diff --git a/packages/client/src/client/auth.ts b/packages/client/src/client/auth.ts
index a4d5b14c62..eac23d828c 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/client/auth.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/client/auth.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,13 @@ export interface OAuthClientProvider {
 
     /**
      * Metadata about this OAuth client.
+     *
+     * Per the MCP authorization specification (SEP-837), clients MUST specify an
+     * appropriate `application_type` when registering dynamically: `'native'` for
+     * desktop/CLI apps using loopback or custom-scheme redirect URIs, `'web'` for
+     * remote browser-based apps. If `application_type` is omitted, {@linkcode registerClient}
+     * infers `'native'` when any `redirect_uris` entry uses a loopback host or custom
+     * URI scheme; otherwise it infers `'web'`.
      */
     get clientMetadata(): OAuthClientMetadata;
 
@@ -818,9 +825,9 @@ export function assertSecureTokenEndpoint(tokenEndpoint: string | URL): URL {
 
 /**
  * Derives an OIDC `application_type` from a client's registered redirect URIs
- * when the consumer has not set one explicitly (SEP-837). Loopback hosts and
- * non-`http(s)` custom URI schemes indicate a native application (RFC 8252);
- * everything else is treated as a web application. The result is a heuristic
+ * when the consumer has not set one explicitly (SEP-837). Any loopback host or
+ * non-`http(s)` custom URI scheme indicates a native application (RFC 8252);
+ * otherwise the client is treated as a web application. The result is a heuristic
  * default — callers that know better should set `clientMetadata.application_type`
  * themselves, which {@linkcode resolveClientMetadata} never overwrites.
  *
@@ -855,8 +862,8 @@ function deriveApplicationType(redirectUris: readonly string[] | undefined): 'na
  *   `redirectUrl`) get no `grant_types` default. This default applies to the
  *   Dynamic Client Registration body only — it does **not** drive
  *   {@linkcode determineScope}'s `offline_access` augmentation.
- * - `application_type` defaults from `redirect_uris`: loopback redirect hosts
- *   and custom URI schemes → `'native'`, otherwise `'web'` (SEP-837 / RFC 8252).
+ * - `application_type` defaults from `redirect_uris`: any loopback redirect host
+ *   or custom URI scheme → `'native'`, otherwise `'web'` (SEP-837 / RFC 8252).
  *
  * A field the consumer set explicitly is **never** overwritten. {@linkcode auth}
  * calls this once at the top of the flow; direct callers of
diff --git a/packages/core-internal/src/shared/auth.ts b/packages/core-internal/src/shared/auth.ts
index e21076d817..6367909c3b 100644
--- a/packages/core-internal/src/shared/auth.ts
+++ b/packages/core-internal/src/shared/auth.ts
@@ -183,18 +183,28 @@ export const OptionalSafeUrlSchema = SafeUrlSchema.optional().or(z.literal('').t
 export const OAuthClientMetadataSchema = z
     .object({
         redirect_uris: z.array(SafeUrlSchema),
-        token_endpoint_auth_method: z.string().optional(),
-        grant_types: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
-        response_types: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
         /**
-         * OIDC Dynamic Client Registration `application_type`. MCP clients MUST set
-         * this to `'native'` or `'web'` when registering (SEP-837); the SDK defaults
-         * it from `redirect_uris` when omitted. Typed as `string` (not an enum) so
-         * that parsing an authorization server's registration response — which under
-         * RFC 7591 may echo extension values — never rejects the document on this
-         * field alone.
+         * OpenID Connect Dynamic Client Registration `application_type`.
+         *
+         * The standard values are `'web'` and `'native'`. OIDC-based authorization
+         * servers default this to `'web'` when omitted, which conflicts with
+         * native/loopback redirect URIs (e.g. `http://localhost`, `http://127.0.0.1`,
+         * or custom URI schemes) and can cause registration to fail. Per the MCP
+         * authorization specification (SEP-837), clients MUST specify an appropriate
+         * `application_type` when registering: native apps (desktop, CLI, anything
+         * using loopback or custom-scheme redirects) SHOULD use `'native'`, while
+         * remote browser-based apps SHOULD use `'web'`. Authorization servers that
+         * do not implement OIDC registration ignore this field.
+         *
+         * Typed as a plain string because OIDC permits extension values beyond
+         * `'web'` and `'native'`.
+         *
+         * @see https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-registration-1_0.html#ClientMetadata
          */
         application_type: z.string().optional(),
+        token_endpoint_auth_method: z.string().optional(),
+        grant_types: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+        response_types: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
         client_name: z.string().optional(),
         client_uri: SafeUrlSchema.optional(),
         logo_uri: OptionalSafeUrlSchema,