diff --git a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/dotnetcli.host.json b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/dotnetcli.host.json
index 5be51dd6357..64694e46660 100644
--- a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/dotnetcli.host.json
+++ b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/dotnetcli.host.json
@@ -1,7 +1,24 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/dotnetcli.host",
-  "symbolInfo": {},
+  "symbolInfo": {
+    "TargetFrameworkOverride": {
+      "isHidden": "true",
+      "longName": "target-framework-override",
+      "shortName": ""
+    },
+    "Framework": {
+      "longName": "framework"
+    },
+    "NativeAot": {
+      "longName": "aot",
+      "shortName": ""
+    },
+    "SelfContained": {
+      "longName": "self-contained",
+      "shortName": ""
+    }
+  },
   "usageExamples": [
     ""
   ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/ide.host.json b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/ide.host.json
index 5edf447bbd4..8574a4767a5 100644
--- a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/ide.host.json
+++ b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/ide.host.json
@@ -2,5 +2,14 @@
   "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/ide.host",
   "order": 0,
   "icon": "ide/icon.ico",
-  "symbolInfo": []
+  "symbolInfo": [
+    {
+      "id": "NativeAot",
+      "isVisible": true
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "SelfContained",
+      "isVisible": true
+    }
+  ]
 }
diff --git a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/template.json b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/template.json
index 1fdc9128e81..3f4f85f1563 100644
--- a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/.template.config/template.json
@@ -18,9 +18,53 @@
     "type": "project"
   },
   "symbols": {
+    "TargetFrameworkOverride": {
+      "type": "parameter",
+      "description": "Overrides the target framework",
+      "displayName": "Target framework override",
+      "replaces": "TargetFrameworkOverride",
+      "datatype": "string",
+      "defaultValue": ""
+    },
+    "Framework": {
+      "type": "parameter",
+      "description": "The target framework for the project.",
+      "displayName": "Framework",
+      "datatype": "choice",
+      "choices": [
+        {
+          "choice": "net10.0",
+          "description": ".NET 10"
+        },
+        {
+          "choice": "net9.0",
+          "description": ".NET 9"
+        },
+        {
+          "choice": "net8.0",
+          "description": ".NET 8"
+        }
+      ],
+      "replaces": "net9.0",
+      "defaultValue": "net9.0"
+    },
     "hostIdentifier": {
       "type": "bind",
       "binding": "HostIdentifier"
+    },
+    "NativeAot": {
+      "type": "parameter",
+      "datatype": "bool",
+      "defaultValue": "false",
+      "displayName": "Enable _native AOT publish",
+      "description": "Whether to enable the MCP server for publishing as a native AOT application."
+    },
+    "SelfContained": {
+      "type": "parameter",
+      "datatype": "bool",
+      "defaultValue": "true",
+      "displayName": "Enable _self-contained publish",
+      "description": "Whether to enable the MCP server for publishing as a self-contained application."
     }
   },
   "primaryOutputs": [
@@ -42,5 +86,23 @@
       },
       "continueOnError": true
     }
-  ]
+  ],
+  "SpecialCustomOperations": {
+    "**/*.md": {
+      "operations": [
+        {
+          "type": "conditional",
+          "configuration": {
+            "if": [ "#### ---#if" ],
+            "else": [ "#### ---#else" ],
+            "elseif": [ "#### ---#elseif", "#### ---#elif" ],
+            "endif": [ "#### ---#endif" ],
+            "trim": "true",
+            "wholeLine": "true",
+            "evaluator": "C++"
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/McpServer-CSharp.csproj.in b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/McpServer-CSharp.csproj.in
index 2eca37df228..2f07994302b 100644
--- a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/McpServer-CSharp.csproj.in
+++ b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/McpServer-CSharp.csproj.in
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework Condition="'$(TargetFrameworkOverride)' == ''">net9.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework Condition="'$(TargetFrameworkOverride)' != ''">TargetFrameworkOverride</TargetFramework>
+    <!--#if (SelfContained || NativeAot)-->
+    <RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-arm64;osx-arm64;linux-x64;linux-arm64;linux-musl-x64</RuntimeIdentifiers>
+    <!--#else-->
     <RollForward>Major</RollForward>
+    <!--#endif -->
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
@@ -10,6 +15,21 @@
     <!-- Set up the NuGet package to be an MCP server -->
     <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
     <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType>
+    <!--#if (SelfContained || NativeAot)-->
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a self-contained application that does not rely on a shared framework -->
+    <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
+    <PublishSelfContained>true</PublishSelfContained>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a single file executable -->
+    <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile>
+    <!--#endif -->
+    <!--#if (NativeAot)-->
+
+    <!-- Configure the MCP server to be a native AOT application with invariant globalization -->
+    <PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
+    <InvariantGlobalization>true</InvariantGlobalization>
+    <!--#endif -->
 
     <!-- Set recommended package metadata -->
     <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
diff --git a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/README.md b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/README.md
index cb11ac30eb5..95612c5e35e 100644
--- a/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/README.md
+++ b/src/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates/src/McpServer/McpServer-CSharp/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
 # MCP Server
 
-This README was created using the C# MCP server project template. It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+This README was created using the C# MCP server project template.
