diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/browserBackend.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/browserBackend.ts
index b8c8fb55d78f7..2fc6d82944af2 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/browserBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/browserBackend.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
+
 import * as z from 'zod';
 import debug from 'debug';
 import { Context } from './context';
@@ -25,26 +27,35 @@ import type { Tool } from './tool';
 import type * as mcpServer from '../utils/mcp/server';
 import type { ClientInfo, ServerBackend } from '../utils/mcp/server';
 
-export class BrowserBackend implements ServerBackend {
+export class BrowserBackend extends EventEmitter<{ disconnected: [], disposed: [] }> implements ServerBackend {
   private _tools: Tool[];
   private _context: Context | undefined;
   private _sessionLog: SessionLog | undefined;
   private _config: ContextConfig;
   private _disconnected = false;
-  readonly browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext;
+  private _disposed = false;
+  private _browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext;
+  private _disposeCallback: (() => Promise<void>) | undefined;
 
-  constructor(config: ContextConfig, browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, tools: Tool[]) {
+  constructor(config: ContextConfig, browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, tools: Tool[], disposeCallback?: () => Promise<void>) {
+    super();
     this._config = config;
     this._tools = tools;
-    this.browserContext = browserContext;
-    const markDisconnected = () => { this._disconnected = true; };
-    this.browserContext.once('close', markDisconnected);
-    this.browserContext.browser()?.once('disconnected', markDisconnected);
+    this._browserContext = browserContext;
+    this._disposeCallback = disposeCallback;
+    const markDisconnected = () => {
+      if (this._disconnected)
+        return;
+      this._disconnected = true;
+      this.emit('disconnected');
+    };
+    this._browserContext.once('close', markDisconnected);
+    this._browserContext.browser()?.once('disconnected', markDisconnected);
   }
 
   async initialize(clientInfo: ClientInfo): Promise<void> {
     this._sessionLog = this._config.saveSession ? await SessionLog.create(this._config, clientInfo.cwd) : undefined;
-    this._context = new Context(this.browserContext, {
+    this._context = new Context(this._browserContext, {
       config: this._config,
       sessionLog: this._sessionLog,
       cwd: clientInfo.cwd,
@@ -52,10 +63,15 @@ export class BrowserBackend implements ServerBackend {
   }
 
   async dispose() {
+    if (this._disposed)
+      return;
+    this._disposed = true;
     await this._context?.dispose().catch(e => debug('pw:tools:error')(e));
+    await this._disposeCallback?.().catch(e => debug('pw:tools:error')(e));
+    this.emit('disposed');
   }
 
-  async callTool(name: string, rawArguments: mcpServer.CallToolRequest['params']['arguments'] & { _meta?: Record<string, any> } = {}, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<mcpServer.CallToolResult & { isClose?: boolean }> {
+  async callTool(name: string, rawArguments: mcpServer.CallToolRequest['params']['arguments'] & { _meta?: Record<string, any> } = {}, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<mcpServer.CallToolResult> {
     const json = !!rawArguments._meta?.json;
     const formatError = (message: string): mcpServer.CallToolResult => ({
       content: [{ type: 'text' as const, text: json ? JSON.stringify({ isError: true, error: message }, null, 2) : `### Error\n${message}` }],
@@ -90,8 +106,10 @@ export class BrowserBackend implements ServerBackend {
     } finally {
       context.setRunningTool(undefined);
     }
-    if (this._disconnected)
-      responseObject.isClose = true;
+    if (this._disconnected || responseObject.isClose) {
+      delete responseObject.isClose;
+      await this.dispose();
+    }
     return responseObject;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/index.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/index.ts
index a1a1c8c4b5a0c..d720e1c93890a 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/index.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/index.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ export async function createConnection(userConfig: Config = {}, contextGetter?:
       const context = config.browser.isolated ? await browser.newContext(config.browser.contextOptions) : browser.contexts()[0];
       return new BrowserBackend(config, context, tools);
     },
-    disposed: async () => { }
   };
   return createServer('api', packageJSON.version, backendFactory, Promise.resolve(), false);
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/program.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/program.ts
index 2643131dd085d..2c748848b31c7 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/program.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/program.ts
@@ -129,25 +129,23 @@ export function decorateMCPCommand(command: Command) {
               await browser.bind(sessionName, { workspaceDir: clientInfo.cwd });
             }
             const browserContext = config.browser.isolated ? await browser.newContext(config.browser.contextOptions) : browser.contexts()[0];
-            return new BrowserBackend(config, browserContext, tools);
-          },
-          disposed: async backend => {
-            clientCount--;
-            const browserContext = (backend as BrowserBackend).browserContext;
+            return new BrowserBackend(config, browserContext, tools, async () => {
+              clientCount--;
 
-            if (sharedBrowserPromise && clientCount > 0) {
-              if (config.browser.isolated) {
-                testDebug('close context');
-                await browserContext.close().catch(() => { });
+              if (sharedBrowserPromise && clientCount > 0) {
+                if (config.browser.isolated) {
+                  testDebug('close context');
+                  await browserContext.close().catch(() => { });
+                }
+                return;
               }
-              return;
-            }
 
