diff --git a/lib/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport.rb b/lib/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport.rb
index 86e442a0..b5ec6019 100644
--- a/lib/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport.rb
+++ b/lib/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport.rb
@@ -905,8 +905,8 @@ def handle_modern(request, header_version, body_string: nil)
               message: "Unsupported protocol version",
               data: {
                 supported: MCP::Configuration::SUPPORTED_MODERN_PROTOCOL_VERSIONS,
-                requested: header_version,
-              },
+                requested: utf8_header_value(header_version),
+              }.compact,
               id: body[:id],
             )
           end
@@ -1000,6 +1000,13 @@ def validate_modern_headers(request, body, header_version)
               body[:id],
             )
           end
+          method_header = utf8_header_value(method_header)
+          unless method_header
+            return header_mismatch_response(
+              "Mcp-Method header value is not valid UTF-8",
+              body[:id],
+            )
+          end
           if method_header != body[:method]
             return header_mismatch_response(
               "Mcp-Method header value '#{method_header}' does not match body value '#{body[:method]}'",
@@ -1019,6 +1026,12 @@ def validate_modern_headers(request, body, header_version)
               end
 
               decoded_name = decode_header_value(name_header)
+              unless decoded_name
+                return header_mismatch_response(
+                  "Mcp-Name header value is not valid UTF-8",
+                  body[:id],
+                )
+              end
               if decoded_name != body_name
                 return header_mismatch_response(
                   "Mcp-Name header value '#{decoded_name}' does not match body value '#{body_name}'",
@@ -1580,14 +1593,23 @@ def header_mismatch_response(message, id)
           )
         end
 
+        def utf8_header_value(value)
+          decoded = value.dup.force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8)
+          decoded if decoded.valid_encoding?
+        end
+
         # Mirrors `MCP::Client::HTTP#encode_header_value`: a value wrapped as `=?base64?<base64>?=` decodes to
         # its original UTF-8 string; anything else is taken verbatim. Duplicated here because the client transport
         # requires faraday, which servers do not depend on.
         def decode_header_value(value)
+          value = utf8_header_value(value)
+          return unless value
+
           match = value.match(/\A=\?base64\?(.*)\?=\z/m)
           return value unless match
 
-          match[1].unpack1("m0").force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8)
+          decoded = match[1].unpack1("m0").force_encoding(Encoding::UTF_8)
+          decoded if decoded.valid_encoding?
         rescue ArgumentError
           value
         end
diff --git a/test/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport_test.rb b/test/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport_test.rb
index 8a81a1b8..fa82a75e 100644
--- a/test/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/server/transports/streamable_http_transport_test.rb
@@ -6327,6 +6327,44 @@ def string
           assert_equal "2027-01-01", body.dig("error", "data", "requested")
         end
 
+        test "modern POST rejects standard headers that are not valid UTF-8" do
+          reported = []
+          original_reporter = MCP.configuration.exception_reporter
+          MCP.configuration.exception_reporter = ->(error, _context) { reported << error }
+          @server.expects(:handle).never
+
+          cases = [
+            ["HTTP_MCP_PROTOCOL_VERSION", "2026-07-28\xFF", -32022, "Unsupported protocol version"],
+            ["HTTP_MCP_METHOD", "tools/call\xFF", -32020, "Header mismatch: Mcp-Method header value is not valid UTF-8"],
+            ["HTTP_MCP_NAME", "some_tool\xFF", -32020, "Header mismatch: Mcp-Name header value is not valid UTF-8"],
+            ["HTTP_MCP_NAME", "=?base64?/w==?=", -32020, "Header mismatch: Mcp-Name header value is not valid UTF-8"],
+          ]
+          cases.each do |header_name, value, code, message|
+            [Encoding::BINARY, Encoding::UTF_8].each do |encoding|
+              header_value = value.dup.force_encoding(encoding).freeze
+              response = @transport.handle_request(modern_rack_request(
+                modern_body("tools/call", { name: "some_tool", arguments: {} }),
+                headers: { header_name => header_value },
+              ))
+
+              expected_error = { "code" => code, "message" => message }
+              if code == -32022
+                expected_error["data"] = { "supported" => Configuration::SUPPORTED_MODERN_PROTOCOL_VERSIONS }
+              end
+
+              assert_equal 400, response[0], "#{header_name} (#{encoding})"
+              assert_equal({ "content-type" => "application/json" }, response[1])
+              assert_equal(
+                { "jsonrpc" => "2.0", "id" => 1, "error" => expected_error },
+                JSON.parse(response[2][0]),
+              )
+              assert_empty reported
+            end
+          end
+        ensure
+          MCP.configuration.exception_reporter = original_reporter
+        end
+
         test "modern POST with a header/body version mismatch returns 400 with -32020" do
           # Header names the supported modern version; the body envelope claims another.
           response = @transport.handle_request(modern_rack_request(