diff --git a/src/mcp/mcp.c b/src/mcp/mcp.c
index fb5a750ec..146d42bbc 100644
--- a/src/mcp/mcp.c
+++ b/src/mcp/mcp.c
@@ -570,8 +570,14 @@ static const tool_def_t TOOLS[] = {
      "offset parameter — raise limit or narrow with file_pattern / path_filter to see more."
      "\",\"default\":10}},\"required\":[\"pattern\",\"project\"]}"},
 
-    {"list_projects", "List projects", "List all indexed projects",
-     "{\"type\":\"object\",\"properties\":{}}"},
+    {"list_projects", "List projects", "List indexed projects with deterministic pagination",
+     "{\"type\":\"object\",\"properties\":{\"offset\":{\"type\":\"integer\","
+     "\"minimum\":0,\"default\":0},"
+     "\"limit\":{\"type\":\"integer\",\"minimum\":1,\"maximum\":100,\"default\":50},"
+     "\"include_details\":{\"type\":\"boolean\",\"default\":false,"
+     "\"description\":\"Include branch, node/edge counts and database size. Slower.\"},"
+     "\"metadata_only\":{\"type\":\"boolean\",\"description\":\"Deprecated compatibility "
+     "alias for include_details=false.\"}}}"},
     {"delete_project", "Delete project", "Delete a project from the index",
      "{\"type\":\"object\",\"properties\":{\"project\":{\"type\":\"string\"}},\"required\":["
      "\"project\"]}"},
@@ -2325,7 +2331,7 @@ static cbm_store_t *resolve_store_fallback_scan(const char *project) {
  * then append a JSON entry to arr. */
 static void build_project_json_entry(yyjson_mut_doc *doc, yyjson_mut_val *arr, const char *dir_path,
                                      const char *name, size_t name_len, int64_t size_bytes,
-                                     bool metadata_only) {
+                                     bool include_details) {
     (void)name_len;
 
     char full_path[CBM_SZ_2K];
@@ -2344,7 +2350,7 @@ static void build_project_json_entry(yyjson_mut_doc *doc, yyjson_mut_val *arr, c
 
     int nodes = 0;
     int edges = 0;
-    if (!metadata_only) {
+    if (include_details) {
         nodes = cbm_store_count_nodes(pstore, project_name);
         edges = cbm_store_count_edges(pstore, project_name);
     }
@@ -2365,7 +2371,7 @@ static void build_project_json_entry(yyjson_mut_doc *doc, yyjson_mut_val *arr, c
      * disambiguates same-repo projects). The 12-field git block — mostly
      * null for non-git roots — cost ~10KB across a full cache and is one
      * index_status call away for the project you actually care about. */
-    if (!metadata_only && root_path_buf[0]) {
+    if (include_details && root_path_buf[0]) {
         cbm_git_context_t gctx = {0};
         (void)cbm_git_context_resolve(root_path_buf, &gctx);
         if (gctx.is_git && gctx.branch) {
@@ -2373,7 +2379,7 @@ static void build_project_json_entry(yyjson_mut_doc *doc, yyjson_mut_val *arr, c
         }
         cbm_git_context_free(&gctx);
     }
-    if (!metadata_only) {
+    if (include_details) {
         yyjson_mut_obj_add_int(doc, p, "nodes", nodes);
         yyjson_mut_obj_add_int(doc, p, "edges", edges);
         yyjson_mut_obj_add_int(doc, p, "size_bytes", size_bytes);
@@ -2381,19 +2387,37 @@ static void build_project_json_entry(yyjson_mut_doc *doc, yyjson_mut_val *arr, c
     yyjson_mut_arr_add_val(arr, p);
 }
 
+static int project_db_name_cmp(const void *a, const void *b) {
+    const char *const *sa = (const char *const *)a;
+    const char *const *sb = (const char *const *)b;
+    return strcmp(*sa, *sb);
+}
+
 /* list_projects: scan cache directory for .db files.
  * Each project is a single .db file — no central registry needed. */
 static char *handle_list_projects(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
     (void)srv;
-    bool metadata_only = false;
+    int offset = cbm_mcp_get_int_arg(args, "offset", 0);
+    int limit = cbm_mcp_get_int_arg(args, "limit", 50);
+    bool include_details = cbm_mcp_get_bool_arg(args, "include_details");
     yyjson_doc *args_doc = args ? yyjson_read(args, strlen(args), 0) : NULL;
     yyjson_val *args_root = args_doc ? yyjson_doc_get_root(args_doc) : NULL;
     yyjson_val *metadata_value =
         args_root && yyjson_is_obj(args_root) ? yyjson_obj_get(args_root, "metadata_only") : NULL;
-    metadata_only = metadata_value && yyjson_is_true(metadata_value);
+    if (metadata_value && yyjson_is_true(metadata_value)) {
+        include_details = false;
+    }
     if (args_doc) {
         yyjson_doc_free(args_doc);
     }
+    if (offset < 0) {
+        offset = 0;
+    }
+    if (limit < 1) {
+        limit = 1;
+    } else if (limit > 100) {
+        limit = 100;
+    }
 
     char dir_path[CBM_SZ_1K];
     cache_dir(dir_path, sizeof(dir_path));
@@ -2415,6 +2439,9 @@ static char *handle_list_projects(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
         return cbm_mcp_text_result(msg, true);
     }
 
