diff --git a/internal/ghmcp/server.go b/internal/ghmcp/server.go
index 5c4e7f6f1..c6943fd24 100644
--- a/internal/ghmcp/server.go
+++ b/internal/ghmcp/server.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
@@ -248,20 +249,49 @@ func RunStdioServer(cfg StdioServerConfig) error {
 	logger := slog.New(slogHandler)
 	logger.Info("starting server", "version", cfg.Version, "host", cfg.Host, "dynamicToolsets", cfg.DynamicToolsets, "readOnly", cfg.ReadOnly, "lockdownEnabled", cfg.LockdownMode)
 
-	// Fetch token scopes for scope-based tool filtering (PAT tokens only)
-	// Only classic PATs (ghp_ prefix) return OAuth scopes via X-OAuth-Scopes header.
-	// Fine-grained PATs and other token types don't support this, so we skip filtering.
+	featureChecker := createFeatureChecker(cfg.EnabledFeatures)
+
+	// Fetch token scopes for scope-based tool filtering and startup validation.
+	// We currently fail closed for classic PAT and OAuth access tokens where scopes
+	// can be resolved deterministically.
 	var tokenScopes []string
-	if strings.HasPrefix(cfg.Token, "ghp_") {
+	if shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup(cfg.Token) {
 		fetchedScopes, err := fetchTokenScopesForHost(ctx, cfg.Token, cfg.Host)
 		if err != nil {
-			logger.Warn("failed to fetch token scopes, continuing without scope filtering", "error", err)
-		} else {
-			tokenScopes = fetchedScopes
-			logger.Info("token scopes fetched for filtering", "scopes", tokenScopes)
+			return fmt.Errorf("scope requirements check failed: unable to fetch token scopes: %w", err)
 		}
+		tokenScopes = fetchedScopes
+		logger.Info("token scopes fetched for filtering", "scopes", tokenScopes)
 	} else {
-		logger.Debug("skipping scope filtering for non-PAT token")
+		logger.Debug("skipping startup scope validation for token type")
+	}
+
+	if shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup(cfg.Token) {
+		startupInventory, err := github.NewInventory(t).
+			WithDeprecatedAliases(github.DeprecatedToolAliases).
+			WithReadOnly(cfg.ReadOnly).
+			WithToolsets(github.ResolvedEnabledToolsets(cfg.DynamicToolsets, cfg.EnabledToolsets, cfg.EnabledTools)).
+			WithTools(github.CleanTools(cfg.EnabledTools)).
+			WithExcludeTools(cfg.ExcludeTools).
+			WithServerInstructions().
+			WithFeatureChecker(featureChecker).
+			WithInsidersMode(cfg.InsidersMode).
+			Build()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to build inventory for scope validation: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		missingScopes, blockedTools, err := evaluateScopeRequirements(startupInventory.AllTools(), tokenScopes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to evaluate token scope requirements: %w", err)
+		}
+		if len(blockedTools) > 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"scope requirements unmet at startup: missing scopes [%s]; blocked tools [%s]",
+				strings.Join(missingScopes, ", "),
+				strings.Join(blockedTools, ", "),
+			)
+		}
 	}
 
 	ghServer, err := NewStdioMCPServer(ctx, github.MCPServerConfig{
@@ -327,6 +357,43 @@ func RunStdioServer(cfg StdioServerConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup(token string) bool {
+	return strings.HasPrefix(token, "ghp_") || strings.HasPrefix(token, "gho_")
+}
+
+func evaluateScopeRequirements(tools []inventory.ServerTool, tokenScopes []string) ([]string, []string, error) {
+	filter := github.CreateToolScopeFilter(tokenScopes)
+	missingScopeSet := make(map[string]struct{})
+	blockedTools := make([]string, 0)
+
+	for i := range tools {
+		allowed, err := filter(context.Background(), &tools[i])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, err
+		}
+		if allowed {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		blockedTools = append(blockedTools, tools[i].Tool.Name)
+		for _, required := range tools[i].RequiredScopes {
+			if required == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			missingScopeSet[required] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+
+	missingScopes := make([]string, 0, len(missingScopeSet))
+	for scope := range missingScopeSet {
+		missingScopes = append(missingScopes, scope)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(missingScopes)
+	sort.Strings(blockedTools)
+
+	return missingScopes, blockedTools, nil
+}
+
 // createFeatureChecker returns a FeatureFlagChecker that checks if a flag name
 // is present in the provided list of enabled features. For the local server,
 // this is populated from the --features CLI flag.
diff --git a/internal/ghmcp/server_scope_test.go b/internal/ghmcp/server_scope_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..58f2581df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ghmcp/server_scope_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+package ghmcp
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/github/github-mcp-server/pkg/inventory"
+	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func makeScopeTestTool(
+	name string,
+	readOnly bool,
+	requiredScopes []string,
+	acceptedScopes []string,
+) inventory.ServerTool {
+	return inventory.ServerTool{
+		Tool: mcp.Tool{
+			Name: name,
+			Annotations: &mcp.ToolAnnotations{
+				ReadOnlyHint: readOnly,
+			},
+		},
+		RequiredScopes: requiredScopes,
+		AcceptedScopes: acceptedScopes,
+	}
+}
+
+func TestShouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup(t *testing.T) {
+	require.True(t, shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup("ghp_test"))
+	require.True(t, shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup("gho_test"))
+	require.False(t, shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup("ghs_test"))
+	require.False(t, shouldValidateTokenScopesAtStartup("github_pat_test"))
+}
+
+func TestEvaluateScopeRequirementsReportsMissingScopesAndBlockedTools(t *testing.T) {
+	tools := []inventory.ServerTool{
+		makeScopeTestTool(
+			"repo_write",
+			false,
+			[]string{"repo"},
+			[]string{"repo"},
+		),
+	}
+
+	missingScopes, blockedTools, err := evaluateScopeRequirements(tools, []string{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"repo"}, missingScopes)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"repo_write"}, blockedTools)
+}
+
+func TestEvaluateScopeRequirementsAllowsReadOnlyRepoToolsWithoutScopes(t *testing.T) {
+	tools := []inventory.ServerTool{
+		makeScopeTestTool(
+			"repo_read_only",
+			true,
+			[]string{"repo"},
+			[]string{"repo", "public_repo"},
+		),
+	}
+
+	missingScopes, blockedTools, err := evaluateScopeRequirements(tools, []string{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, missingScopes)
+	require.Empty(t, blockedTools)
+}
+
+func TestEvaluateScopeRequirementsSortsOutputDeterministically(t *testing.T) {
+	tools := []inventory.ServerTool{
+		makeScopeTestTool(
+			"z_tool",
+			false,
+			[]string{"admin:org"},
+			[]string{"admin:org"},
+		),
+		makeScopeTestTool(
+			"a_tool",
+			false,
+			[]string{"repo"},
+			[]string{"repo"},
+		),
+	}
+
+	missingScopes, blockedTools, err := evaluateScopeRequirements(tools, []string{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"admin:org", "repo"}, missingScopes)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"a_tool", "z_tool"}, blockedTools)
+}