diff --git a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.test.ts b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index a2db1267d3d3..000000000000
--- a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { matchesMcpToolFilterPattern } from "./agent-bundle-mcp-filter.js";
-
-describe("matchesMcpToolFilterPattern", () => {
-  it.each([
-    ["", "tool", false],
-    ["search_docs", "search_docs", true],
-    ["search_docs", "read_docs", false],
-    ["*_docs", "search_docs", true],
-    ["resources_*", "resources_read", true],
-    ["a**b***c", "axbyc", true],
-    ["a*b*c", "acb", false],
-  ])("matches %j against %j", (pattern, value, expected) => {
-    expect(matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, value)).toBe(expected);
-  });
-
-  it("rejects adversarial separated wildcards without regex backtracking", () => {
-    const pattern = `${"*a".repeat(128)}*b`;
-    const value = `${"a".repeat(10_000)}c`;
-    expect(matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, value)).toBe(false);
-  });
-});
diff --git a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.ts b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 9683b342259f..000000000000
--- a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/** Match the documented MCP tool-filter glob syntax: exact text plus `*`. */
-export function matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern: string, value: string): boolean {
-  const trimmed = pattern.trim();
-  if (!trimmed) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  if (!trimmed.includes("*")) {
-    return trimmed === value;
-  }
-
-  const parts = trimmed.split("*");
-  const first = parts[0] ?? "";
-  const last = parts.at(-1) ?? "";
-  let cursor = 0;
-  if (first) {
-    if (!value.startsWith(first)) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    cursor = first.length;
-  }
-  const endBound = last ? value.length - last.length : value.length;
-  if (last && (!value.endsWith(last) || endBound < cursor)) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  for (const part of parts.slice(1, -1)) {
-    if (!part) {
-      continue;
-    }
-    const index = value.indexOf(part, cursor);
-    if (index === -1 || index + part.length > endBound) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    cursor = index + part.length;
-  }
-  return true;
-}
diff --git a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-materialize.ts b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-materialize.ts
index 30a56a955775..9a6054a5f09f 100644
--- a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-materialize.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-materialize.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import { normalizeLowercaseStringOrEmpty } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/st
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import { logWarn } from "../logger.js";
 import { getPluginToolMeta, setPluginToolMeta, type PluginToolMcpMeta } from "../plugins/tools.js";
-import { matchesMcpToolFilterPattern } from "./agent-bundle-mcp-filter.js";
 import {
   buildSafeToolName,
   normalizeReservedToolNames,
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@ import type {
   SessionMcpRuntime,
 } from "./agent-bundle-mcp-types.js";
 import { mcpContentBlockToAgentContent } from "./mcp-content.js";
+import { isMcpToolAllowed } from "./mcp-tool-filter.js";
 import { buildMcpAppCanvasPayload, fetchMcpAppView } from "./mcp-ui-resource.js";
 import type { AgentToolResult } from "./runtime/index.js";
 import type { AnyAgentTool } from "./tools/common.js";
@@ -210,15 +210,7 @@ function serverAllowsUtilityTool(
   if ((server.deniedToolNames?.includes(operation) === true) !== sessionDeniedOnly) {
     return false;
   }
-  const include = server.toolFilter?.include ?? [];
-  const exclude = server.toolFilter?.exclude ?? [];
-  if (
-    include.length > 0 &&
-    !include.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, operation))
-  ) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  return !exclude.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, operation));
+  return isMcpToolAllowed(server.toolFilter, operation);
 }
 
 function addMcpUtilityTool(params: {
diff --git a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-runtime.ts b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-runtime.ts
index 7026d8818f3c..b42fa77f3da3 100644
--- a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-runtime.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import { redactToolPayloadText } from "../logging/redact.js";
 import type { PluginManifestRegistry } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 import { runTasksWithConcurrency } from "../utils/run-with-concurrency.js";
 import { mergeMcpToolCatalogs } from "./agent-bundle-mcp-combined.js";
-import { matchesMcpToolFilterPattern } from "./agent-bundle-mcp-filter.js";
 import {
   completeDeferredSessionMcpRuntimeRetirement,
   disposeAllSessionMcpRuntimes,
@@ -69,6 +68,7 @@ import { createMcpJsonSchemaValidator } from "./mcp-json-schema-validator.js";
 import { sanitizeMcpMetadataText } from "./mcp-metadata.js";
 import { collectMcpPaginatedItems } from "./mcp-pagination.js";
 import { OpenClawStdioClientTransport } from "./mcp-stdio-transport.js";
+import { isMcpToolAllowed, normalizeMcpToolFilter } from "./mcp-tool-filter.js";
 import { resolveMcpTransport } from "./mcp-transport.js";
 
