diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d0eef42..762d89d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,21 @@ jobs:
           key: msrv
       - run: cargo build --all-targets --all-features
 
+  no-default-features:
+    name: build (no-default-features)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+        with:
+          key: no-default-features
+      # Verifies the runtime-agnostic surface (McpTransport, LoopbackTransport,
+      # McpTool, cache_tools, replay, result_cache) still compiles without
+      # tokio and the stdio transport.
+      - run: cargo build --no-default-features
+      - run: cargo clippy --no-default-features -- -D warnings
+
   doc:
     name: rustdoc
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 127bb74..466eae4 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -11,12 +11,23 @@ SDK. Surfaces:
 - `McpTransport` — trait abstraction over MCP client transports.
 - `LoopbackTransport` — in-process round-trip for tests.
 - `StdioTransport::spawn` / `serve_stdio()` — newline-framed JSON-RPC over
-  child-process stdio.
+  child-process stdio. Gated behind the default-on `stdio` Cargo feature.
 - `McpTool` — adapts a transport into a `rig_compose::Tool`.
+- `CachedResultsTransport` + `CachedResultsConfig` and the `cache.page` /
+  `cache.release` tool builders (`register_cache_tools`) for opt-in
+  model-boundary paging of oversized array results.
+- `RegistrationSnapshot` + `RegistrationReplayPolicy` for adapter-local
+  replay of discovered MCP tool registrations after reconnects.
+- `ResultCache` + `MemoryResultCache` + `CachedResultEnvelope` +
+  `CachedResultHandle` + `cache_if_large` — transport-neutral cache primitives
+  shared by the cache tools.
 
 ## Rules
 
-- Rust 2024, MSRV 1.88.
+- Rust 2024, MSRV 1.88. Library is runtime-agnostic when built with
+  `--no-default-features`; the `stdio` feature is what pulls `tokio` and the
+  matching `rmcp` transport features. Do not add unconditional `tokio` to
+  `[dependencies]`.
 - Errors: surface `KernelError` from `rig-compose`; do not invent String
   error variants.
 - Never `.await` while holding a lock guard.
@@ -31,12 +42,18 @@ SDK. Surfaces:
 
 ```sh
 just check
-# fmt + clippy --all-features + test --all-features + rustdoc strict
+# fmt + clippy --all-features + clippy --no-default-features
+# + test --all-features + rustdoc strict
 ```
 
+CI additionally builds `--no-default-features` to keep the runtime-agnostic
+surface honest.
+
 ## Scope
 
-Do not vendor `rmcp`. Keep the `rmcp` feature surface tight (currently
-`client`, `server`, `macros`, `transport-io`, `transport-child-process`).
+Do not vendor `rmcp`. Keep the `rmcp` feature surface tight: the base set is
+`client`, `server`, `macros`; the `stdio` feature additionally enables
+`transport-io` and `transport-child-process`. New transports should follow the
+same opt-in feature pattern rather than expanding the default surface.
 Update [README.md](README.md) and [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for
 user-visible changes.
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 85143d5..256622b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@ from [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/).
 
 ### Added
 
-- Add cached result transport tools
-
-### Added
-
 - Add `CachedResultsTransport`, `CachedResultsConfig`, and cache page/release
   tools for opt-in model-boundary caching of oversized MCP array results.
 
@@ -47,10 +43,6 @@ from [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/).
 
 ### Added
 
-- Add cached result metadata and replay snapshots
-
-### Added
-
 - Extend `CachedResultEnvelope` with `truncated`, `omitted_items`, and
   `page_token` metadata so MCP cached array previews align with
   `rig-compose` result-envelope semantics while preserving page handles.
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 397093d..d1521ee 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,28 +11,39 @@ readme = "README.md"
 keywords = ["rig", "mcp", "rmcp", "agent", "ai"]
 categories = ["asynchronous"]
 
