diff --git a/src/Access.php b/src/Access.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b22204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Access.php
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace LIT\MCP;
+
+use WP_User;
+
+/**
+ * Role gate: only users whose role is allowed get the lit_mcp_use capability.
+ *
+ * The capability is granted dynamically via user_has_cap, so no role objects
+ * in the database are modified.
+ */
+final class Access
+{
+    public const CAPABILITY = 'lit_mcp_use';
+    public const OPTION = 'lit_mcp_allowed_roles';
+    private const DEFAULT_ROLES = ['administrator'];
+    private const ADAPTER_META_TOOLS = [
+        'discover_abilities',
+        'get_ability_info',
+        'execute_ability',
+    ];
+
+    public function register(): void
+    {
+        add_filter('user_has_cap', [$this, 'grantCapability'], 10, 4);
+
+        foreach (self::ADAPTER_META_TOOLS as $tool) {
+            add_filter(
+                "mcp_adapter_{$tool}_capability",
+                static fn (): string => self::CAPABILITY
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return list<string>
+     */
+    public function allowedRoles(): array
+    {
+        $roles = get_option(self::OPTION, self::DEFAULT_ROLES);
+        if (! is_array($roles)) {
+            $roles = self::DEFAULT_ROLES;
+        }
+
+        $roles = apply_filters('lit_mcp_allowed_roles', $roles);
+
+        return array_values(array_filter($roles, 'is_string'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array<string, bool> $allcaps
+     * @param list<string>        $caps
+     * @param array<int, mixed>   $args
+     * @return array<string, bool>
+     */
+    public function grantCapability(
+        array $allcaps,
+        array $caps,
+        array $args,
+        WP_User $user
+    ): array {
+        if (! in_array(self::CAPABILITY, $caps, true)) {
+            return $allcaps;
+        }
+
+        if (array_intersect($user->roles, $this->allowedRoles()) !== []) {
+            $allcaps[self::CAPABILITY] = true;
+        }
+
+        return $allcaps;
+    }
+
+    public static function currentUserMayUse(): bool
+    {
+        return current_user_can(self::CAPABILITY);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Plugin.php b/src/Plugin.php
index 9484ad7..db2ec0e 100644
--- a/src/Plugin.php
+++ b/src/Plugin.php
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ final class Plugin
             self::noticeMissing($missing);
             return;
         }
+
+        (new Access())->register();
     }
 
     public static function pluginDir(): string
diff --git a/tests/Unit/AccessTest.php b/tests/Unit/AccessTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7868f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/AccessTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace LIT\MCP\Tests\Unit;
+
+use Brain\Monkey\Filters;
+use Brain\Monkey\Functions;
+use LIT\MCP\Access;
+use WP_User;
+
+final class AccessTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testDefaultsToAdministratorOnly(): void
+    {
+        Functions\expect('get_option')
+            ->once()
+            ->with(Access::OPTION, ['administrator'])
+            ->andReturn(['administrator']);
+
+        self::assertSame(['administrator'], (new Access())->allowedRoles());
+    }
+
+    public function testRoleListIsFilterable(): void
+    {
+        Functions\when('get_option')->justReturn(['administrator']);
+        Filters\expectApplied('lit_mcp_allowed_roles')
+            ->once()
+            ->andReturn(['administrator', 'editor']);
+
+        self::assertSame(['administrator', 'editor'], (new Access())->allowedRoles());
+    }
+
+    public function testGrantsCapabilityToAllowedRole(): void
+    {
+        Functions\when('get_option')->justReturn(['editor']);
+
+        $caps = (new Access())->grantCapability(
+            [],
+            [Access::CAPABILITY],
+            [],
+            new WP_User(5, ['editor'])
+        );
+
+        self::assertTrue($caps[Access::CAPABILITY]);
+    }
+
+    public function testDoesNotGrantCapabilityToOtherRoles(): void
+    {
+        Functions\when('get_option')->justReturn(['administrator']);
+
+        $caps = (new Access())->grantCapability(
+            [],
+            [Access::CAPABILITY],
+            [],
+            new WP_User(7, ['subscriber'])
+        );
+
+        self::assertArrayNotHasKey(Access::CAPABILITY, $caps);
+    }
+
+    public function testCorruptOptionFallsBackToAdministrator(): void
+    {
+        Functions\when('get_option')->justReturn('not-an-array');
+
+        self::assertSame(['administrator'], (new Access())->allowedRoles());
+    }
+
+    public function testRegisterRoutesAdapterMetaToolCapabilitiesToOwnCapability(): void
+    {
+        // Brain Monkey records add_filter() but never runs callbacks, so we
+        // capture each registered callback and invoke it ourselves.
+        foreach (['discover_abilities', 'get_ability_info', 'execute_ability'] as $tool) {
+            Filters\expectAdded("mcp_adapter_{$tool}_capability")
+                ->once()
+                ->whenHappen(static function (callable $callback): void {
+                    self::assertSame(Access::CAPABILITY, $callback('read'));
+                });
+        }
+
+        $access = new Access();
+        $access->register();
+
+        self::assertNotFalse(has_filter('user_has_cap', [$access, 'grantCapability']));
+    }
+}