diff --git a/src/services/mcp/__tests__/channelPermissions.test.ts b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/channelPermissions.test.ts
index dc19af315..86813bef0 100644
--- a/src/services/mcp/__tests__/channelPermissions.test.ts
+++ b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/channelPermissions.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 import { mock, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 
 mock.module("src/utils/slowOperations.js", () => ({
+  clone: structuredClone,
+  cloneDeep: structuredClone,
+  jsonParse: JSON.parse,
   jsonStringify: (v: unknown) => JSON.stringify(v),
+  slowLogging: () => ({ [Symbol.dispose]: () => {} }),
+  writeFileSync_DEPRECATED: () => {},
 }));
 mock.module("src/services/analytics/growthbook.js", () => ({
   getFeatureValue_CACHED_MAY_BE_STALE: () => false,
diff --git a/src/services/mcp/__tests__/headersHelper.test.ts b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/headersHelper.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b49704d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/headersHelper.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { describe, expect, mock, test } from 'bun:test'
+import type { McpHTTPServerConfig } from '../types.js'
+
+mock.module('src/utils/config.js', () => ({
+  checkHasTrustDialogAccepted: () => true,
+}))
+mock.module('src/utils/debug.js', () => ({
+  logAntError: () => {},
+}))
+mock.module('src/utils/log.js', () => ({
+  logError: () => {},
+  logMCPDebug: () => {},
+  logMCPError: () => {},
+}))
+mock.module('src/services/analytics/index.js', () => ({
+  logEvent: () => {},
+}))
+mock.module('src/utils/slowOperations.js', () => ({
+  clone: structuredClone,
+  cloneDeep: structuredClone,
+  jsonParse: JSON.parse,
+  jsonStringify: JSON.stringify,
+  slowLogging: () => ({ [Symbol.dispose]: () => {} }),
+  writeFileSync_DEPRECATED: () => {},
+}))
+
+const { getMcpHeadersFromHelper } = await import('../headersHelper.js')
+
+function makeConfig(headersHelper: string): McpHTTPServerConfig {
+  return {
+    type: 'http',
+    url: 'https://example.com/mcp',
+    headersHelper,
+  }
+}
+
+function validHelperCommand(value: string): string {
+  const script =
+    'console.log(JSON.stringify({ Authorization: process.argv[1] }))'
+  return [process.execPath, '-e', JSON.stringify(script), JSON.stringify(value)].join(
+    ' ',
+  )
+}
+
+describe('getMcpHeadersFromHelper', () => {
+  test('executes helper commands with quoted arguments without a shell', async () => {
+    const headers = await getMcpHeadersFromHelper(
+      'test-server',
+      makeConfig(validHelperCommand('Bearer token with spaces')),
+    )
+
+    expect(headers).toEqual({ Authorization: 'Bearer token with spaces' })
+  })
+
+  test('rejects shell operators in helper commands', async () => {
+    const headers = await getMcpHeadersFromHelper(
+      'test-server',
+      makeConfig(`${validHelperCommand('safe')} ; true`),
+    )
+
+    expect(headers).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/services/mcp/__tests__/officialRegistry.test.ts b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/officialRegistry.test.ts
index ffb4b94c9..11577e176 100644
--- a/src/services/mcp/__tests__/officialRegistry.test.ts
+++ b/src/services/mcp/__tests__/officialRegistry.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ mock.module("axios", () => ({
   default: { get: async () => ({ data: { servers: [] } }) },
 }));
 mock.module("src/utils/debug.js", () => ({
+  logAntError: () => {},
   logForDebugging: () => {},
 }));
 mock.module("src/utils/errors.js", () => ({
diff --git a/src/services/mcp/headersHelper.ts b/src/services/mcp/headersHelper.ts
index 3ae0e3d95..e918bc01a 100644
--- a/src/services/mcp/headersHelper.ts
+++ b/src/services/mcp/headersHelper.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { parse as shellParse } from 'shell-quote'
 import { getIsNonInteractiveSession } from '../../bootstrap/state.js'
 import { checkHasTrustDialogAccepted } from '../../utils/config.js'
 import { logAntError } from '../../utils/debug.js'
@@ -58,8 +59,22 @@ export async function getMcpHeadersFromHelper(
 
   try {
     logMCPDebug(serverName, 'Executing headersHelper to get dynamic headers')
-    const execResult = await execFileNoThrowWithCwd(config.headersHelper, [], {
-      shell: true,
+
+    // Parse the headersHelper command string into tokens.
+    // Reject any input containing shell operators to prevent injection.
+    const tokens = shellParse(config.headersHelper)
+    if (!tokens.every((t: unknown) => typeof t === 'string')) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `headersHelper must be an executable path with arguments only, no shell operators allowed`,
+      )
+    }
+    const commandTokens = tokens as string[]
+    if (commandTokens.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error('headersHelper command is empty')
+    }
+    const [cmd, ...args] = commandTokens
+
+    const execResult = await execFileNoThrowWithCwd(cmd, args, {
       timeout: 10000,
       // Pass server context so one helper script can serve multiple MCP servers
       // (git credential-helper style). See deshaw/anthropic-issues#28.
diff --git a/src/utils/execFileNoThrow.ts b/src/utils/execFileNoThrow.ts
index d6bf018ed..e2d99c7a6 100644
--- a/src/utils/execFileNoThrow.ts
+++ b/src/utils/execFileNoThrow.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ type ExecFileWithCwdOptions = {
   maxBuffer?: number
   cwd?: string
   env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv
-  shell?: boolean | string | undefined
   stdin?: 'ignore' | 'inherit' | 'pipe'
   input?: string
 }
@@ -96,7 +95,6 @@ export function execFileNoThrowWithCwd(
     cwd: finalCwd,
     env: finalEnv,
     maxBuffer,
-    shell,
     stdin: finalStdin,
     input: finalInput,
   }: ExecFileWithCwdOptions = {
@@ -113,7 +111,6 @@ export function execFileNoThrowWithCwd(
       timeout: finalTimeout,
       cwd: finalCwd,
       env: finalEnv,
-      shell,
       stdin: finalStdin,
       input: finalInput,
       reject: false, // Don't throw on non-zero exit codes