diff --git a/mcp-tools.public.json b/mcp-tools.public.json
index dc792ab..0acea66 100644
--- a/mcp-tools.public.json
+++ b/mcp-tools.public.json
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
     "environment_variable": "AUTH0_JWT_TOKEN",
     "type": "bearer"
   },
-  "generated_at": "2026-07-28T16:40:28-04:00",
+  "generated_at": "2026-08-31T23:21:36-04:00",
   "manifest_version": 1,
   "source": {
     "repository": "Subconscious-ai/ghostshell",
-    "revision": "c445240ebc06b172244c106f44ff3373d880c9eb"
+    "revision": "17cb7d9e2ee860d3fabe0f3740a1a6b2d41a925e"
   },
   "tool_count": 15,
   "tools": [
diff --git a/server/tools/_core/handlers.py b/server/tools/_core/handlers.py
index c92bd93..f516d73 100644
--- a/server/tools/_core/handlers.py
+++ b/server/tools/_core/handlers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Unified tool handlers shared between local and remote modes."""
 
+import json
 import logging
 from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, cast
@@ -34,6 +35,34 @@
 # =============================================================================
 
 
+def _parse_response_payload(response: httpx.Response) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Parse regular JSON or Rehoboam's progress-plus-result SSE envelope."""
+    content_type = response.headers.get("content-type", "").lower()
+    if "text/event-stream" not in content_type:
+        try:
+            return cast(Dict[str, Any], response.json())
+        except ValueError as exc:
+            raise ValidationError("Backend returned a non-JSON response") from exc
+
+    result: Any = None
+    for line in response.text.splitlines():
+        if not line.startswith("data:"):
+            continue
+        raw_event = line[len("data:") :].strip()
+        if not raw_event:
+            continue
+        try:
+            event = json.loads(raw_event)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+            raise ValidationError("Backend returned malformed SSE data") from exc
+        if isinstance(event, dict) and event.get("type") == "result":
+            result = event.get("data")
+
+    if not isinstance(result, dict):
+        raise ValidationError("Backend SSE response did not include a final result")
+    return cast(Dict[str, Any], result)
+
+
 @with_retry(max_retries=MAX_RETRIES, base_delay=RETRY_DELAY)
 async def _api_request(
     method: str,
@@ -106,7 +135,7 @@ async def _api_request(
                 raise ValidationError(f"Request failed: {response.status_code}")
 
             response.raise_for_status()
-            return cast(Dict[str, Any], response.json())
+            return _parse_response_payload(response)
 
     except httpx.ConnectError as e:
         logger.error(f"Connection error: {e}")
diff --git a/tests/test_response_parsing.py b/tests/test_response_parsing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1834067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_response_parsing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import httpx
+import pytest
+
+from server.tools._core.exceptions import ValidationError
+from server.tools._core.handlers import _parse_response_payload
+
+
+def test_parse_response_payload_preserves_json():
+    response = httpx.Response(200, json={"is_causal": True})
+
+    assert _parse_response_payload(response) == {"is_causal": True}
+
+
+def test_parse_response_payload_returns_final_sse_result_data():
+    body = "\n\n".join(
+        [
+            'data: {"type":"progress","step":"checking"}',
+            'data: {"type":"result","data":{"is_causal":true,"suggestions":[]}}',
+        ]
+    )
+    response = httpx.Response(
+        200,
+        text=body,
+        headers={"content-type": "text/event-stream; charset=utf-8"},
+    )
+
+    assert _parse_response_payload(response) == {
+        "is_causal": True,
+        "suggestions": [],
+    }
+
+
+def test_parse_response_payload_rejects_sse_without_result():
+    response = httpx.Response(
+        200,
+        text='data: {"type":"progress","step":"checking"}\n\n',
+        headers={"content-type": "text/event-stream"},
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="final result"):
+        _parse_response_payload(response)