diff --git a/src/Config.zig b/src/Config.zig
index 9194ec12..8f133b15 100644
--- a/src/Config.zig
+++ b/src/Config.zig
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ pub fn webBotAuth(self: *const Config) ?WebBotAuthConfig {
 pub fn mcpVersion(self: *const Config) []const u8 {
     return switch (self.mode) {
         .mcp => |opts| @tagName(opts.version),
-        else => @tagName(mcp.Version.latest),
+        else => @tagName(mcp.Version.default),
     };
 }
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ pub const Serve = struct {
 
 pub const Mcp = struct {
     common: Common = .{},
-    version: mcp.Version = .latest,
+    version: mcp.Version = .default,
 };
 
 pub const DumpFormat = enum {
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ pub fn printUsageAndExit(self: *const Config, success: bool) void {
         \\                Override the reported MCP version.
         \\                Valid: 2024-11-05, 2025-03-26, 2025-06-18, 2025-11-25.
         \\                Can also be set via LIGHTPANDA_MCP_VERSION env var.
-        \\                Defaults to "2025-11-25".
+        \\                Defaults to "2024-11-05".
         \\
     ++ common_options ++
         \\
diff --git a/src/mcp/Server.zig b/src/mcp/Server.zig
index 165b344d..a334bc38 100644
--- a/src/mcp/Server.zig
+++ b/src/mcp/Server.zig
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ test "MCP.Server - Integration: synchronous smoke test" {
 
     try router.processRequests(server, &in_reader);
 
-    try testing.expectJson(.{ .jsonrpc = "2.0", .id = 1, .result = .{ .protocolVersion = "2025-11-25" } }, out_alloc.writer.buffered());
+    try testing.expectJson(.{ .jsonrpc = "2.0", .id = 1, .result = .{ .protocolVersion = "2024-11-05" } }, out_alloc.writer.buffered());
 }
 
 test "MCP.Server - Integration: ping request returns an empty result" {
diff --git a/src/mcp/protocol.zig b/src/mcp/protocol.zig
index fb02ad8b..02927278 100644
--- a/src/mcp/protocol.zig
+++ b/src/mcp/protocol.zig
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub const Version = enum {
     @"2025-06-18",
     @"2025-11-25",
 
-    pub const latest: Version = .@"2025-11-25";
+    pub const default: Version = .@"2024-11-05";
 };
 
 pub const Request = struct {
diff --git a/src/mcp/router.zig b/src/mcp/router.zig
index 76e1b8fe..e3b08c68 100644
--- a/src/mcp/router.zig
+++ b/src/mcp/router.zig
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ test "MCP.router - handleMessage - synchronous unit tests" {
         \\{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"test-client","version":"1.0.0"}}}
     );
     try testing.expectJson(
-        \\{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "result": { "protocolVersion": "2025-11-25", "capabilities": { "tools": {} } } }
+        \\{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "result": { "protocolVersion": "2024-11-05", "capabilities": { "tools": {} } } }
     , out_alloc.writer.buffered());
     out_alloc.writer.end = 0;