+It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+
+#### ---#if (SelfContained)
+The MCP server is built as a self-contained application and does not require the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+However, since it is self-contained, it must be built for each target platform separately.
+By default, the template is configured to build for:
+* `win-x64`
+* `win-arm64`
+* `osx-arm64`
+* `linux-x64`
+* `linux-arm64`
+* `linux-musl-x64`
+
+If your users require more platforms to be supported, update the list of runtime identifiers in the project's `<RuntimeIdentifiers />` element.
+#### ---#else
+The MCP server is built as a framework-dependent application and requires the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+The application is configured to roll-forward to the next highest major version of the runtime if one is available on the target machine.
+If an applicable .NET runtime is not available, the MCP server will not start.
+Consider building the MCP server as a self-contained application if you want to avoid this dependency.
+#### ---#endif
 
 See [aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide) for the full guide.
 
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/McpServerSnapshotTests.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/McpServerSnapshotTests.cs
index a3f3dedd1b5..0f75e2f6138 100644
--- a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/McpServerSnapshotTests.cs
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/McpServerSnapshotTests.cs
@@ -41,6 +41,24 @@ public async Task BasicTest()
         await TestTemplateCoreAsync(scenarioName: "Basic");
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task SelfContainedFalse()
+    {
+        await TestTemplateCoreAsync(scenarioName: "SelfContainedFalse", templateArgs: ["--self-contained", bool.FalseString]);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AotTrue()
+    {
+        await TestTemplateCoreAsync(scenarioName: "AotTrue", templateArgs: ["--aot", bool.TrueString]);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Net10()
+    {
+        await TestTemplateCoreAsync(scenarioName: "net10", templateArgs: ["--framework", "net10.0"]);
+    }
+
     private async Task TestTemplateCoreAsync(string scenarioName, IEnumerable<string>? templateArgs = null)
     {
         string workingDir = TestUtils.CreateTemporaryFolder();
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..02908c09afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/draft/2025-07-09/server.json",
+  "description": "<your description here>",
+  "name": "io.github.<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+  "packages": [
+    {
+      "registry_name": "nuget",
+      "name": "<your package ID here>",
+      "version": "0.1.0-beta",
+      "package_arguments": [],
+      "environment_variables": []
+    }
+  ],
+  "repository": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+    "source": "github"
+  },
+  "version_detail": {
+    "version": "0.1.0-beta"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..73b72d35a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
+
+// Configure all logs to go to stderr (stdout is used for the MCP protocol messages).
+builder.Logging.AddConsole(o => o.LogToStandardErrorThreshold = LogLevel.Trace);
+
+// Add the MCP services: the transport to use (stdio) and the tools to register.
+builder.Services
+    .AddMcpServer()
+    .WithStdioServerTransport()
+    .WithTools<RandomNumberTools>();
+
+await builder.Build().RunAsync();
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/README.md b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..31035a6370e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+# MCP Server
+
+This README was created using the C# MCP server project template.
+It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+
+The MCP server is built as a self-contained application and does not require the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+However, since it is self-contained, it must be built for each target platform separately.
+By default, the template is configured to build for:
+* `win-x64`
+* `win-arm64`
+* `osx-arm64`
+* `linux-x64`
+* `linux-arm64`
+* `linux-musl-x64`
+
+If your users require more platforms to be supported, update the list of runtime identifiers in the project's `<RuntimeIdentifiers />` element.
