@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ class MyTool < MCP::Tool
 end
 ```
 
+A `_meta` that is not an object is refused with `-32602` before any handler runs, on both lifecycles,
+and a `null` `_meta` reads as absent, so `server_context[:_meta]`, when present, is always a `Hash`.
+
 **Client Request Example:**
 
 A `tools/call` request carrying `_meta`, as read by the tool above:
 
@@ -799,6 +799,7 @@ def handle_request(request, method, session: nil, related_request_id: nil, auth_
           server_context: { request: request },
           exception_already_reported: ->(e) { reported_exception.equal?(e) },
         ) do
+          refuse_non_object_meta!(params)
           envelope = lift_request_envelope(params, method: method, session: session)
 
           # The envelope's `logLevel` member replaces `logging/setLevel` in the modern lifecycle:
@@ -931,6 +932,26 @@ def modern_request?(request, session)
       RequestEnvelope.modern?(request.is_a?(Hash) ? request[:params] : nil)
     end
 
+    # `_meta` is an object on every request (`MetaObject`); a String, Array, or number there carries no envelope,
+    # no progress token, and no trace context, and the TypeScript and Python servers refuse it as invalid params on
+    # both lifecycles. Refused before the envelope is read and before any handler can meet it in `server_context`.
+    # `null` reads as absent, as it does for the Python server.
+    def refuse_non_object_meta!(params)
+      return unless params.is_a?(Hash)
+
+      # Read as `RequestEnvelope` reads it, so the two cannot disagree on a Hash holding both key spellings.
+      meta = params[:_meta]
+      meta = params["_meta"] if meta.nil?
+      return if meta.nil? || meta.is_a?(Hash)
+
+      raise RequestHandlerError.new(
+        "Invalid params: _meta must be an object",
+        params,
+        error_type: :invalid_params,
+        error_code: JsonRpcHandler::ErrorCode::INVALID_PARAMS,
+      )
+    end
+
     # Lifts the SEP-2575 per-request `_meta` envelope for modern requests. Only a request whose `_meta` carries
     # the full required triple is classified as modern; a partial triple keeps flowing through the legacy path untouched.
     # Notifications carry no envelope (their `_meta` is a `NotificationMetaObject`), and `server/discover` is
 
@@ -6516,6 +6516,37 @@ def string
           end
         end
 
+        test "legacy POST refuses a _meta that is not an object with -32602 before the tool runs" do
+          calls = 0
+          @server.define_tool(name: "meta_reader") do |server_context:|
+            calls += 1
+            server_context.dig(:_meta, :key)
+            Tool::Response.new([])
+          end
+          session_id = initialize_test_session
+
+          ["not-an-object", [], 42].each do |meta|
+            response = @transport.handle_request(create_rack_request(
+              "POST",
+              "/",
+              { "CONTENT_TYPE" => "application/json", "HTTP_MCP_SESSION_ID" => session_id },
+              { jsonrpc: "2.0", id: 2, method: "tools/call", params: { name: "meta_reader", arguments: {}, _meta: meta } }.to_json,
+            ))
+            body = if response[1]["content-type"].to_s.start_with?("text/event-stream")
+              io = StringIO.new
+              response[2].call(io)
+              JSON.parse(io.string[/^data: (.+)$/, 1])
+            else
+              JSON.parse(response[2][0])
+            end
+
+            assert_equal 200, response[0]
+            assert_equal(-32602, body.dig("error", "code"), meta.inspect)
+            assert_equal "Invalid params: _meta must be an object", body.dig("error", "message")
+          end
+          assert_equal 0, calls
+        end
+
         test "modern POST rejects an envelope missing clientCapabilities with 400 and -32602" do
           body = {
             jsonrpc: "2.0",
 
@@ -4350,18 +4350,44 @@ def server_context
       end
     end
 
-    test "#handle tools/call and prompts/get ignore a _meta that is not an object" do
-      @server.define_tool(name: "echo_tool") { Tool::Response.new([]) }
+    test "#handle refuses a _meta that is not an object with -32602 before any handler runs" do
+      calls = 0
+      server = Server.new(name: "meta_server", server_context: { user: "u" })
+      # Reads `_meta` as the server context page shows (`dig`), which raises TypeError on a String or an Array.
+      server.define_tool(name: "meta_reader") do |server_context:|
+        calls += 1
+        server_context.dig(:_meta, :key)
+        Tool::Response.new([])
+      end
+
+      ["not-an-object", [], 42].each do |meta|
+        [
+          [server, { jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/call", id: 1, params: { name: "meta_reader", _meta: meta } }],
+          [server, { jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/call", id: 1, params: { name: "meta_reader", "_meta" => meta } }],
+          [server, { jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/list", id: 1, params: { _meta: meta } }],
+          [@server, { jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "prompts/get", id: 1, params: { name: "test_prompt", arguments: { test_argument: "x" }, _meta: meta } }],
+        ].each do |target, request|
+          response = target.handle(request)
+          assert_equal(-32602, response[:error][:code], request.inspect)
+          assert_equal "Invalid params: _meta must be an object", response[:error][:message]
+        end
+      end
+      assert_equal 0, calls
 
-      ["not-an-object", []].each do |meta|
-        tool = @server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/call", id: 1, params: { name: "echo_tool", _meta: meta } })
-        prompt = @server.handle({
-          jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "prompts/get", id: 1, params: { name: "test_prompt", arguments: { test_argument: "x" }, _meta: meta },
-        })
+      # `null` reads as absent and an object reaches the handler, where the documented `dig` works on both.
+      assert_nil server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/call", id: 1, params: { name: "meta_reader", _meta: nil } })[:error]
+      assert_nil server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "tools/call", id: 1, params: { name: "meta_reader", _meta: { key: "v" } } })[:error]
+      assert_equal 2, calls
+    end
 
-        assert_nil tool[:error]
-        assert_nil prompt[:error]
-      end
+    test "#handle drops a notification whose _meta is not an object without running its handler" do
+      calls = 0
+      @server.define_custom_method(method_name: "custom/notify") { |_params| calls += 1 }
+
+      assert_nil @server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "custom/notify", params: { _meta: "not-an-object" } })
+      assert_equal 0, calls
+      assert_nil @server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "custom/notify", params: { _meta: { key: "v" } } })
+      assert_equal 1, calls
     end
 
     test "#handle tools/call mirrors non-object structuredContent when content is omitted or nil" do