diff --git a/.mcp.json b/.mcp.json
index 633400b..48a1660 100644
--- a/.mcp.json
+++ b/.mcp.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "mcpServers": {
     "opennest": {
-      "command": "cmd",
-      "args": ["/c", "C:/Users/AJ/.claude/mcp/OpenNest.Mcp/run.cmd"]
+      "command": "${USERPROFILE}/.claude/mcp/OpenNest.Mcp/OpenNest.Mcp.exe",
+      "args": []
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/OpenNest.Mcp/Program.cs b/OpenNest.Mcp/Program.cs
index 35e27d4..692cd43 100644
--- a/OpenNest.Mcp/Program.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.Mcp/Program.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using OpenNest.Mcp;
 
 var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
 
+// stdout carries the JSON-RPC stream; console logs must go to stderr or they corrupt it.
+builder.Logging.AddConsole(o => o.LogToStandardErrorThreshold = LogLevel.Trace);
+
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<NestSession>();
 builder
     .Services.AddMcpServer()