diff --git a/tests/tools/test_mcp_park_log_dedupe.py b/tests/tools/test_mcp_park_log_dedupe.py
index bd4ed3aa51..a303515190 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_mcp_park_log_dedupe.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_mcp_park_log_dedupe.py
@@ -19,10 +19,13 @@ import pytest
 from tools.mcp_tool import MCPServerTask
 
 
-def _fast_time(monkeypatch):
-    """Zero out the retry sleeps and the parked self-probe interval."""
+def _fast_time(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """Zero out the retry sleeps and the parked self-probe interval; keep ``blender``
+    enabled in the temp home's config.yaml so the self-probe gate lets it wake."""
     from tools import mcp_tool
 
+    (tmp_path / "config.yaml").write_text(
+        "mcp_servers:\n  blender:\n    command: x\n", encoding="utf-8")
     monkeypatch.setattr(mcp_tool, "_PARKED_RETRY_INTERVAL", 0)
     real_sleep = asyncio.sleep
 
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ def test_reparked_server_logs_once_not_per_probe(monkeypatch, tmp_path, caplog):
     from tools import mcp_tool
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(mcp_tool, "_MAX_INITIAL_CONNECT_RETRIES", 1)
-    _fast_time(monkeypatch)
+    _fast_time(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
 
     state = {"calls": 0}
 
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ def test_park_after_revival_warns_again(monkeypatch, tmp_path, caplog):
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(mcp_tool, "_MAX_INITIAL_CONNECT_RETRIES", 1)
     monkeypatch.setattr(mcp_tool, "_MAX_RECONNECT_RETRIES", 1)
-    _fast_time(monkeypatch)
+    _fast_time(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
 
     state = {"calls": 0}
 
diff --git a/tools/mcp_tool_server_run.py b/tools/mcp_tool_server_run.py
index 377b84c089..5d999e8589 100644
--- a/tools/mcp_tool_server_run.py
+++ b/tools/mcp_tool_server_run.py
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ class MCPServerRunMixin:
         self._park_reason = revival_reason
         self._deregister_tools()
         self._reconnect_event.clear()
+        paused = False
         while True:
             outcome = await self._wait_for_reconnect_or_shutdown(
                 timeout=_core._PARKED_RETRY_INTERVAL)
@@ -213,12 +214,13 @@ class MCPServerRunMixin:
             # the process (background loops that do not run the gateway reconcile tick
             # never learn the entry changed). An explicit reconnect request — manual
             # refresh or `hermes mcp login` — still revives immediately regardless of the
-            # config gate; only the unattended probe honours it.
+            # config gate; only the unattended probe honours it. Announce the pause once:
+            # a line per skipped wake would be the very flood this gate exists to stop.
             if outcome == "self-probe" and not self._still_configured_enabled():
-                logger.info(
-                    "MCP server '%s': skipping self-probe revival — entry is disabled or "
-                    "gone from mcp_servers config",
-                    self.name)
+                (logger.debug if paused else logger.info)(
+                    "MCP server '%s': parked entry is disabled or gone from mcp_servers; pausing the "
+                    "self-probe until it is re-enabled", self.name)
+                paused = True
                 continue
             # Nobody asked for this revival: a self-probe must never open a browser OAuth flow. The
             # OAuth provider runs inside THIS task (the SDK's auth flow sits in the transport), so a