+[features]
+default = ["stdio"]
+# Enables the production child-process stdio transport (`StdioTransport`,
+# `serve_stdio`). Pulls `tokio` and the matching `rmcp` transport features.
+# Turn this off to use `rig-mcp` purely through `McpTransport` /
+# `LoopbackTransport` / `McpTool` without a hard tokio dependency.
+stdio = ["dep:tokio", "rmcp/transport-io", "rmcp/transport-child-process"]
+
 [dependencies]
 rig-compose = "0.4.1"
 async-trait = "0.1"
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0"
-tokio = { version = "1.40", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "macros", "sync", "process", "io-util", "io-std", "time"] }
+tokio = { version = "1.40", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "macros", "sync", "process", "io-util", "io-std", "time"], optional = true }
 tracing = "0.1"
 # Official Model Context Protocol SDK. We disable defaults and opt into
-# only the client + server + stdio transports we actually use; this
-# keeps the dependency surface tight (no HTTP/TLS pulled in).
+# only the client + server + macros base; stdio transports are pulled in
+# additively via the `stdio` feature so the no-default-features build stays
+# tokio-free.
 rmcp = { version = "1.6", default-features = false, features = [
     "client",
     "server",
     "macros",
-    "transport-io",
-    "transport-child-process",
 ] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
 tokio = { version = "1.40", features = ["rt-multi-thread", "macros", "sync", "process", "io-util", "io-std", "time"] }
 
+[[bin]]
+name = "rig_mcp_stdio_fixture"
+required-features = ["stdio"]
+
 [lints.clippy]
 dbg_macro = "forbid"
 await_holding_lock = "deny"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 748150d..a58b6a0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,14 +22,13 @@ It delegates JSON-RPC framing, capability handshakes, and protocol-version negot
 
 ## Status
 
-- Crate version: `0.2.1`.
+- Crate version: `0.2.3`.
 - Rust edition: 2024.
 - MSRV: 1.88.
 - `rig-compose` dependency: `version = "0.4.1"`.
-- `rmcp` dependency: `1.6` with `client`, `server`, `macros`, `transport-io`, and `transport-child-process` features only.
-- Current Unreleased work adds opt-in cached-result transport and page/release
-    tools for oversized MCP array results plus structured `tracing` spans for
-    MCP spawn/list/call/server lifecycle events.
+- `rmcp` dependency: `1.6` with `client`, `server`, and `macros` as the base
+  surface; the `stdio` feature additionally enables `transport-io` and
+  `transport-child-process`.
 
 The crate-local maturity plan lives in [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md). Cross-crate
 coordination lives in
@@ -37,7 +36,19 @@ coordination lives in
 
 ## Feature Flags
 
-`rig-mcp` currently defines no crate features. `just check` runs clippy, tests, and docs with `--all-features` to keep future feature additions covered.
+`rig-mcp` exposes one Cargo feature, on by default:
+
+| Feature | Default | Description |
+| --- | :-: | --- |
+| `stdio` | yes | Production child-process stdio transport (`StdioTransport::spawn`, `serve_stdio`) backed by `rmcp`'s `transport-io` and `transport-child-process` features. Pulls `tokio`. |
+
+The runtime-agnostic surface — `McpTransport`, `LoopbackTransport`, `McpTool`,
+`CachedResultsTransport`, `RegistrationSnapshot`, and the `result_cache`
+primitives — stays available with `default-features = false`, so callers that
+embed `rig-mcp` without the stdio bridge do not pay for `tokio` directly.
+
+CI exercises both `--all-features` and `--no-default-features` to keep the
+runtime-agnostic guarantee honest.
 
 ## Key Types
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 8889c0a..d552187 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ fmt:
 # Clippy across release-relevant feature sets.
 clippy:
     cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings
+    cargo clippy --no-default-features -- -D warnings
 
 # Tests across release-relevant feature sets.
 test:
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 2627408..57c61ab 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 pub mod cache_tools;
 pub mod replay;
 pub mod result_cache;
+#[cfg(feature = "stdio")]
 pub mod stdio;
 pub mod transport;
 
@@ -35,5 +36,6 @@ pub use replay::{RegistrationReplayPolicy, RegistrationSnapshot};
 pub use result_cache::{
     CachedResultEnvelope, CachedResultHandle, MemoryResultCache, ResultCache, cache_if_large,
 };
+#[cfg(feature = "stdio")]
 pub use stdio::{StdioTransport, serve_stdio};
 pub use transport::{LoopbackTransport, McpTool, McpTransport};