diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/server.ts b/packages/server/src/server/server.ts
index 1582f8c6eb..ce5aa35f3b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/server.ts
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ export class Server extends Protocol<ServerContext> {
     private _requestStateVerify?: (state: string, ctx: ServerContext) => unknown | Promise<unknown>;
     private _inputRequiredServing: { maxRounds: number; roundTimeoutMs: number; legacyShim: boolean };
     private _legacyShim?: LegacyInputRequiredShim;
-
     /** Lazily-built legacy shim; the loop lives in legacyInputRequiredShim.ts behind a narrow host contract. */
     private _legacyInputRequiredShim(): LegacyInputRequiredShim {
         return (this._legacyShim ??= new LegacyInputRequiredShim({
@@ -793,7 +792,19 @@ export class Server extends Protocol<ServerContext> {
                 break;
             }
 
-            case 'notifications/resources/updated':
+            case 'notifications/resources/updated': {
+                // Resource updates only reach clients that opted in via
+                // resources/subscribe, which requires the advertised
+                // resources.subscribe capability (#2545).
+                if (!this._capabilities.resources?.subscribe) {
+                    throw new SdkError(
+                        SdkErrorCode.CapabilityNotSupported,
+                        `Server does not support resource subscriptions (required for ${method})`
+                    );
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+
             case 'notifications/resources/list_changed': {
                 if (!this._capabilities.resources) {
                     throw new SdkError(
@@ -879,6 +890,20 @@ export class Server extends Protocol<ServerContext> {
                 break;
             }
 
+            case 'resources/subscribe':
+            case 'resources/unsubscribe': {
+                // Handler registration must match the advertised bit; otherwise
+                // clients that subscribe (or the server's own handlers) see a
+                // silent dead-end when the capability was never declared (#2545).
+                if (!this._capabilities.resources?.subscribe) {
+                    throw new SdkError(
+                        SdkErrorCode.CapabilityNotSupported,
+                        `Server does not support resource subscriptions (required for ${method})`
+                    );
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+
             case 'tools/call':
             case 'tools/list': {
                 if (!this._capabilities.tools) {
@@ -1298,6 +1323,7 @@ export class Server extends Protocol<ServerContext> {
     }
 
     async sendResourceUpdated(params: ResourceUpdatedNotification['params']) {
+        // assertNotificationCapability requires resources.subscribe (#2545).
         return this.notification({
             method: 'notifications/resources/updated',
             params
diff --git a/packages/server/test/server/server.test.ts b/packages/server/test/server/server.test.ts
index 0a96a0bb66..4070e5c85e 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/server/server.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/server/server.test.ts
@@ -242,4 +242,43 @@ describe('Server', () => {
             expect(result.structuredContent).toEqual({ ok: true });
         });
     });
+
+    describe('resource subscription capabilities (#2545)', () => {
+        async function connectServer(server: Server): Promise<void> {
+            const [, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+            await server.connect(serverTransport);
+        }
+
+        it('sendResourceUpdated throws without resources.subscribe', async () => {
+            const server = new Server({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: { listChanged: true } } });
+            await connectServer(server);
+
+            await expect(server.sendResourceUpdated({ uri: 'test://resource' })).rejects.toThrow(/resource subscriptions/);
+        });
+
+        it('sendResourceUpdated succeeds when resources.subscribe is advertised', async () => {
+            const server = new Server({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: { subscribe: true } } });
+            await connectServer(server);
+
+            await expect(server.sendResourceUpdated({ uri: 'test://resource' })).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+        });
+
+        it('setRequestHandler rejects resources/subscribe without the capability', () => {
+            const server = new Server({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: { listChanged: true } } });
+
+            expect(() => server.setRequestHandler('resources/subscribe', async () => ({}))).toThrow(/resource subscriptions/);
+        });
+
+        it('setRequestHandler rejects resources/unsubscribe without the capability', () => {
+            const server = new Server({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: {} } });
+
+            expect(() => server.setRequestHandler('resources/unsubscribe', async () => ({}))).toThrow(/resource subscriptions/);
+        });
+
+        it('setRequestHandler allows resources/subscribe when the capability is advertised', () => {
+            const server = new Server({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: { subscribe: true } } });
+
+            expect(() => server.setRequestHandler('resources/subscribe', async () => ({}))).not.toThrow();
+        });
+    });
 });