diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 80a6b49..3fbab77 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -185,9 +185,14 @@ its own — it is a second front end, not a second implementation.
 Build it, then point your MCP client at the produced binary:
 
 ```bash
-dotnet publish src/Novelly.Mcp -c Release -o ./mcp-server
+./scripts/publish-mcp.sh
 ```
 
+Aspire does not run or manage this process — it's a separate stdio subprocess your MCP
+client spawns directly, so nothing rebuilds it automatically. Re-run the script (and
+reconnect your MCP client) after pulling changes that touch `src/Novelly.Mcp`, or it keeps
+serving whatever was published last, including against a stale auth contract.
+
 `.mcp.json` (or Claude Desktop's config):
 
 ```jsonc
diff --git a/scripts/publish-mcp.sh b/scripts/publish-mcp.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..695be23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/publish-mcp.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Rebuilds the standalone Novelly.Mcp binary that Claude Code (or Claude Desktop) spawns
+# per .mcp.json. Aspire does not run or manage this process, so nothing else rebuilds it —
+# run this after pulling changes that touch src/Novelly.Mcp, or the MCP server silently
+# keeps serving whatever was published last.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && source ./scripts/ci/lib.sh
+cd "$CI_ROOT"
+
+ensure_dotnet
+
+log "Publishing Novelly.Mcp to ./mcp-server"
+dotnet publish src/Novelly.Mcp -c Release -o ./mcp-server
+
+log "Done. Reconnect the MCP server (e.g. /mcp in Claude Code) to pick up the new build."
diff --git a/src/Novelly.Api/Novelly.Api.csproj b/src/Novelly.Api/Novelly.Api.csproj
index 2b01d36..3019eb9 100644
--- a/src/Novelly.Api/Novelly.Api.csproj
+++ b/src/Novelly.Api/Novelly.Api.csproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\Novelly.ServiceDefaults\Novelly.ServiceDefaults.csproj" />
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
+    <UserSecretsId>fb455630-f631-46bb-9c60-0deaf01c593e</UserSecretsId>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
 </Project>