diff --git a/.changeset/lazy-ajv-engine.md b/.changeset/lazy-ajv-engine.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12ce0852ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lazy-ajv-engine.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@modelcontextprotocol/client': patch
+'@modelcontextprotocol/server': patch
+---
+
+Construct the default Ajv validation engine lazily on first validation. Creating a `Client` or `Server` no longer pays the ajv + ajv-formats instantiation cost at startup when no JSON Schema validation ever runs.
diff --git a/packages/core-internal/src/validators/ajvProvider.ts b/packages/core-internal/src/validators/ajvProvider.ts
index 0a24fe4533..89768093a1 100644
--- a/packages/core-internal/src/validators/ajvProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/core-internal/src/validators/ajvProvider.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function createDefaultAjvInstance(): AjvLike {
  * ```
  */
 export class AjvJsonSchemaValidator implements jsonSchemaValidator {
-    private readonly _ajv: AjvLike;
+    private _ajv: AjvLike | undefined;
     /** True iff the constructor received a caller-supplied engine; the `$schema` check is skipped. */
     private readonly _userAjv: boolean;
 
@@ -88,12 +88,19 @@ export class AjvJsonSchemaValidator implements jsonSchemaValidator {
      * used for **every** schema regardless of its declared `$schema` (the caller owns dialect
      * choice). When omitted, the provider constructs a single `Ajv2020` instance with
      * `strict: false`, `validateFormats: true`, `validateSchema: false`, `allErrors: true`, and
-     * `ajv-formats` registered. The parameter is typed structurally so consumers who don't pass an
-     * instance need not have `ajv` installed.
+     * `ajv-formats` registered — **lazily, on the first {@linkcode getValidator} call**, so
+     * constructing the provider (e.g. as the default validator of a `Client`/`Server` that never
+     * validates a JSON Schema) does not pay the ajv + ajv-formats instantiation cost. The parameter
+     * is typed structurally so consumers who don't pass an instance need not have `ajv` installed.
      */
     constructor(ajv?: AjvLike) {
         this._userAjv = ajv !== undefined;
-        this._ajv = ajv ?? createDefaultAjvInstance();
+        this._ajv = ajv;
+    }
+
+    /** The underlying engine — the default instance is created on first use. */
+    private get ajv(): AjvLike {
+        return (this._ajv ??= createDefaultAjvInstance());
     }
 
     getValidator<T>(schema: JsonSchemaType): JsonSchemaValidator<T> {
@@ -113,10 +120,11 @@ export class AjvJsonSchemaValidator implements jsonSchemaValidator {
             );
         }
 
+        const engine = this.ajv;
         const ajvValidator =
             '$id' in schema && typeof schema.$id === 'string'
-                ? (this._ajv.getSchema(schema.$id) ?? this._ajv.compile(schema))
-                : this._ajv.compile(schema);
+                ? (engine.getSchema(schema.$id) ?? engine.compile(schema))
+                : engine.compile(schema);
 
         return (input: unknown): JsonSchemaValidatorResult<T> => {
             const valid = ajvValidator(input);
@@ -130,7 +138,7 @@ export class AjvJsonSchemaValidator implements jsonSchemaValidator {
                 : {
                       valid: false,
                       data: undefined,
-                      errorMessage: this._ajv.errorsText(ajvValidator.errors)
+                      errorMessage: engine.errorsText(ajvValidator.errors)
                   };
         };
     }
diff --git a/packages/core-internal/test/validators/ajvLazyInit.test.ts b/packages/core-internal/test/validators/ajvLazyInit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1823b60fdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core-internal/test/validators/ajvLazyInit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { AjvJsonSchemaValidator } from '../../src/validators/ajvProvider';
+
+/** Peeks at the provider's private engine slot without triggering the lazy getter. */
+function engineSlot(provider: AjvJsonSchemaValidator): unknown {
+    return (provider as unknown as { _ajv: unknown })._ajv;
+}
+
+describe('AjvJsonSchemaValidator lazy engine construction', () => {
+    it('does not construct the default Ajv engine until the first getValidator call', () => {
+        const provider = new AjvJsonSchemaValidator();
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBeUndefined();
+
+        const validate = provider.getValidator<{ a?: string }>({ type: 'object', properties: { a: { type: 'string' } } });
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBeDefined();
+        expect(validate({ a: 'x' }).valid).toBe(true);
+        expect(validate({ a: 1 }).valid).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('reuses one engine across getValidator calls', () => {
+        const provider = new AjvJsonSchemaValidator();
+        provider.getValidator({ type: 'string' });
+        const first = engineSlot(provider);
+        provider.getValidator({ type: 'number' });
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBe(first);
+    });
+
+    it('uses a caller-supplied engine immediately and never replaces it', () => {
+        let compiles = 0;
+        const fake = {
+            compile: () => {
+                compiles += 1;
+                return Object.assign(() => true, { errors: undefined });
+            },
+            getSchema: () => undefined,
+            // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+            errorsText: (_errors?: any) => ''
+        };
+        const provider = new AjvJsonSchemaValidator(fake);
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBe(fake);
+
+        const validate = provider.getValidator({ type: 'object' });
+        expect(compiles).toBe(1);
+        expect(validate({}).valid).toBe(true);
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBe(fake);
+    });
+
+    it('still rejects non-2020-12 $schema dialects before constructing the default engine', () => {
+        const provider = new AjvJsonSchemaValidator();
+        expect(() => provider.getValidator({ $schema: 'http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#', type: 'object' })).toThrow(
+            /unsupported dialect/
+        );
+        // The dialect check fires before engine construction — no engine was built for the rejected schema.
+        expect(engineSlot(provider)).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+});