 type BundleMcpSession = {
@@ -114,11 +114,6 @@ function getBundleMcpTestState(): BundleMcpTestState {
   return state;
 }
 
-type McpToolSelection = {
-  include?: readonly string[];
-  exclude?: readonly string[];
-};
-
 type McpServerBackoffState = {
   session: BundleMcpSession;
   failures: number;
@@ -285,14 +280,6 @@ function buildMcpClientOptions(mcpAppsEnabled: boolean): ClientOptions {
   return { capabilities: buildMcpClientCapabilities(mcpAppsEnabled) };
 }
 
-function normalizeStringList(value: unknown): string[] | undefined {
-  if (!Array.isArray(value)) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  const entries = value.filter((entry): entry is string => typeof entry === "string");
-  return entries.length > 0 ? entries : undefined;
-}
-
 function normalizeToolUiVisibility(value: unknown): Array<"app" | "model"> | undefined {
   if (!Array.isArray(value)) {
     return undefined;
@@ -303,28 +290,6 @@ function normalizeToolUiVisibility(value: unknown): Array<"app" | "model"> | und
   return [...new Set(normalized)].toSorted();
 }
 
-function getMcpToolSelection(rawServer: unknown): McpToolSelection {
-  if (!isRecord(rawServer) || !isRecord(rawServer.toolFilter)) {
-    return {};
-  }
-  return {
-    include: normalizeStringList(rawServer.toolFilter.include),
-    exclude: normalizeStringList(rawServer.toolFilter.exclude),
-  };
-}
-
-function shouldExposeMcpTool(selection: McpToolSelection, toolName: string): boolean {
-  const include = selection.include ?? [];
-  const exclude = selection.exclude ?? [];
-  if (
-    include.length > 0 &&
-    !include.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, toolName))
-  ) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  return !exclude.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, toolName));
-}
-
 function summarizeServerCapabilities(capabilities: ServerCapabilities | undefined) {
   return {
     resources: capabilities?.resources
@@ -891,13 +856,15 @@ export function createSessionMcpRuntime(params: {
                   ),
                 });
                 failIfDisposed();
-                const selection = getMcpToolSelection(rawServer);
+                const toolFilter = normalizeMcpToolFilter(
+                  isRecord(rawServer) ? rawServer.toolFilter : undefined,
+                );
                 const denialMap = params.toolOverrides?.mcpToolsDeny;
                 const deniedToolNames = new Set(
                   denialMap && Object.hasOwn(denialMap, serverName) ? denialMap[serverName] : [],
                 );
                 const policyEligibleTools = listedTools.filter((tool) =>
-                  shouldExposeMcpTool(selection, tool.name.trim()),
+                  isMcpToolAllowed(toolFilter, tool.name.trim()),
                 );
                 const exposedTools = policyEligibleTools.filter((tool) => {
                   const toolName = tool.name.trim();
@@ -922,14 +889,7 @@ export function createSessionMcpRuntime(params: {
                         },
                       }
                     : {}),
-                  ...(selection.include || selection.exclude
-                    ? {
-                        toolFilter: {
-                          ...(selection.include ? { include: [...selection.include] } : {}),
-                          ...(selection.exclude ? { exclude: [...selection.exclude] } : {}),
-                        },
-                      }
-                    : {}),
+                  ...(toolFilter ? { toolFilter } : {}),
                   ...(deniedToolNames.size > 0
                     ? { deniedToolNames: [...deniedToolNames].toSorted() }
                     : {}),
diff --git a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-types.ts b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-types.ts
index 988c37b2d6c1..0d504a6043ed 100644
--- a/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-types.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agent-bundle-mcp-types.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import type {
 } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/types.js";
 import type { TSchema } from "typebox";
 import type { SessionToolOverrides } from "../config/sessions/types.js";
-import type { McpCodexToolApprovalMode } from "../config/types.mcp.js";
+import type { McpCodexToolApprovalMode, McpServerToolFilterConfig } from "../config/types.mcp.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import type { PluginManifestRegistry } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 import type { McpCodexToolAnnotations } from "./mcp-codex-tool-approval.js";
@@ -40,10 +40,7 @@ export type McpServerCatalog = {
   };
   requestTimeoutMs?: number;
   supportsParallelToolCalls?: boolean;
-  toolFilter?: {
-    include?: string[];
-    exclude?: string[];
-  };
+  toolFilter?: McpServerToolFilterConfig;
   deniedToolNames?: string[];
   codexApprovalMode?: McpCodexToolApprovalMode;
 };
diff --git a/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.test.ts b/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4d2836b5fb3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { isMcpToolAllowed, normalizeMcpToolFilter } from "./mcp-tool-filter.js";
