diff --git a/mcp/streamable.go b/mcp/streamable.go
index f56eabd9..049be08e 100644
--- a/mcp/streamable.go
+++ b/mcp/streamable.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (h *StreamableHTTPHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reque
 
 	switch req.Method {
 	case http.MethodPost, http.MethodGet:
-		if req.Method == http.MethodGet && sessionID == "" {
+		if req.Method == http.MethodGet && (h.opts.Stateless || sessionID == "") {
 			http.Error(w, "GET requires an active session", http.StatusMethodNotAllowed)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/mcp/streamable_test.go b/mcp/streamable_test.go
index c99ca782..abf64d1d 100644
--- a/mcp/streamable_test.go
+++ b/mcp/streamable_test.go
@@ -799,7 +799,9 @@ func testStreamableHandler(t *testing.T, handler http.Handler, requests []stream
 		out := make(chan jsonrpc.Message)
 		// Cancel the step if we encounter a request that isn't going to be
 		// handled.
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		//
+		// Also, add a timeout (hopefully generous).
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
 
 		var wg sync.WaitGroup
 		wg.Add(1)
@@ -1168,6 +1170,11 @@ func TestStreamableStateless(t *testing.T) {
 			wantBodyContaining: "greet",
 			wantSessionID:      false,
 		},
+		{
+			method:         "GET",
+			wantStatusCode: http.StatusMethodNotAllowed,
+			wantSessionID:  false,
+		},
 		{
 			method:         "POST",
 			wantStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
@@ -1209,33 +1216,34 @@ func TestStreamableStateless(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	handler := NewStreamableHTTPHandler(func(*http.Request) *Server { return server }, &StreamableHTTPOptions{
+	sessionlessHandler := NewStreamableHTTPHandler(func(*http.Request) *Server { return server }, &StreamableHTTPOptions{
 		GetSessionID: func() string { return "" },
 		Stateless:    true,
 	})
 
-	// Test the default stateless mode.
-	t.Run("stateless", func(t *testing.T) {
-		testStreamableHandler(t, handler, requests)
-		testClientCompatibility(t, handler)
+	// First, test the "sessionless" stateless mode, where there is no session ID.
+	t.Run("sessionless", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testStreamableHandler(t, sessionlessHandler, requests)
+		testClientCompatibility(t, sessionlessHandler)
 	})
 
-	// Test a "distributed" variant of stateless mode, where it has non-empty
-	// session IDs, but is otherwise stateless.
+	// Next, test the default stateless mode, where session IDs are permitted.
 	//
 	// This can be used by tools to look up application state preserved across
 	// subsequent requests.
 	for i, req := range requests {
-		// Now, we want a session for all requests.
-		req.wantSessionID = true
+		// Now, we want a session for all (valid) requests.
+		if req.wantStatusCode != http.StatusMethodNotAllowed {
+			req.wantSessionID = true
+		}
 		requests[i] = req
 	}
-	distributableHandler := NewStreamableHTTPHandler(func(*http.Request) *Server { return server }, &StreamableHTTPOptions{
+	statelessHandler := NewStreamableHTTPHandler(func(*http.Request) *Server { return server }, &StreamableHTTPOptions{
 		Stateless: true,
 	})
-	t.Run("distributed", func(t *testing.T) {
-		testStreamableHandler(t, distributableHandler, requests)
-		testClientCompatibility(t, handler)
+	t.Run("stateless", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testStreamableHandler(t, statelessHandler, requests)
+		testClientCompatibility(t, sessionlessHandler)
 	})
 }