diff --git a/crates/rmcp-macros/src/lib.rs b/crates/rmcp-macros/src/lib.rs
index 156e53b4a..176ead7cb 100644
--- a/crates/rmcp-macros/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/rmcp-macros/src/lib.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ pub fn tool(attr: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
 /// | `router`         | `Ident`       | The name of the router function to be generated. Defaults to `tool_router`. |
 /// | `vis`            | `Visibility`  | The visibility of the generated router function. Defaults to empty. |
 /// | `server_handler` | `flag`        | When set, also emits `#[::rmcp::tool_handler]` on `impl ServerHandler for Self` so you can omit a separate `#[tool_handler]` block. |
+/// | `allow_empty`    | `flag`        | When set, accepts an impl block with no `#[tool]` fn. Without it, an empty router is a compile error. |
 ///
 /// ## Example
 ///
@@ -122,6 +123,37 @@ pub fn tool(attr: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
 ///     }
 /// }
 /// ```
+///
+/// ### Empty routers
+///
+/// Collecting tools is this attribute's whole purpose, so an impl block with no `#[tool]` fn is a
+/// compile error rather than a router that silently serves nothing. Pass `allow_empty` when that
+/// is what you want:
+///
+/// ```rust,ignore
+/// #[tool_router(allow_empty)]
+/// impl MyToolHandler {}
+/// ```
+///
+/// The usual way to hit this by accident is a `macro_rules!` helper *inside* the impl block. An
+/// attribute macro receives the unexpanded item, so `#[tool]` fns produced by such a helper are
+/// invisible to `#[tool_router]`. Let the `macro_rules!` emit the whole annotated impl instead:
+///
+/// ```rust,ignore
+/// macro_rules! define_tools {
+///     ($($name:ident => $description:literal),* $(,)?) => {
+///         #[tool_router]
+///         impl MyToolHandler {
+///             $(
+///                 #[tool(description = $description)]
+///                 async fn $name(&self) -> String { stringify!($name).to_owned() }
+///             )*
+///         }
+///     };
+/// }
+///
+/// define_tools!(my_tool => "what my tool does");
+/// ```
 #[proc_macro_attribute]
 pub fn tool_router(attr: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
     tool_router::tool_router(attr.into(), input.into())
diff --git a/crates/rmcp-macros/src/tool_router.rs b/crates/rmcp-macros/src/tool_router.rs
index edc8630b4..6efd6927f 100644
--- a/crates/rmcp-macros/src/tool_router.rs
+++ b/crates/rmcp-macros/src/tool_router.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ pub struct ToolRouterAttribute {
     /// When set, also emit `#[::rmcp::tool_handler]` on `impl ServerHandler for Self` so callers
     /// can skip a separate `#[tool_handler]` block (expanded in a later macro pass).
     pub server_handler: bool,
+    /// When set, accept an impl block with no `#[tool]` fn instead of reporting an error.
