diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/mcp.ts b/packages/server/src/server/mcp.ts
index 05136f5b6..8cb00a78c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/mcp.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/mcp.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,18 @@ export class McpServer {
     private _experimental?: { tasks: ExperimentalMcpServerTasks };
 
     constructor(serverInfo: Implementation, options?: ServerOptions) {
-        this.server = new Server(serverInfo, options);
+        this.server = new Server(serverInfo, withDefaultListChangedCapabilities(options));
+
+        const capabilities = this.server.getCapabilities();
+        if (capabilities.tools) {
+            this.setToolRequestHandlers();
+        }
+        if (capabilities.resources) {
+            this.setResourceRequestHandlers();
+        }
+        if (capabilities.prompts) {
+            this.setPromptRequestHandlers();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -130,11 +141,13 @@ export class McpServer {
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('tools/list');
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('tools/call');
 
-        this.server.registerCapabilities({
-            tools: {
-                listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().tools?.listChanged ?? true
-            }
-        });
+        if (!this.server.transport) {
+            this.server.registerCapabilities({
+                tools: {
+                    listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().tools?.listChanged ?? true
+                }
+            });
+        }
 
         this.server.setRequestHandler(
             'tools/list',
@@ -354,9 +367,11 @@ export class McpServer {
 
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('completion/complete');
 
-        this.server.registerCapabilities({
-            completions: {}
-        });
+        if (!this.server.transport) {
+            this.server.registerCapabilities({
+                completions: {}
+            });
+        }
 
         this.server.setRequestHandler('completion/complete', async (request): Promise<CompleteResult> => {
             switch (request.params.ref.type) {
@@ -442,11 +457,13 @@ export class McpServer {
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('resources/templates/list');
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('resources/read');
 
-        this.server.registerCapabilities({
-            resources: {
-                listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().resources?.listChanged ?? true
-            }
-        });
+        if (!this.server.transport) {
+            this.server.registerCapabilities({
+                resources: {
+                    listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().resources?.listChanged ?? true
+                }
+            });
+        }
 
         this.server.setRequestHandler('resources/list', async (_request, ctx) => {
             const resources = Object.entries(this._registeredResources)
@@ -522,11 +539,13 @@ export class McpServer {
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('prompts/list');
         this.server.assertCanSetRequestHandler('prompts/get');
 
-        this.server.registerCapabilities({
-            prompts: {
-                listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().prompts?.listChanged ?? true
-            }
-        });
+        if (!this.server.transport) {
+            this.server.registerCapabilities({
+                prompts: {
+                    listChanged: this.server.getCapabilities().prompts?.listChanged ?? true
+                }
+            });
+        }
 
         this.server.setRequestHandler(
             'prompts/list',
@@ -1006,6 +1025,26 @@ export class McpServer {
     }
 }
 