+
+See [aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide) for the full guide.
+
+Please note that this template is currently in an early preview stage. If you have feedback, please take a [brief survey](http://aka.ms/dotnet-mcp-template-survey).
+
+## Checklist before publishing to NuGet.org
+
+- Test the MCP server locally using the steps below.
+- Update the package metadata in the .csproj file, in particular the `<PackageId>`.
+- Update `.mcp/server.json` to declare your MCP server's inputs.
+  - See [configuring inputs](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide/configuring-inputs) for more details.
+- Pack the project using `dotnet pack`.
+
+The `bin/Release` directory will contain the package file (.nupkg), which can be [published to NuGet.org](https://learn.microsoft.com/nuget/nuget-org/publish-a-package).
+
+## Developing locally
+
+To test this MCP server from source code (locally) without using a built MCP server package, you can configure your IDE to run the project directly using `dotnet run`.
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dotnet",
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "--project",
+        "<PATH TO PROJECT DIRECTORY>"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Testing the MCP Server
+
+Once configured, you can ask Copilot Chat for a random number, for example, `Give me 3 random numbers`. It should prompt you to use the `get_random_number` tool on the `mcpserver` MCP server and show you the results.
+
+## Publishing to NuGet.org
+
+1. Run `dotnet pack -c Release` to create the NuGet package
+2. Publish to NuGet.org with `dotnet nuget push bin/Release/*.nupkg --api-key <your-api-key> --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json`
+
+## Using the MCP Server from NuGet.org
+
+Once the MCP server package is published to NuGet.org, you can configure it in your preferred IDE. Both VS Code and Visual Studio use the `dnx` command to download and install the MCP server package from NuGet.org.
+
+- **VS Code**: Create a `<WORKSPACE DIRECTORY>/.vscode/mcp.json` file
+- **Visual Studio**: Create a `<SOLUTION DIRECTORY>\.mcp.json` file
+
+For both VS Code and Visual Studio, the configuration file uses the following server definition:
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dnx",
+      "args": [
+        "<your package ID here>",
+        "--version",
+        "<your package version here>",
+        "--yes"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## More information
+
+.NET MCP servers use the [ModelContextProtocol](https://www.nuget.org/packages/ModelContextProtocol) C# SDK. For more information about MCP:
+
+- [Official Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [Protocol Specification](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [GitHub Organization](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol)
+
+Refer to the VS Code or Visual Studio documentation for more information on configuring and using MCP servers:
+
+- [Use MCP servers in VS Code (Preview)](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers)
+- [Use MCP servers in Visual Studio (Preview)](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/ide/mcp-servers)
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..611745f4129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using ModelContextProtocol.Server;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Sample MCP tools for demonstration purposes.
+/// These tools can be invoked by MCP clients to perform various operations.
+/// </summary>
+internal class RandomNumberTools
+{
+    [McpServerTool]
+    [Description("Generates a random number between the specified minimum and maximum values.")]
+    public int GetRandomNumber(
+        [Description("Minimum value (inclusive)")] int min = 0,
+        [Description("Maximum value (exclusive)")] int max = 100)
+    {
+        return Random.Shared.Next(min, max);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..27a6ad45810
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.AotTrue.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
+    <RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-arm64;osx-arm64;linux-x64;linux-arm64;linux-musl-x64</RuntimeIdentifiers>
+    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
+    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
+    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
+
+    <!-- Set up the NuGet package to be an MCP server -->
+    <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
+    <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a self-contained application that does not rely on a shared framework -->
+    <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
+    <PublishSelfContained>true</PublishSelfContained>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a single file executable -->
+    <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile>
+
+    <!-- Configure the MCP server to be a native AOT application with invariant globalization -->
+    <PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
+    <InvariantGlobalization>true</InvariantGlobalization>
+
+    <!-- Set recommended package metadata -->
+    <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
+    <PackageId>SampleMcpServer</PackageId>
+    <PackageVersion>0.1.0-beta</PackageVersion>
+    <PackageTags>AI; MCP; server; stdio</PackageTags>
+    <Description>An MCP server using the MCP C# SDK.</Description>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <!-- Include additional files for browsing the MCP server. -->
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <None Include=".mcp\server.json" Pack="true" PackagePath="/.mcp/" />
+    <None Include="README.md" Pack="true" PackagePath="/" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="10.0.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol" Version="0.3.0-preview.2" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+</Project>
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/README.md b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/README.md
index a0bf0fc082d..31035a6370e 100644
--- a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/README.md
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 # MCP Server
 
-This README was created using the C# MCP server project template. It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+This README was created using the C# MCP server project template.
