diff --git a/tests/test_havoc_mcp_server.py b/tests/test_havoc_mcp_server.py
index 3ed46d8..dae26f3 100644
--- a/tests/test_havoc_mcp_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_havoc_mcp_server.py
@@ -2,8 +2,14 @@ import json
 import socket
 import threading
 import pytest
+from starlette.testclient import TestClient
 
-from tools.havoc_mcp_server import DebugAgentClient, DebugAgentError
+from tools.havoc_mcp_server import (
+    DebugAgentClient,
+    DebugAgentError,
+    build_asgi_app,
+    build_mcp_server,
+)
 
 
 class _StubAgentServer:
@@ -53,3 +59,52 @@ def test_check_bearer_token_rejects_missing_header():
 
 def test_check_bearer_token_rejects_malformed_header():
     assert check_bearer_token("secret123", expected="secret123") is False  # missing "Bearer " prefix
+
+def test_check_bearer_token_rejects_empty_expected_token():
+    # A set-but-empty HAVOC_MCP_TOKEN must not turn auth into a no-op.
+    assert check_bearer_token("Bearer ", expected="") is False
+    assert check_bearer_token("Bearer anything", expected="") is False
+
+
+def _build_test_app(token: str = "secret123"):
+    """Build the real ASGI app (auth middleware wrapping the FastMCP Streamable HTTP
+    app) the same way __main__ does, but with a DebugAgentClient that never needs to
+    make a real connection -- these tests only exercise the auth middleware layer,
+    they never let a request reach the point of actually calling the debug agent."""
+    client = DebugAgentClient(host="127.0.0.1", port=1)
+    server = build_mcp_server(client)
+    return build_asgi_app(server, token)
+
+
+def test_asgi_app_rejects_request_with_no_auth_header():
+    app = _build_test_app()
+    with TestClient(app) as test_client:
+        response = test_client.post("/mcp", json={})
+    assert response.status_code == 401
+
+
+def test_asgi_app_rejects_request_with_wrong_token():
+    app = _build_test_app()
+    with TestClient(app) as test_client:
+        response = test_client.post(
+            "/mcp", json={}, headers={"Authorization": "Bearer wrong"}
+        )
+    assert response.status_code == 401
+
+
+def test_asgi_app_passes_through_request_with_correct_token():
+    app = _build_test_app()
+    with TestClient(app) as test_client:
+        response = test_client.post(
+            "/mcp",
+            json={},
+            headers={
+                "Authorization": "Bearer secret123",
+                "Accept": "application/json, text/event-stream",
+            },
+        )
+    # The auth middleware must not 401 a correctly-authenticated request. Whatever
+    # status the underlying MCP session manager returns past that point (e.g. it may
+    # reject malformed MCP protocol bodies) is out of scope here -- a non-401 response
+    # is sufficient proof the middleware let the request through.
+    assert response.status_code != 401
diff --git a/tools/havoc_mcp_server.py b/tools/havoc_mcp_server.py
index 7e71733..a53d4b7 100644
--- a/tools/havoc_mcp_server.py
+++ b/tools/havoc_mcp_server.py
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ running on the same Caspian box."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import json
+import hmac
 import os
 import socket
 
+from starlette.responses import PlainTextResponse
+
 from tools.havoc_debug_protocol import decode_message, encode_message
 
 
@@ -37,12 +39,14 @@ class DebugAgentClient:
 
 
 def check_bearer_token(header_value: str | None, expected: str) -> bool:
+    if not expected:
+        return False
     if header_value is None:
         return False
     prefix = "Bearer "
     if not header_value.startswith(prefix):
         return False
-    return header_value[len(prefix):] == expected
+    return hmac.compare_digest(header_value[len(prefix):], expected)
 
 
 # --- MCP tool wiring (mcp SDK 1.28.1) --------------------------------------------
@@ -62,7 +66,7 @@ def check_bearer_token(header_value: str | None, expected: str) -> bool:
 from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
 
 
-def build_mcp_server(client: DebugAgentClient, token: str) -> FastMCP:
+def build_mcp_server(client: DebugAgentClient) -> FastMCP:
     mcp = FastMCP("havoc-runtime-observation")
 
     @mcp.tool()
@@ -143,8 +147,6 @@ class _BearerAuthMiddleware:
                 break
 
         if not check_bearer_token(header_value, expected=self._expected_token):
-            from starlette.responses import PlainTextResponse
-
             response = PlainTextResponse("Unauthorized", status_code=401)
             await response(scope, receive, send)
             return
@@ -162,8 +164,10 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     import uvicorn
 
     token = os.environ["HAVOC_MCP_TOKEN"]  # required, no default -- fail loudly if unset
+    if not token:
+        raise ValueError("HAVOC_MCP_TOKEN must not be empty")
     client = DebugAgentClient(host="127.0.0.1", port=47474)
-    server = build_mcp_server(client, token)
+    server = build_mcp_server(client)
     app = build_asgi_app(server, token)
     # Bind 0.0.0.0 so the LAN can reach it.
     uvicorn.run(app, host="0.0.0.0", port=8765)