+
+describe("isMcpToolAllowed", () => {
+  it.each([
+    ["", "tool", false],
+    ["search_docs", "search_docs", true],
+    ["search_docs", "read_docs", false],
+    ["*_docs", "search_docs", true],
+    ["resources_*", "resources_read", true],
+    ["a**b***c", "axbyc", true],
+    ["a*b*c", "acb", false],
+  ])("matches %j against %j", (pattern, value, expected) => {
+    expect(isMcpToolAllowed({ include: [pattern] }, value)).toBe(expected);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects adversarial separated wildcards without regex backtracking", () => {
+    const pattern = `${"*a".repeat(128)}*b`;
+    const value = `${"a".repeat(10_000)}c`;
+    expect(isMcpToolAllowed({ include: [pattern] }, value)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    [undefined, undefined],
+    ["malformed", undefined],
+    [{ include: "search_*", exclude: 42 }, undefined],
+    [{ include: [] }, undefined],
+    [{ include: [false, "search_*", null] }, { include: ["search_*"] }],
+    [{ include: [false, null] }, undefined],
+    [{ exclude: [false, "search_*", null] }, { exclude: ["search_*"] }],
+    [
+      { include: [" *_docs "], exclude: ["admin_*"] },
+      { include: [" *_docs "], exclude: ["admin_*"] },
+    ],
+  ])("normalizes filter %j", (raw, expected) => {
+    expect(normalizeMcpToolFilter(raw)).toEqual(expected);
+  });
+
+  it("requires an include match and lets exclude win", () => {
+    const filter = { include: ["*_docs"], exclude: ["search_*"] };
+    expect(isMcpToolAllowed(filter, "read_docs")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isMcpToolAllowed(filter, "search_docs")).toBe(false);
+    expect(isMcpToolAllowed(filter, "read_file")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.ts b/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ac7b719657aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/mcp-tool-filter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { isRecord } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/record-coerce";
+import { filterStringEntries } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/string-normalization";
+import type { McpServerToolFilterConfig } from "../config/types.mcp.js";
+
+/** Match the documented MCP tool-filter glob syntax: exact text plus `*`. */
+function matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern: string, value: string): boolean {
+  const trimmed = pattern.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!trimmed.includes("*")) {
+    return trimmed === value;
+  }
+
+  const parts = trimmed.split("*");
+  const first = parts[0] ?? "";
+  const last = parts.at(-1) ?? "";
+  if (first && !value.startsWith(first)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  let cursor = first.length;
+  const endBound = last ? value.length - last.length : value.length;
+  if (last && (!value.endsWith(last) || endBound < cursor)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  for (const part of parts.slice(1, -1)) {
+    if (!part) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    const index = value.indexOf(part, cursor);
+    if (index === -1 || index + part.length > endBound) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    cursor = index + part.length;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+/** Normalizes open-world MCP tool filters into the runtime policy shape. */
+export function normalizeMcpToolFilter(raw: unknown): McpServerToolFilterConfig | undefined {
+  if (!isRecord(raw)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const include = filterStringEntries(raw.include);
+  const exclude = filterStringEntries(raw.exclude);
+  if (include.length === 0 && exclude.length === 0) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return {
+    ...(include.length > 0 ? { include } : {}),
+    ...(exclude.length > 0 ? { exclude } : {}),
+  };
+}
+
+/** Applies the shared include-then-exclude policy. */
+export function isMcpToolAllowed(
+  toolFilter: McpServerToolFilterConfig | undefined,
+  toolName: string,
+): boolean {
+  const matches = (pattern: string) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, toolName);
+  return (
+    (!toolFilter?.include?.length || toolFilter.include.some(matches)) &&
+    !toolFilter?.exclude?.some(matches)
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/config/mcp-config.ts b/src/config/mcp-config.ts
index 6bbfdb9da428..fcfbedbc7ed0 100644
--- a/src/config/mcp-config.ts
+++ b/src/config/mcp-config.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { replaceConfigFile } from "./mutate.js";
 import { redactSensitiveArgv } from "./redact-argv.js";
 import { REDACTED_SENTINEL, restoreRedactedValues } from "./redact-snapshot.js";
 import { buildConfigSchemaCore } from "./schema.js";
+import type { McpServerToolFilterConfig } from "./types.mcp.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "./types.openclaw.js";
 import { validateConfigObjectWithPlugins } from "./validation.js";
 