+It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+
+The MCP server is built as a self-contained application and does not require the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+However, since it is self-contained, it must be built for each target platform separately.
+By default, the template is configured to build for:
+* `win-x64`
+* `win-arm64`
+* `osx-arm64`
+* `linux-x64`
+* `linux-arm64`
+* `linux-musl-x64`
+
+If your users require more platforms to be supported, update the list of runtime identifiers in the project's `<RuntimeIdentifiers />` element.
 
 See [aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide) for the full guide.
 
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
index 468230d16e4..a3199648740 100644
--- a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.Basic.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
-    <RollForward>Major</RollForward>
+    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
+    <RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-arm64;osx-arm64;linux-x64;linux-arm64;linux-musl-x64</RuntimeIdentifiers>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
     <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
     <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType>
 
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a self-contained application that does not rely on a shared framework -->
+    <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
+    <PublishSelfContained>true</PublishSelfContained>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a single file executable -->
+    <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile>
+
     <!-- Set recommended package metadata -->
     <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
     <PackageId>SampleMcpServer</PackageId>
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..02908c09afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/draft/2025-07-09/server.json",
+  "description": "<your description here>",
+  "name": "io.github.<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+  "packages": [
+    {
+      "registry_name": "nuget",
+      "name": "<your package ID here>",
+      "version": "0.1.0-beta",
+      "package_arguments": [],
+      "environment_variables": []
+    }
+  ],
+  "repository": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+    "source": "github"
+  },
+  "version_detail": {
+    "version": "0.1.0-beta"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..73b72d35a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
+
+// Configure all logs to go to stderr (stdout is used for the MCP protocol messages).
+builder.Logging.AddConsole(o => o.LogToStandardErrorThreshold = LogLevel.Trace);
+
+// Add the MCP services: the transport to use (stdio) and the tools to register.
+builder.Services
+    .AddMcpServer()
+    .WithStdioServerTransport()
+    .WithTools<RandomNumberTools>();
+
+await builder.Build().RunAsync();
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/README.md b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1702211733a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# MCP Server
+
+This README was created using the C# MCP server project template.
+It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+
+The MCP server is built as a framework-dependent application and requires the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+The application is configured to roll-forward to the next highest major version of the runtime if one is available on the target machine.
+If an applicable .NET runtime is not available, the MCP server will not start.
+Consider building the MCP server as a self-contained application if you want to avoid this dependency.
+
+See [aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide) for the full guide.
+
+Please note that this template is currently in an early preview stage. If you have feedback, please take a [brief survey](http://aka.ms/dotnet-mcp-template-survey).
+
+## Checklist before publishing to NuGet.org
+
+- Test the MCP server locally using the steps below.
+- Update the package metadata in the .csproj file, in particular the `<PackageId>`.
+- Update `.mcp/server.json` to declare your MCP server's inputs.
+  - See [configuring inputs](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide/configuring-inputs) for more details.
+- Pack the project using `dotnet pack`.
+
+The `bin/Release` directory will contain the package file (.nupkg), which can be [published to NuGet.org](https://learn.microsoft.com/nuget/nuget-org/publish-a-package).
+
+## Developing locally
+
+To test this MCP server from source code (locally) without using a built MCP server package, you can configure your IDE to run the project directly using `dotnet run`.
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dotnet",
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "--project",
+        "<PATH TO PROJECT DIRECTORY>"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Testing the MCP Server
+
+Once configured, you can ask Copilot Chat for a random number, for example, `Give me 3 random numbers`. It should prompt you to use the `get_random_number` tool on the `mcpserver` MCP server and show you the results.
+
+## Publishing to NuGet.org
+
+1. Run `dotnet pack -c Release` to create the NuGet package
+2. Publish to NuGet.org with `dotnet nuget push bin/Release/*.nupkg --api-key <your-api-key> --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json`
+
+## Using the MCP Server from NuGet.org
+
+Once the MCP server package is published to NuGet.org, you can configure it in your preferred IDE. Both VS Code and Visual Studio use the `dnx` command to download and install the MCP server package from NuGet.org.