+    char **db_names = NULL;
+    size_t db_count = 0;
+    size_t db_cap = 0;
     cbm_dirent_t *entry;
     while ((entry = cbm_readdir(d)) != NULL) {
         const char *name = entry->name;
@@ -2422,17 +2449,51 @@ static char *handle_list_projects(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
         if (!is_project_db_file(name, len)) {
             continue;
         }
+        if (db_count == db_cap) {
+            size_t next_cap = db_cap ? db_cap * 2 : 64;
+            char **grown = realloc(db_names, next_cap * sizeof(*db_names));
+            if (!grown) {
+                break;
+            }
+            db_names = grown;
+            db_cap = next_cap;
+        }
+        db_names[db_count] = heap_strdup(name);
+        if (!db_names[db_count]) {
+            break;
+        }
+        db_count++;
+    }
+    cbm_closedir(d);
+
+    qsort(db_names, db_count, sizeof(*db_names), project_db_name_cmp);
+    size_t start = (size_t)offset < db_count ? (size_t)offset : db_count;
+    size_t end = start + (size_t)limit;
+    if (end > db_count) {
+        end = db_count;
+    }
+    for (size_t i = start; i < end; i++) {
+        const char *name = db_names[i];
+        size_t len = strlen(name);
         char full_path[CBM_SZ_2K];
         snprintf(full_path, sizeof(full_path), "%s/%s", dir_path, name);
         int64_t size_bytes = cbm_file_size(full_path);
         if (size_bytes < 0) {
             continue;
         }
-        build_project_json_entry(doc, arr, dir_path, name, len, size_bytes, metadata_only);
+        build_project_json_entry(doc, arr, dir_path, name, len, size_bytes, include_details);
     }
-    cbm_closedir(d);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < db_count; i++) {
+        free(db_names[i]);
+    }
+    free(db_names);
 
     yyjson_mut_obj_add_val(doc, root, "projects", arr);
+    yyjson_mut_obj_add_uint(doc, root, "total", db_count);
+    yyjson_mut_obj_add_int(doc, root, "offset", offset);
+    yyjson_mut_obj_add_int(doc, root, "limit", limit);
+    yyjson_mut_obj_add_uint(doc, root, "returned", yyjson_mut_arr_size(arr));
+    yyjson_mut_obj_add_bool(doc, root, "has_more", end < db_count);
 
     /* Guide user when no projects are indexed */
     if (yyjson_mut_arr_size(arr) == 0) {
@@ -4223,7 +4284,7 @@ static char *handle_check_index_coverage(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args
                 yyjson_mut_arr_add_val(scope_results, item);
                 continue;
             }
-            yyjson_mut_obj_add_str(doc, item, "scope", scope[0] ? scope : ".");
+            yyjson_mut_obj_add_strcpy(doc, item, "scope", scope[0] ? scope : ".");
             cbm_coverage_row_t *rows = NULL;
             int row_count = 0;
             int cov_rc = cbm_store_coverage_get_scope(store, project, scope, &rows, &row_count);
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.c b/tests/test_mcp.c
index f1809dccd..df0a34c02 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.c
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.c
@@ -2159,7 +2159,7 @@ TEST(tool_check_index_coverage_reports_paths_scopes_and_ranges) {
         cbm_mcp_handle_tool(srv, "check_index_coverage",
                             "{\"project\":\"test-project\","
                             "\"paths\":[\"main.go\",\"generated/pkg/a.c\",\"../escape.c\"],"
-                            "\"scopes\":[\".\"]}");
+                            "\"scopes\":[\".\",\"src\"]}");
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(coverage);
     char *inner = extract_text_content(coverage);
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(inner);
@@ -2172,6 +2172,8 @@ TEST(tool_check_index_coverage_reports_paths_scopes_and_ranges) {
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "not_indexed_dir"));
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "outside_project"));
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "src/skip.c"));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "\"requested_scope\":\"src\""));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "\"scope\":\"src\""));
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "file exceeds cap"));
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "best_effort"));
 
@@ -7045,6 +7047,26 @@ TEST(tool_resolve_store_by_internal_name_issue704) {
     ASSERT_NULL(strstr(list, "ghost704"));     /* 0-byte ghost filtered (RED before) */
     free(list);
 
+    char *page = cbm_mcp_server_handle(
+        srv, "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":11,\"method\":\"tools/call\","
+             "\"params\":{\"name\":\"list_projects\","
+             "\"arguments\":{\"offset\":0,\"limit\":1}}}");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(page);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(page, "\\\"total\\\":3"));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(page, "\\\"limit\\\":1"));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(page, "\\\"returned\\\":1"));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(page, "\\\"has_more\\\":true"));
+    ASSERT_NULL(strstr(page, "\\\"nodes\\\"")); /* details are opt-in */
+    free(page);
+
+    char *details = cbm_mcp_server_handle(
+        srv, "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":12,\"method\":\"tools/call\","
+             "\"params\":{\"name\":\"list_projects\","
+             "\"arguments\":{\"offset\":0,\"limit\":1,\"include_details\":true}}}");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(details);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(details, "\\\"nodes\\\""));
+    free(details);
+
     /* ── B: the drifted project resolves by its INTERNAL name ──────── */
     char *q_beta = cbm_mcp_server_handle(
         srv, "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":2,\"method\":\"tools/call\","