="text-center py-6 text-red-500 border rounded-lg border-dashed border-red-300 bg-red-50">
             <ToolOutlined className="text-2xl mb-2" />
             <Text className="text-red-600 font-medium">Unable to load tools</Text>
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
index d982956d7a3..a59c046dfe4 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import type { SkillRegisterRequest } from "./claude_code_plugins/types";
 import { jsonFields } from "./common_components/check_openapi_schema";
 import NotificationsManager from "./molecules/notifications_manager";
 import type { MCPUserEnvVarsStatus } from "./mcp_tools/types";
+import { MCP_TOOLS_PREVIEW_FORBIDDEN_MESSAGE } from "./mcp_tools/constants";
 import { createApiClient, deriveErrorMessage } from "@/lib/http/client";
 import { resolveApiBase } from "@/lib/http/resolveApiBase";
 import { serverRootPath, setServerRootPath } from "@/lib/serverRootPath";
@@ -6782,17 +6783,25 @@ export const testMCPToolsListRequest = async (
     const data = await response.json();
 
     if (!response.ok || data.error) {
+      if (response.status === 403) {
+        return {
+          tools: [],
+          error: true,
+          status: 403,
+          message: MCP_TOOLS_PREVIEW_FORBIDDEN_MESSAGE,
+        };
+      }
       // Return the error response instead of throwing an error
       // This allows the caller to handle the error format properly
       if (data.error) {
-        return data; // Return the full error response
-      } else {
-        return {
-          tools: [],
-          error: "request_failed",
-          message: data.message || `MCP tools list failed: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`,
-        };
+        return { ...data, status: response.status };
       }
+      return {
+        tools: [],
+        error: "request_failed",
+        status: response.status,
+        message: data.message || `MCP tools list failed: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`,
+      };
     }
 
     return data;
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/hooks/useTestMCPConnection.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/hooks/useTestMCPConnection.tsx
index b160c90224c..055e15350ca 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/hooks/useTestMCPConnection.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/hooks/useTestMCPConnection.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ interface UseTestMCPConnectionReturn {
   tools: any[];
   isLoadingTools: boolean;
   toolsError: string | null;
+  toolsErrorStatus: number | null;
   toolsErrorStackTrace: string | null;
   hasShownSuccessMessage: boolean;
   canFetchTools: boolean;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
   const [tools, setTools] = useState<any[]>([]);
   const [isLoadingTools, setIsLoadingTools] = useState(false);
   const [toolsError, setToolsError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [toolsErrorStatus, setToolsErrorStatus] = useState<number | null>(null);
   const [toolsErrorStackTrace, setToolsErrorStackTrace] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [hasShownSuccessMessage, setHasShownSuccessMessage] = useState(false);
 
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
 
     setIsLoadingTools(true);
     setToolsError(null);
+    setToolsErrorStatus(null);
 
     try {
       // Prepare the MCP server config from form values
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
       if (toolsResponse.tools && !toolsResponse.error) {
         setTools(toolsResponse.tools);
         setToolsError(null);
+        setToolsErrorStatus(null);
         setToolsErrorStackTrace(null);
         if (toolsResponse.tools.length > 0 && !hasShownSuccessMessage) {
           setHasShownSuccessMessage(true);
@@ -162,13 +166,15 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
       } else {
         const errorMessage = toolsResponse.message || "Failed to retrieve tools list";
         setToolsError(errorMessage);
-        setToolsErrorStackTrace(toolsResponse.stack_trace || null);
+        setToolsErrorStatus(typeof toolsResponse.status === "number" ? toolsResponse.status : null);
+        setToolsErrorStackTrace(toolsResponse.status === 403 ? null : toolsResponse.stack_trace || null);
         setTools([]);
         setHasShownSuccessMessage(false);
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Tools fetch error:", error);
       setToolsError(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error));
+      setToolsErrorStatus(null);
       setToolsErrorStackTrace(null);
       setTools([]);
       setHasShownSuccessMessage(false);
@@ -180,6 +186,7 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
   const clearTools = useCallback(() => {
     setTools([]);
     setToolsError(null);
+    setToolsErrorStatus(null);
     setToolsErrorStackTrace(null);
     setHasShownSuccessMessage(false);
   }, []);
@@ -213,6 +220,7 @@ export const useTestMCPConnection = ({
     tools,
     isLoadingTools,
     toolsError,
+    toolsErrorStatus,
     toolsErrorStackTrace,
     hasShownSuccessMessage,
     canFetchTools,