+    pub allow_empty: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for ToolRouterAttribute {
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ impl Default for ToolRouterAttribute {
             router: format_ident!("tool_router"),
             vis: None,
             server_handler: false,
+            allow_empty: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ pub fn tool_router(attr: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> syn::Result<TokenSt
         router,
         vis,
         server_handler,
+        allow_empty,
     } = ToolRouterAttribute::from_list(&attr_args)?;
     let mut item_impl = syn::parse2::<ItemImpl>(input)?;
     // find all function marked with `#[rmcp::tool]`
@@ -58,6 +62,19 @@ pub fn tool_router(attr: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> syn::Result<TokenSt
             }
         })
         .collect();
+    if tool_attr_fns.is_empty() && !allow_empty {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(
+            &item_impl.self_ty,
+            format!(
+                "`#[tool_router]` found no `#[tool]` fn in this impl block, so `Self::{router}()` \
+                 would serve no tools\n\
+                 note: a `macro_rules!` invocation inside the impl block is not expanded before \
+                 this attribute runs, so any `#[tool]` fn it generates is invisible here; let the \
+                 `macro_rules!` emit the whole `#[tool_router] impl` instead\n\
+                 note: use `#[tool_router(allow_empty)]` if an empty router is intended"
+            ),
+        ));
+    }
     let mut routers = Vec::with_capacity(tool_attr_fns.len());
     for handler in tool_attr_fns {
         let tool_attr_fn_ident = format_ident!("{handler}_tool_attr");
@@ -111,6 +128,7 @@ mod test {
             router,
             vis,
             server_handler,
+            allow_empty,
         } = ToolRouterAttribute::from_list(&attr_args)?;
         assert_eq!(router.to_string(), "test_router");
         assert!(vis.is_some(), "vis = \"pub(crate)\" should parse");
@@ -118,6 +136,10 @@ mod test {
             !server_handler,
             "server_handler should default to false when omitted"
         );
+        assert!(
+            !allow_empty,
+            "allow_empty should default to false when omitted"
+        );
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -137,4 +159,54 @@ mod test {
         assert!(server_handler);
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_router_rejects_an_impl_without_directly_visible_tool_fns() {
+        let input = quote! {
+            impl Probe {
+                a_capability!(broadcast = "what a capability would own");
+            }
+        };
+        let message = tool_router(TokenStream::new(), input)
+            .expect_err("an impl with no `#[tool]` fn should not compile")
+            .to_string();
+        assert!(
+            message.contains("`Self::tool_router()` would serve no tools"),
+            "{message}"
+        );
+        assert!(message.contains("macro_rules!"), "{message}");
+        assert!(message.contains("allow_empty"), "{message}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_router_names_the_custom_router_fn_when_it_is_empty() {
+        let message = tool_router(quote! { router = custom_router }, quote! { impl Probe {} })
+            .expect_err("an impl with no `#[tool]` fn should not compile")
+            .to_string();
+        assert!(
+            message.contains("`Self::custom_router()` would serve no tools"),
+            "{message}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_router_accepts_an_impl_with_a_tool_fn() -> syn::Result<()> {
+        let input = quote! {
+            impl Probe {
+                #[tool(description = "probe")]
+                async fn probe(&self) -> String { "probed".to_owned() }
+            }
+        };
+        let generated = tool_router(TokenStream::new(), input)?.to_string();
+        assert!(generated.contains("with_route"), "{generated}");
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_router_allow_empty_generates_a_router_without_routes() -> syn::Result<()> {
+        let generated = tool_router(quote! { allow_empty }, quote! { impl Probe {} })?.to_string();
+        assert!(generated.contains("fn tool_router"), "{generated}");
+        assert!(!generated.contains("with_route"), "{generated}");
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/rmcp/tests/test_tool_macros.rs b/crates/rmcp/tests/test_tool_macros.rs
index 9b9530aa8..4975109cb 100644
--- a/crates/rmcp/tests/test_tool_macros.rs
+++ b/crates/rmcp/tests/test_tool_macros.rs
@@ -573,3 +573,47 @@ fn test_manual_get_info_not_overridden() {
         "manual resources should be preserved"
     );
 }
+
+/// Server whose tools come from a `macro_rules!` helper wrapping the whole annotated impl.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+struct MacroGeneratedServer;
+
+macro_rules! define_tools {
+    ($($name:ident => $description:literal),* $(,)?) => {
+        #[tool_router]
+        impl MacroGeneratedServer {
+            $(
+                #[tool(description = $description)]
+                async fn $name(&self) -> String {
+                    stringify!($name).to_owned()
+                }
+            )*
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+define_tools!(probe => "what a capability would own");
+
+#[test]
+fn test_macro_rules_around_the_impl_registers_tools() {
+    let tools = MacroGeneratedServer::tool_router().list_all();
+
+    assert_eq!(tools.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(tools[0].name, "probe");
+    assert_eq!(
+        tools[0].description.as_deref(),
+        Some("what a capability would own")
+    );
+}
+
+/// Server that opts in to a router with no tools.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+struct EmptyRouterServer;
+
+#[tool_router(allow_empty)]
+impl EmptyRouterServer {}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_allow_empty_builds_a_router_without_tools() {
+    assert!(EmptyRouterServer::tool_router().list_all().is_empty());
+}