diff --git a/src/app-bridge.test.ts b/src/app-bridge.test.ts
index e7b32b38..4ea4b499 100644
--- a/src/app-bridge.test.ts
+++ b/src/app-bridge.test.ts
@@ -1965,6 +1965,99 @@ describe("App <-> AppBridge integration", () => {
         errSpy.mockRestore();
       });
 
+      describe("late handler registration", () => {
+        const lateMsg =
+          /handler registered after connect\(\) completed the ui\/initialize handshake/;
+
+        it("warns when ontoolresult is set after connect() resolves", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          await bridge.connect(bridgeTransport);
+          await app.connect(appTransport);
+
+          app.ontoolresult = () => {};
+
+          expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+          expect(warnSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatch(lateMsg);
+          expect(warnSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('"toolresult"');
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+
+        it("warns when addEventListener('toolinput', …) is called after connect()", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          await bridge.connect(bridgeTransport);
+          await app.connect(appTransport);
+
+          app.addEventListener("toolinput", () => {});
+
+          expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+          expect(warnSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('"toolinput"');
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+
+        it("does not warn for handlers set before connect()", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          app.ontoolinput = () => {};
+          app.addEventListener("toolresult", () => {});
+
+          await bridge.connect(bridgeTransport);
+          await app.connect(appTransport);
+
+          expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+
+        it("does not warn for hostcontextchanged (repeating event)", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          await bridge.connect(bridgeTransport);
+          await app.connect(appTransport);
+
+          app.onhostcontextchanged = () => {};
+          app.addEventListener("hostcontextchanged", () => {});
+
+          expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+
+        it("does not warn when clearing a handler (set to undefined)", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          app.ontoolinput = () => {};
+          await bridge.connect(bridgeTransport);
+          await app.connect(appTransport);
+
+          app.ontoolinput = undefined;
+
+          expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+
+        it("throws instead of warning when strict: true", async () => {
+          const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+          const [strictAppT, strictBridgeT] =
+            InMemoryTransport.createLinkedPair();
+          const strictBridge = new AppBridge(
+            createMockClient() as Client,
+            testHostInfo,
+            testHostCapabilities,
+          );
+          const strictApp = new App(
+            testAppInfo,
+            {},
+            { autoResize: false, strict: true },
+          );
+          await strictBridge.connect(strictBridgeT);
+          await strictApp.connect(strictAppT);
+
+          expect(() => {
+            strictApp.ontoolresult = () => {};
+          }).toThrow(lateMsg);
+          expect(() => {
+            strictApp.addEventListener("toolinput", () => {});
+          }).toThrow(lateMsg);
+          expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+          warnSpy.mockRestore();
+        });
+      });
+
       it("AppBridge warns on tools/call from a View that skipped the handshake", async () => {
         const warnSpy = spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
         bridge.oncalltool = async () => ({ content: [] });
diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index d8571eed..970b6ce3 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -371,6 +371,49 @@ export class App extends ProtocolWithEvents<
     hostcontextchanged: McpUiHostContextChangedNotificationSchema,
   };
 
+  /**
+   * Events the host typically sends once, shortly after the handshake.
+   * Registering a handler for one of these *after* {@link connect `connect`}
+   * resolves risks missing the notification entirely.
+   */
+  private static readonly ONE_SHOT_EVENTS: ReadonlySet<keyof AppEventMap> =
+    new Set(["toolinput", "toolinputpartial", "toolresult", "toolcancelled"]);
+
+  /**
+   * Warn (or throw under `strict`) when a one-shot event handler is registered
+   * after the `ui/initialize` → `ui/notifications/initialized` handshake has
+   * completed. The host may have already fired the notification by then.
+   *
+   * Mirrors {@link _assertInitialized `_assertInitialized`} (the outbound-side guard).
+   */
+  private _assertHandlerTiming(event: keyof AppEventMap): void {
+    if (!this._initializedSent || !App.ONE_SHOT_EVENTS.has(event)) return;
+    const msg =
+      `[ext-apps] "${String(event)}" handler registered after connect() ` +
+      `completed the ui/initialize handshake. The host may have already sent ` +
+      `this notification. Register handlers before calling app.connect().`;
+    if (this.options?.strict) {
+      throw new Error(msg);
+    }
+    console.warn(msg);
+  }
+
+  protected override setEventHandler<K extends keyof AppEventMap>(
+    event: K,
+    handler: ((params: AppEventMap[K]) => void) | undefined,
+  ): void {
+    if (handler) this._assertHandlerTiming(event);
+    super.setEventHandler(event, handler);
+  }
+
+  override addEventListener<K extends keyof AppEventMap>(
+    event: K,
+    handler: (params: AppEventMap[K]) => void,
+  ): void {
+    this._assertHandlerTiming(event);
+    super.addEventListener(event, handler);
+  }
+
   protected override onEventDispatch<K extends keyof AppEventMap>(
     event: K,
     params: AppEventMap[K],