diff --git a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/user_api_key_auth_mcp.py b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
index 19f508e6af9..b7ac6a8c325 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
@@ -624,7 +624,9 @@ class MCPRequestHandler:
 
         Permission hierarchy (all rules are intersections):
         1. Get allowed servers from key permissions
-        2. Get allowed servers from team permissions (key inherits from team, or intersection)
+        2. Get allowed servers from team permissions (key inherits from team, or
+           intersection; or inherits nothing when require_key_mcp_access_defined
+           is enabled, making the team a ceiling rather than a default)
         3. Get allowed servers from end_user permissions (intersected if set)
         4. Get allowed servers from agent permissions (intersected if set)
         5. Get allowed servers from org permissions — org acts as a ceiling: if the org
@@ -677,7 +679,16 @@ class MCPRequestHandler:
             if not team_set:
                 base = key_set  # no team restriction
             elif not key_set:
-                base = team_set  # key has no own perms → inherits team
+                # A key that grants no MCP servers of its own inherits the
+                # team's by default. With require_key_mcp_access_defined the
+                # team is a ceiling rather than a default, so the key must
+                # grant servers explicitly (or via an access group) to reach
+                # any — it inherits none.
+                base = (
+                    set()
+                    if general_settings.get("require_key_mcp_access_defined", False)
+                    else team_set
+                )
             else:
                 base = key_set & team_set  # both restrict → intersect
 
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/test_user_api_key_auth_mcp.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/test_user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
index 20fd5c1d86a..b3b0e8adcf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/test_user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/auth/test_user_api_key_auth_mcp.py
@@ -170,6 +170,104 @@ class TestMCPRequestHandler:
                 mock_key_servers.assert_called_once_with(user_api_key_auth)
                 mock_team_servers.assert_called_once_with(user_api_key_auth)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "require_key_mcp_access_defined,expected",
+        [
+            # Default (flag off): a key with no MCP scope of its own inherits
+            # the team's servers.
+            (False, ["team_server1", "team_server2"]),
+            # Flag on: the team is a ceiling, not a default — the key inherits
+            # nothing and must grant servers explicitly.
+            (True, []),
+        ],
+    )
+    async def test_require_key_mcp_access_defined_gates_team_inheritance(
+        self, require_key_mcp_access_defined, expected
+    ):
+        """The require_key_mcp_access_defined general setting flips an empty key
+        from inheriting its team's MCP servers (default) to inheriting none."""
+        auth = UserAPIKeyAuth(
+            api_key="test-key", user_id="test-user", team_id="test-team"
+        )
+        with (
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_allowed_mcp_servers_for_key",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=[],
+            ),
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_allowed_mcp_servers_for_team",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=["team_server1", "team_server2"],
+            ),
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_key_access_group_mcp_server_extras",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=[],
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings",
+                {"require_key_mcp_access_defined": require_key_mcp_access_defined},
+            ),
+        ):
+            result = await MCPRequestHandler.get_allowed_mcp_servers(auth)
+
+        assert sorted(result) == sorted(expected)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "key_servers,grants,expected,scenario",
+        [
+            # Explicit key subset is still honored under the flag (intersected
+            # with the team ceiling) — the flag only removes empty-key inheritance.
+            (["team_server1"], [], ["team_server1"], "explicit_subset_survives"),
+            # An access-group grant is the escape hatch: it surfaces even though
+            # the key inherits nothing from the team.
+            ([], ["granted_server"], ["granted_server"], "access_group_grant_survives"),
+        ],
+    )
+    async def test_require_key_mcp_access_defined_preserves_explicit_grants(
+        self, key_servers, grants, expected, scenario
+    ):
+        """With require_key_mcp_access_defined on, a key still reaches servers it
+        grants explicitly or via an access group — only blanket team inheritance
+        is removed."""
+        auth = UserAPIKeyAuth(
+            api_key="test-key",
+            user_id="test-user",
+            team_id="test-team",
+            access_group_ids=["grp"] if grants else [],
+        )
+        with (
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_allowed_mcp_servers_for_key",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=key_servers,
+            ),
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_allowed_mcp_servers_for_team",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=["team_server1", "team_server2"],
+            ),
+            patch.object(
+                MCPRequestHandler,
+                "_get_key_access_group_mcp_server_extras",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=grants,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings",
+                {"require_key_mcp_access_defined": True},
+            ),
+        ):
+            result = await MCPRequestHandler.get_allowed_mcp_servers(auth)
+
+        assert sorted(result) == sorted(expected)
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("team_servers", [[], ["team_server1", "team_server2"]])
     async def test_no_mcp_servers_sentinel_returns_empty(self, team_servers):
         """A key scoped to the no-mcp-servers sentinel resolves to zero servers,