diff --git a/Sources/MCP/Server/Server.swift b/Sources/MCP/Server/Server.swift
index fa75b5bf..e81b35e3 100644
--- a/Sources/MCP/Server/Server.swift
+++ b/Sources/MCP/Server/Server.swift
@@ -761,7 +761,17 @@ public actor Server {
             case Initialize.name, Ping.name:
                 break
             default:
-                try checkInitialized()
+                guard isInitialized else {
+                    let response = AnyMethod.response(
+                        id: request.id,
+                        error: MCPError.invalidRequest("Server is not initialized")
+                    )
+                    if sendResponse {
+                        try await send(response)
+                        return nil
+                    }
+                    return response
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -853,8 +863,12 @@ public actor Server {
 
         if configuration.strict {
             // Check initialization state unless this is an initialized notification
-            if message.method != InitializedNotification.name {
-                try checkInitialized()
+            // Notifications never get a response, so drop them instead of throwing.
+            if message.method != InitializedNotification.name, !isInitialized {
+                await logger?.warning(
+                    "Ignoring notification before initialization",
+                    metadata: ["method": "\(message.method)"])
+                return
             }
         }
 
@@ -892,12 +906,6 @@ public actor Server {
         }
     }
 
-    private func checkInitialized() throws {
-        guard isInitialized else {
-            throw MCPError.invalidRequest("Server is not initialized")
-        }
-    }
-
     /// Validate the client capabilities.
     /// Throws an error if the server is configured to be strict and the capability is not supported.
     private func validateClientCapability<T>(
diff --git a/Tests/MCPTests/ServerTests.swift b/Tests/MCPTests/ServerTests.swift
index 4713b278..38129611 100644
--- a/Tests/MCPTests/ServerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/MCPTests/ServerTests.swift
@@ -268,4 +268,48 @@ struct ServerTests {
         await clientTransport.disconnect()
         await serverTransport.disconnect()
     }
+
+    @Test("Strict mode rejects requests before initialization with an error response")
+    func testStrictModeRejectsRequestBeforeInitialize() async throws {
+        let transport = MockTransport()
+        let server = Server(
+            name: "TestServer",
+            version: "1.0",
+            capabilities: .init(tools: .init()),
+            configuration: .strict
+        )
+        await server.withMethodHandler(ListTools.self) { _ in
+            ListTools.Result(tools: [])
+        }
+        try await server.start(transport: transport)
+
+        try await transport.queue(request: ListTools.request(id: "early", .init()))
+        try await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(200))
+
+        #expect(await transport.sentMessages.count == 1)
+        let response = try #require(
+            await transport.decodeLastSentMessage() as Response<ListTools>?)
+        #expect(response.id == "early")
+        guard case .failure(let error) = response.result else {
+            Issue.record("Expected an error response, got \(response.result)")
+            return
+        }
+        #expect(error.code == -32600)
+
+        await server.stop()
+    }
+
+    @Test("Strict mode does not respond to notifications before initialization")
+    func testStrictModeIgnoresNotificationBeforeInitialize() async throws {
+        let transport = MockTransport()
+        let server = Server(name: "TestServer", version: "1.0", configuration: .strict)
+        try await server.start(transport: transport)
+
+        try await transport.queue(notification: RootsListChangedNotification.message())
+        try await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(200))
+
+        #expect(await transport.sentMessages.isEmpty)
+
+        await server.stop()
+    }
 }