+
+- **VS Code**: Create a `<WORKSPACE DIRECTORY>/.vscode/mcp.json` file
+- **Visual Studio**: Create a `<SOLUTION DIRECTORY>\.mcp.json` file
+
+For both VS Code and Visual Studio, the configuration file uses the following server definition:
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dnx",
+      "args": [
+        "<your package ID here>",
+        "--version",
+        "<your package version here>",
+        "--yes"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## More information
+
+.NET MCP servers use the [ModelContextProtocol](https://www.nuget.org/packages/ModelContextProtocol) C# SDK. For more information about MCP:
+
+- [Official Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [Protocol Specification](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [GitHub Organization](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol)
+
+Refer to the VS Code or Visual Studio documentation for more information on configuring and using MCP servers:
+
+- [Use MCP servers in VS Code (Preview)](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers)
+- [Use MCP servers in Visual Studio (Preview)](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/ide/mcp-servers)
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..611745f4129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using ModelContextProtocol.Server;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Sample MCP tools for demonstration purposes.
+/// These tools can be invoked by MCP clients to perform various operations.
+/// </summary>
+internal class RandomNumberTools
+{
+    [McpServerTool]
+    [Description("Generates a random number between the specified minimum and maximum values.")]
+    public int GetRandomNumber(
+        [Description("Minimum value (inclusive)")] int min = 0,
+        [Description("Maximum value (exclusive)")] int max = 100)
+    {
+        return Random.Shared.Next(min, max);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cb3812885c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.SelfContainedFalse.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
+    <RollForward>Major</RollForward>
+    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
+    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
+    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
+
+    <!-- Set up the NuGet package to be an MCP server -->
+    <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
+    <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType>
+
+    <!-- Set recommended package metadata -->
+    <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
+    <PackageId>SampleMcpServer</PackageId>
+    <PackageVersion>0.1.0-beta</PackageVersion>
+    <PackageTags>AI; MCP; server; stdio</PackageTags>
+    <Description>An MCP server using the MCP C# SDK.</Description>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <!-- Include additional files for browsing the MCP server. -->
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <None Include=".mcp\server.json" Pack="true" PackagePath="/.mcp/" />
+    <None Include="README.md" Pack="true" PackagePath="/" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="10.0.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol" Version="0.3.0-preview.2" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+</Project>
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..02908c09afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/.mcp/server.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/draft/2025-07-09/server.json",
+  "description": "<your description here>",
+  "name": "io.github.<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+  "packages": [
+    {
+      "registry_name": "nuget",
+      "name": "<your package ID here>",
+      "version": "0.1.0-beta",
+      "package_arguments": [],
+      "environment_variables": []
+    }
+  ],
+  "repository": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/<your GitHub username here>/<your repo name>",
+    "source": "github"
+  },
+  "version_detail": {
+    "version": "0.1.0-beta"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..73b72d35a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Program.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+var builder = Host.CreateApplicationBuilder(args);
+
+// Configure all logs to go to stderr (stdout is used for the MCP protocol messages).
+builder.Logging.AddConsole(o => o.LogToStandardErrorThreshold = LogLevel.Trace);
+
+// Add the MCP services: the transport to use (stdio) and the tools to register.
+builder.Services
+    .AddMcpServer()
+    .WithStdioServerTransport()
+    .WithTools<RandomNumberTools>();
+
+await builder.Build().RunAsync();
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/README.md b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..31035a6370e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+# MCP Server
+
+This README was created using the C# MCP server project template.
+It demonstrates how you can easily create an MCP server using C# and publish it as a NuGet package.
+
+The MCP server is built as a self-contained application and does not require the .NET runtime to be installed on the target machine.
+However, since it is self-contained, it must be built for each target platform separately.
+By default, the template is configured to build for:
+* `win-x64`
+* `win-arm64`
+* `osx-arm64`
+* `linux-x64`
+* `linux-arm64`
+* `linux-musl-x64`
+
+If your users require more platforms to be supported, update the list of runtime identifiers in the project's `<RuntimeIdentifiers />` element.
+
+See [aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide) for the full guide.
+
+Please note that this template is currently in an early preview stage. If you have feedback, please take a [brief survey](http://aka.ms/dotnet-mcp-template-survey).