@@ -39,12 +40,6 @@ type McpConfigMutation = {
 };
 type McpConfigMutationHook = (mutation: McpConfigMutation) => Promise<void>;
 
-/** Include/exclude tool selection stored for a configured MCP server. */
-type McpServerToolSelection = {
-  include?: string[];
-  exclude?: string[];
-};
-
 function normalizeToolSelectionList(value: readonly string[] | undefined): string[] | undefined {
   if (!value) {
     return undefined;
@@ -205,7 +200,7 @@ async function updateConfiguredMcpServerConfig(params: {
 async function updateConfiguredMcpServerTools(
   params: {
     name: string;
-    tools: McpServerToolSelection | null;
+    tools: McpServerToolFilterConfig | null;
     recordIndependentOwner?: boolean;
   },
   onCommitted?: McpConfigMutationHook,
diff --git a/src/node-host/mcp.ts b/src/node-host/mcp.ts
index e68236f7cc6e..558331445b73 100644
--- a/src/node-host/mcp.ts
+++ b/src/node-host/mcp.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ import { clampPositiveTimerTimeoutMs } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/number
 import { normalizeLowercaseStringOrEmpty } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/string-coerce";
 import { truncateUtf16Safe } from "@openclaw/normalization-core/utf16-slice";
 import type { NodePluginToolDescriptor } from "../../packages/gateway-protocol/src/schema/nodes.js";
-import { matchesMcpToolFilterPattern } from "../agents/agent-bundle-mcp-filter.js";
 import { createMcpJsonSchemaValidator } from "../agents/mcp-json-schema-validator.js";
 import { sanitizeMcpMetadataText } from "../agents/mcp-metadata.js";
 import { collectMcpPaginatedItems } from "../agents/mcp-pagination.js";
+import { isMcpToolAllowed } from "../agents/mcp-tool-filter.js";
 import { resolveMcpRequestTimeoutMs } from "../agents/mcp-transport-config.js";
 import { resolveMcpTransport } from "../agents/mcp-transport.js";
 import { normalizeConfiguredMcpServers } from "../config/mcp-config-normalize.js";
@@ -197,18 +197,6 @@ function buildNodeMcpToolDescriptors(
   return descriptors;
 }
 
-function shouldExposeTool(config: McpServerConfig, toolName: string): boolean {
-  const include = config.toolFilter?.include ?? [];
-  const exclude = config.toolFilter?.exclude ?? [];
-  if (
-    include.length > 0 &&
-    !include.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, toolName))
-  ) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  return !exclude.some((pattern) => matchesMcpToolFilterPattern(pattern, toolName));
-}
-
 async function connectWithTimeout(
   client: NodeHostMcpClient,
   transport: Transport,
@@ -350,7 +338,7 @@ export async function startNodeHostMcpManager(
         const tools = await listAllTools(
           client,
           resolved.requestTimeoutMs,
-          (toolName) => shouldExposeTool(config, toolName),
+          (toolName) => isMcpToolAllowed(config.toolFilter, toolName),
           deps.signal,
         );
         if (session.connected) {