-            testDebug('close browser');
-            sharedBrowserPromise = undefined;
-            await browserContext.close().catch(() => { });
-            await browserContext.browser()?.close().catch(() => { });
-          }
+              testDebug('close browser');
+              sharedBrowserPromise = undefined;
+              await browserContext.close().catch(() => { });
+              await browserContext.browser()?.close().catch(() => { });
+            });
+          },
         };
         await mcpServer.start(factory, config.server);
       });
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/utils/mcp/server.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/utils/mcp/server.ts
index 15cf6ebe1b5ed..ecdd1ae6ca11b 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/utils/mcp/server.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/utils/mcp/server.ts
@@ -38,32 +38,11 @@ export type ClientInfo = {
   clientName: string;
 };
 
-class BackendManager {
-  private _backends = new Map<ServerBackend, ServerBackendFactory>();
-
-  async createBackend(factory: ServerBackendFactory, clientInfo: ClientInfo): Promise<ServerBackend> {
-    const backend = await factory.create(clientInfo);
-    await backend.initialize?.(clientInfo);
-    this._backends.set(backend, factory);
-    return backend;
-  }
-
-  async disposeBackend(backend: ServerBackend) {
-    const factory = this._backends.get(backend);
-    if (!factory)
-      return;
-    await backend.dispose?.();
-    await factory.disposed(backend).catch(serverDebug);
-    this._backends.delete(backend);
-  }
-}
-
-const backendManager = new BackendManager();
-
 export interface ServerBackend {
   initialize?(clientInfo: ClientInfo): Promise<void>;
-  callTool(name: string, args: CallToolRequest['params']['arguments'], signal: AbortSignal): Promise<CallToolResult & { isClose?: boolean }>;
+  callTool(name: string, args: CallToolRequest['params']['arguments'], signal: AbortSignal): Promise<CallToolResult>;
   dispose?(): Promise<void>;
+  once(event: 'disposed', listener: () => void): void;
 }
 
 export type ServerBackendFactory = {
@@ -72,7 +51,6 @@ export type ServerBackendFactory = {
   version: string;
   toolSchemas: ToolSchema<any>[];
   create: (clientInfo: ClientInfo) => Promise<ServerBackend>;
-  disposed: (backend: ServerBackend) => Promise<void>;
 };
 
 export async function connect(factory: ServerBackendFactory, transport: Transport, transportInitialized: Promise<void>, runHeartbeat: boolean) {
@@ -94,7 +72,7 @@ export function createServer(name: string, version: string, factory: ServerBacke
 
   let backendPromise: Promise<ServerBackend> | undefined;
 
-  const onClose = () => backendPromise?.then(b => backendManager.disposeBackend(b)).catch(serverDebug);
+  const onClose = () => backendPromise?.then(b => b.dispose?.()).catch(serverDebug);
   addServerListener(server, 'close', onClose);
 
   server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request, extra) => {
@@ -102,7 +80,10 @@ export function createServer(name: string, version: string, factory: ServerBacke
 
     try {
       if (!backendPromise) {
-        backendPromise = initializeServer(server, factory, transportInitialized, runHeartbeat).catch(e => {
+        backendPromise = initializeServer(server, factory, transportInitialized, runHeartbeat).then(backend => {
+          backend.once('disposed', () => { backendPromise = undefined; });
+          return backend;
+        }).catch(e => {
           backendPromise = undefined;
           throw e;
         });
@@ -110,12 +91,6 @@ export function createServer(name: string, version: string, factory: ServerBacke
 
       const backend = await backendPromise;
       const toolResult = await backend.callTool(request.params.name, request.params.arguments || {}, extra.signal);
-      if (toolResult.isClose) {
-        await backendManager.disposeBackend(backend).catch(serverDebug);
-        backendPromise = undefined;
-        delete toolResult.isClose;
-      }
-
       const mergedResult = mergeTextParts(toolResult);
       serverDebugResponse('callResult', mergedResult);
       return mergedResult;
@@ -146,7 +121,8 @@ const initializeServer = async (server: ServerType, factory: ServerBackendFactor
     clientName: server.getClientVersion()?.name ?? 'Playwright MCP',
   };
 
-  const backend = await backendManager.createBackend(factory, clientInfo);
+  const backend = await factory.create(clientInfo);
+  await backend.initialize?.(clientInfo);
   if (runHeartbeat)
     startHeartbeat(server);
   return backend;
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/program.ts b/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
index eea299a9db04f..2384f49a8852e 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ function addTestMCPServerCommand(program: Command) {
       version: packageJSON.version,
       toolSchemas: testServerBackendTools.map(tool => tool.schema),
       create: async () => new TestServerBackend(options.config, { muteConsole: options.port === undefined, headless: options.headless }),
-      disposed: async () => { }
     };
     // TODO: add all options from mcp.startHttpServer.
     await tools.start(factory, { port: options.port === undefined ? undefined : +options.port, host: options.host });