diff --git a/src/mcp/shared/auth.py b/src/mcp/shared/auth.py
index ca5b7b45a..429bebcd5 100644
--- a/src/mcp/shared/auth.py
+++ b/src/mcp/shared/auth.py
@@ -71,11 +71,14 @@ def validate_scope(self, requested_scope: str | None) -> list[str] | None:
         if requested_scope is None:
             return None
         requested_scopes = requested_scope.split(" ")
-        allowed_scopes = [] if self.scope is None else self.scope.split(" ")
+        if self.scope is None:
+            # No scope restrictions registered for this client; allow any scopes
+            return requested_scopes
+        allowed_scopes = self.scope.split(" ")
         for scope in requested_scopes:
-            if scope not in allowed_scopes:  # pragma: no branch
+            if scope not in allowed_scopes:
                 raise InvalidScopeError(f"Client was not registered with scope {scope}")
-        return requested_scopes  # pragma: no cover
+        return requested_scopes
 
     def validate_redirect_uri(self, redirect_uri: AnyUrl | None) -> AnyUrl:
         if redirect_uri is not None:
diff --git a/tests/shared/test_auth.py b/tests/shared/test_auth.py
index cd3c35332..b898b7280 100644
--- a/tests/shared/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/shared/test_auth.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 """Tests for OAuth 2.0 shared code."""
 
-from mcp.shared.auth import OAuthMetadata
+import pytest
+from pydantic import AnyUrl
+
+from mcp.shared.auth import InvalidScopeError, OAuthClientMetadata, OAuthMetadata
 
 
 def test_oauth():
@@ -58,3 +61,52 @@ def test_oauth_with_jarm():
             "token_endpoint_auth_methods_supported": ["client_secret_basic", "client_secret_post"],
         }
     )
+
+
+class TestValidateScope:
+    """Tests for OAuthClientMetadata.validate_scope()."""
+
+    def _make_client(self, scope=None):
+        return OAuthClientMetadata(
+            redirect_uris=[AnyUrl("http://localhost:3000/callback")],
+            scope=scope,
+        )
+
+    def test_requested_none_returns_none(self):
+        """When no scope is requested, validate_scope returns None."""
+        client = self._make_client(scope="read write")
+        assert client.validate_scope(None) is None
+
+    def test_client_scope_none_allows_any_requested_scopes(self):
+        """When client has no scope restrictions (None), any requested scopes are allowed.
+
+        Regression test for #2216: validate_scope treated None as empty list,
+        rejecting all scopes with InvalidScopeError.
+        """
+        client = self._make_client(scope=None)
+        result = client.validate_scope("read write admin")
+        assert result == ["read", "write", "admin"]
+
+    def test_client_scope_none_allows_single_scope(self):
+        """When client has no scope restrictions, a single requested scope is allowed."""
+        client = self._make_client(scope=None)
+        result = client.validate_scope("read")
+        assert result == ["read"]
+
+    def test_allowed_scopes_accepted(self):
+        """Requested scopes that are a subset of client scopes are accepted."""
+        client = self._make_client(scope="read write admin")
+        result = client.validate_scope("read write")
+        assert result == ["read", "write"]
+
+    def test_disallowed_scope_raises(self):
+        """Requesting a scope not in the client's registered scopes raises InvalidScopeError."""
+        client = self._make_client(scope="read write")
+        with pytest.raises(InvalidScopeError, match="admin"):
+            client.validate_scope("read admin")
+
+    def test_all_scopes_match(self):
+        """Requesting exactly the registered scopes works."""
+        client = self._make_client(scope="read write")
+        result = client.validate_scope("read write")
+        assert result == ["read", "write"]