+function withDefaultListChangedCapabilities(options?: ServerOptions): ServerOptions | undefined {
+    if (!options?.capabilities) {
+        return options;
+    }
+
+    const { capabilities } = options;
+
+    return {
+        ...options,
+        capabilities: {
+            ...capabilities,
+            ...(capabilities.tools ? { tools: { ...capabilities.tools, listChanged: capabilities.tools.listChanged ?? true } } : {}),
+            ...(capabilities.resources
+                ? { resources: { ...capabilities.resources, listChanged: capabilities.resources.listChanged ?? true } }
+                : {}),
+            ...(capabilities.prompts ? { prompts: { ...capabilities.prompts, listChanged: capabilities.prompts.listChanged ?? true } } : {})
+        }
+    };
+}
+
 /**
  * A callback to complete one variable within a resource template's URI template.
  */
diff --git a/test/integration/test/issues/test893.post-connect-registration.test.ts b/test/integration/test/issues/test893.post-connect-registration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54e6f6738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/test/issues/test893.post-connect-registration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+import { Client } from '@modelcontextprotocol/client';
+import { InMemoryTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/core';
+import { completable, McpServer, ResourceTemplate } from '@modelcontextprotocol/server';
+import * as z from 'zod/v4';
+
+describe('Issue #893: post-connect registration with pre-declared capabilities', () => {
+    test('registers a tool after connect when capabilities.tools is pre-declared', async () => {
+        const server = new McpServer({ name: 'test-server', version: '1.0' }, { capabilities: { tools: { listChanged: true } } });
+        const client = new Client({ name: 'test-client', version: '1.0' });
+        const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+
+        await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)]);
+
+        expect(() =>
+            server.registerTool('echo', {}, async () => ({
+                content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'tool registered after connect' }]
+            }))
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        const result = await client.callTool({ name: 'echo' });
+        expect(result.content).toEqual([{ type: 'text', text: 'tool registered after connect' }]);
+    });
+
+    test('registers a resource after connect when capabilities.resources is pre-declared', async () => {
+        const server = new McpServer({ name: 'test-server', version: '1.0' }, { capabilities: { resources: { listChanged: true } } });
+        const client = new Client({ name: 'test-client', version: '1.0' });
+        const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+
+        await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)]);
+
+        expect(() =>
+            server.registerResource('settings', 'test://settings', {}, async () => ({
+                contents: [{ uri: 'test://settings', text: 'resource registered after connect' }]
+            }))
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        const result = await client.readResource({ uri: 'test://settings' });
+        expect(result.contents).toEqual([{ uri: 'test://settings', text: 'resource registered after connect' }]);
+    });
+
+    test('registers a prompt after connect when capabilities.prompts is pre-declared', async () => {
+        const server = new McpServer({ name: 'test-server', version: '1.0' }, { capabilities: { prompts: { listChanged: true } } });
+        const client = new Client({ name: 'test-client', version: '1.0' });
+        const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+
+        await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)]);
+
+        expect(() =>
+            server.registerPrompt('review', {}, async () => ({
+                messages: [
+                    {
+                        role: 'assistant',
+                        content: { type: 'text', text: 'prompt registered after connect' }
+                    }
+                ]
+            }))
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        const result = await client.request({
+            method: 'prompts/get',
+            params: { name: 'review' }
+        });
+        expect(result.messages).toEqual([
+            {
+                role: 'assistant',
+                content: { type: 'text', text: 'prompt registered after connect' }
+            }
+        ]);
+    });
+
+    test('registers a completable prompt after connect when capabilities.prompts is pre-declared', async () => {
+        const server = new McpServer(
+            { name: 'test-server', version: '1.0' },
+            { capabilities: { prompts: { listChanged: true }, completions: {} } }
+        );
+        const client = new Client({ name: 'test-client', version: '1.0' });
+        const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+
+        await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)]);
+
+        expect(() =>
+            server.registerPrompt(
+                'review-with-completion',
+                {
+                    argsSchema: z.object({
+                        tone: completable(z.string(), () => ['direct', 'formal'])
+                    })
+                },
+                async ({ tone }) => ({
+                    messages: [
+                        {
+                            role: 'assistant',
+                            content: { type: 'text', text: `tone=${tone}` }
+                        }
+                    ]
+                })
+            )
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        const result = await client.request({
+            method: 'completion/complete',
+            params: {
+                ref: {
+                    type: 'ref/prompt',
+                    name: 'review-with-completion'
+                },
+                argument: {
+                    name: 'tone',
+                    value: ''
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        expect(result.completion.values).toEqual(['direct', 'formal']);
+        expect(result.completion.total).toBe(2);
+    });
+
+    test('registers a completable resource template after connect when capabilities.resources is pre-declared', async () => {
+        const server = new McpServer(
+            { name: 'test-server', version: '1.0' },
+            { capabilities: { resources: { listChanged: true }, completions: {} } }
+        );
+        const client = new Client({ name: 'test-client', version: '1.0' });
+        const [clientTransport, serverTransport] = InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+
+        await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)]);
+
+        expect(() =>
+            server.registerResource(
+                'repo',
+                new ResourceTemplate('test://repos/{name}', {
+                    complete: {
+                        name: () => ['alpha', 'beta']
+                    }
+                }),
+                {},
+                async () => ({
+                    contents: [{ uri: 'test://repos/alpha', text: 'resource registered after connect' }]
+                })
+            )
+        ).not.toThrow();
+
+        const result = await client.request({
+            method: 'completion/complete',
+            params: {
+                ref: {
+                    type: 'ref/resource',
+                    uri: 'test://repos/{name}'
+                },
+                argument: {
+                    name: 'name',
+                    value: ''
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        expect(result.completion.values).toEqual(['alpha', 'beta']);
+        expect(result.completion.total).toBe(2);
+    });
+});