+
+## Checklist before publishing to NuGet.org
+
+- Test the MCP server locally using the steps below.
+- Update the package metadata in the .csproj file, in particular the `<PackageId>`.
+- Update `.mcp/server.json` to declare your MCP server's inputs.
+  - See [configuring inputs](https://aka.ms/nuget/mcp/guide/configuring-inputs) for more details.
+- Pack the project using `dotnet pack`.
+
+The `bin/Release` directory will contain the package file (.nupkg), which can be [published to NuGet.org](https://learn.microsoft.com/nuget/nuget-org/publish-a-package).
+
+## Developing locally
+
+To test this MCP server from source code (locally) without using a built MCP server package, you can configure your IDE to run the project directly using `dotnet run`.
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dotnet",
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "--project",
+        "<PATH TO PROJECT DIRECTORY>"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Testing the MCP Server
+
+Once configured, you can ask Copilot Chat for a random number, for example, `Give me 3 random numbers`. It should prompt you to use the `get_random_number` tool on the `mcpserver` MCP server and show you the results.
+
+## Publishing to NuGet.org
+
+1. Run `dotnet pack -c Release` to create the NuGet package
+2. Publish to NuGet.org with `dotnet nuget push bin/Release/*.nupkg --api-key <your-api-key> --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json`
+
+## Using the MCP Server from NuGet.org
+
+Once the MCP server package is published to NuGet.org, you can configure it in your preferred IDE. Both VS Code and Visual Studio use the `dnx` command to download and install the MCP server package from NuGet.org.
+
+- **VS Code**: Create a `<WORKSPACE DIRECTORY>/.vscode/mcp.json` file
+- **Visual Studio**: Create a `<SOLUTION DIRECTORY>\.mcp.json` file
+
+For both VS Code and Visual Studio, the configuration file uses the following server definition:
+
+```json
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "mcpserver": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "dnx",
+      "args": [
+        "<your package ID here>",
+        "--version",
+        "<your package version here>",
+        "--yes"
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## More information
+
+.NET MCP servers use the [ModelContextProtocol](https://www.nuget.org/packages/ModelContextProtocol) C# SDK. For more information about MCP:
+
+- [Official Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [Protocol Specification](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/)
+- [GitHub Organization](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol)
+
+Refer to the VS Code or Visual Studio documentation for more information on configuring and using MCP servers:
+
+- [Use MCP servers in VS Code (Preview)](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers)
+- [Use MCP servers in Visual Studio (Preview)](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/ide/mcp-servers)
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..611745f4129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/Tools/RandomNumberTools.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using ModelContextProtocol.Server;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Sample MCP tools for demonstration purposes.
+/// These tools can be invoked by MCP clients to perform various operations.
+/// </summary>
+internal class RandomNumberTools
+{
+    [McpServerTool]
+    [Description("Generates a random number between the specified minimum and maximum values.")]
+    public int GetRandomNumber(
+        [Description("Minimum value (inclusive)")] int min = 0,
+        [Description("Maximum value (exclusive)")] int max = 100)
+    {
+        return Random.Shared.Next(min, max);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..27c45f47efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ProjectTemplates/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates.IntegrationTests/Snapshots/mcpserver.net10.verified/mcpserver/mcpserver.csproj
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+    <RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-arm64;osx-arm64;linux-x64;linux-arm64;linux-musl-x64</RuntimeIdentifiers>
+    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
+    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
+    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
+
+    <!-- Set up the NuGet package to be an MCP server -->
+    <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
+    <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a self-contained application that does not rely on a shared framework -->
+    <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
+    <PublishSelfContained>true</PublishSelfContained>
+
+    <!-- Set up the MCP server to be a single file executable -->
+    <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile>
+
+    <!-- Set recommended package metadata -->
+    <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
+    <PackageId>SampleMcpServer</PackageId>
+    <PackageVersion>0.1.0-beta</PackageVersion>
+    <PackageTags>AI; MCP; server; stdio</PackageTags>
+    <Description>An MCP server using the MCP C# SDK.</Description>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <!-- Include additional files for browsing the MCP server. -->
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <None Include=".mcp\server.json" Pack="true" PackagePath="/.mcp/" />
+    <None Include="README.md" Pack="true" PackagePath="/" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="10.0.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol" Version="0.3.0-preview.2" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
+</Project>