diff --git a/src/skillspector/mcp_server.py b/src/skillspector/mcp_server.py
index e8aadedc..26bc4927 100644
--- a/src/skillspector/mcp_server.py
+++ b/src/skillspector/mcp_server.py
@@ -144,10 +144,24 @@ def build_server(name: str = "skillspector") -> FastMCP:
     try:
         from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
     except ModuleNotFoundError as exc:
-        raise ModuleNotFoundError(
-            "The MCP server requires the optional 'mcp' dependency. "
-            "Install it with: pip install 'skillspector[mcp]'"
-        ) from exc
+        if exc.name == "mcp":
+            raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+                "The MCP server requires the optional 'mcp' dependency. "
+                "Install it with: pip install 'skillspector[mcp]'"
+            ) from exc
+        if exc.name == "mcp.server.fastmcp":
+            # mcp>=2.0.0 removed mcp.server.fastmcp, so an install that
+            # resolved mcp 2.x fails here even though mcp is present.
+            # Point at the real cause instead of the misleading
+            # "extra not installed" error.
+            raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+                "The installed 'mcp' package is incompatible with the "
+                "SkillSpector MCP server: 'mcp.server.fastmcp' is "
+                "unavailable. Reinstall with: pip install 'skillspector[mcp]'"
+            ) from exc
+        # Some other module was missing (e.g. a transitive dependency of
+        # the installed mcp package); keep the original error.
+        raise exc
 
     server = FastMCP(name)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_mcp_server.py b/tests/unit/test_mcp_server.py
index 12149095..16e3197a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_mcp_server.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_mcp_server.py
@@ -231,6 +231,65 @@ async def test_build_server_registers_scan_skill() -> None:
     assert "scan_skill" in {tool.name for tool in tools}
 
 
+def test_build_server_reports_missing_mcp_extra(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """An absent mcp package must still report the missing optional extra."""
+    import builtins
+
+    original_import = builtins.__import__
+
+    def import_without_mcp(name: str, *args: object, **kwargs: object) -> object:
+        if name == "mcp.server.fastmcp":
+            raise ModuleNotFoundError("No module named 'mcp'", name="mcp")
+        return original_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtins, "__import__", import_without_mcp)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ModuleNotFoundError, match="requires the optional 'mcp' dependency"):
+        mcp_server.build_server()
+
+
+def test_build_server_reports_incompatible_mcp(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """An installed package without FastMCP must not be reported as missing."""
+    import builtins
+
+    original_import = builtins.__import__
+
+    def import_without_fastmcp(name: str, *args: object, **kwargs: object) -> object:
+        if name == "mcp.server.fastmcp":
+            raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+                "No module named 'mcp.server.fastmcp'", name="mcp.server.fastmcp"
+            )
+        return original_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtins, "__import__", import_without_fastmcp)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ModuleNotFoundError, match="installed 'mcp' package is incompatible"):
+        mcp_server.build_server()
+
+
+def test_build_server_preserves_transitive_import_failure(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """A missing transitive dependency must keep the original error."""
+    import builtins
+
+    original_import = builtins.__import__
+
+    def import_with_missing_transitive(name: str, *args: object, **kwargs: object) -> object:
+        if name == "mcp.server.fastmcp":
+            raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+                "No module named 'mcp.server.fastmcp.uvicorn'",
+                name="mcp.server.fastmcp.uvicorn",
+            )
+        return original_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtins, "__import__", import_with_missing_transitive)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ModuleNotFoundError, match="mcp.server.fastmcp.uvicorn") as excinfo:
+        mcp_server.build_server()
+    assert excinfo.value.name == "mcp.server.fastmcp.uvicorn"
+
+
 async def test_mcp_stdio_initialize_registers_scan_skill() -> None:
     """The real stdio CLI must initialize and expose the scan_skill tool."""
     pytest.importorskip("mcp")