diff --git a/src/mcp/mcp.c b/src/mcp/mcp.c
index 65dc262a4..fba98f68a 100644
--- a/src/mcp/mcp.c
+++ b/src/mcp/mcp.c
@@ -4278,6 +4278,14 @@ static char *handle_get_architecture(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
         add_stale_derived_view_warning(doc, root, CBM_STORE_DERIVED_VIEW_ROUTES,
                                        "routes derived view is stale; route results may be stale.");
     }
+    int dirty_pending = 0;
+    int dirty_overlay_ready = 0;
+    if (get_dirty_file_counts(store, project, &dirty_pending, &dirty_overlay_ready)) {
+        add_dirty_file_freshness_counts(doc, root, dirty_pending, dirty_overlay_ready);
+        add_response_warning(doc, root,
+                             "get_architecture reads canonical graph summaries; dirty file "
+                             "changes may be absent until overlay or reindex completes.");
+    }
 
     /* Node label summary */
     if (aspect_wanted(aspects_doc, aspects_arr, "structure")) {
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.c b/tests/test_mcp.c
index f2c578916..a4f4956e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.c
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.c
@@ -1767,6 +1767,51 @@ TEST(tool_get_architecture_warns_on_stale_derived_views) {
     PASS();
 }
 
+TEST(tool_get_architecture_reports_dirty_metadata_as_canonical_only) {
+    cbm_mcp_server_t *srv = cbm_mcp_server_new(NULL);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(srv);
+    cbm_store_t *st = cbm_mcp_server_store(srv);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(st);
+
+    const char *proj = "arch-dirty";
+    ASSERT_EQ(cbm_store_upsert_project(st, proj, "/tmp/arch-dirty"), CBM_STORE_OK);
+    cbm_mcp_server_set_project(srv, proj);
+
+    cbm_node_t fn = {.project = proj,
+                     .label = "Function",
+                     .name = "Run",
+                     .qualified_name = "arch-dirty.Run",
+                     .file_path = "run.c",
+                     .properties_json = "{\"is_entry_point\":true}"};
+    ASSERT_GT(cbm_store_upsert_node(st, &fn), 0);
+
+    cbm_dirty_file_state_t dirty = {.project = proj,
+                                    .rel_path = "run.c",
+                                    .observed_hash = "arch-dirty-hash",
+                                    .observed_generation = 13,
+                                    .source = CBM_STORE_DIRTY_SOURCE_EXPLICIT_REINDEX,
+                                    .status = CBM_STORE_DIRTY_STATUS_PENDING};
+    ASSERT_EQ(cbm_store_upsert_dirty_file(st, &dirty), CBM_STORE_OK);
+
+    char *resp = cbm_mcp_server_handle(
+        srv, "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":95,\"method\":\"tools/call\","
+             "\"params\":{\"name\":\"get_architecture\","
+             "\"arguments\":{\"project\":\"arch-dirty\",\"aspects\":[\"all\"]}}}");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(resp);
+    char *inner = extract_text_content(resp);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(inner);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "\"entry_points\""));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "Run"));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "\"warnings\""));
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(inner, "get_architecture reads canonical graph summaries"));
+    ASSERT_TRUE(has_dirty_freshness_counts(inner, 1, 0));
+
+    free(inner);
+    free(resp);
+    cbm_mcp_server_free(srv);
+    PASS();
+}
+
 TEST(tool_get_architecture_path_scoping) {
     cbm_mcp_server_t *srv = cbm_mcp_server_new(NULL);
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL(srv);
@@ -3995,6 +4040,7 @@ SUITE(mcp) {
     RUN_TEST(tool_get_architecture_empty);
     RUN_TEST(tool_get_architecture_emits_populated_sections);
     RUN_TEST(tool_get_architecture_warns_on_stale_derived_views);
+    RUN_TEST(tool_get_architecture_reports_dirty_metadata_as_canonical_only);
     RUN_TEST(tool_get_architecture_path_scoping);
     RUN_TEST(tool_query_graph_missing_query);