diff --git a/lib/mcp/tool/input_schema.rb b/lib/mcp/tool/input_schema.rb
index 724f9bbc..1fca775a 100644
--- a/lib/mcp/tool/input_schema.rb
+++ b/lib/mcp/tool/input_schema.rb
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ def missing_required_arguments?(arguments)
       end
 
       def missing_required_arguments(arguments)
-        return [] unless schema[:required].is_a?(Array)
+        return [] unless @schema[:required].is_a?(Array)
 
-        (schema[:required] - arguments.keys.map(&:to_s))
+        (@schema[:required] - arguments.keys.map(&:to_s))
       end
 
       def validate_arguments(arguments)
diff --git a/lib/mcp/tool/schema.rb b/lib/mcp/tool/schema.rb
index 820a7601..e71a8d84 100644
--- a/lib/mcp/tool/schema.rb
+++ b/lib/mcp/tool/schema.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 require "digest"
-require "json-schema"
+require "json_schemer"
 
 module MCP
   class Tool
@@ -38,11 +38,10 @@ def clear
 
       # JSON Schema 2020-12 is the default dialect for MCP schema definitions
       # per MCP 2025-11-25 (SEP-1613). Note: emission only — runtime validation
-      # is still performed against the JSON Schema draft-04 metaschema because
-      # the `json-schema` gem does not yet support 2020-12.
+      # is still performed against the JSON Schema draft-04 metaschema.
       JSON_SCHEMA_2020_12_URI = "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
 
-      attr_reader :schema
+      DRAFT4_META_SCHEMA_URI = "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#"
 
       def initialize(schema = {})
         @schema = JSON.parse(JSON.dump(schema), symbolize_names: true)
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ def initialize(schema = {})
       end
 
       def ==(other)
-        other.is_a?(self.class) && schema == other.schema
+        other.is_a?(self.class) && @schema == other.instance_variable_get(:@schema)
       end
 
       def to_h
@@ -62,8 +61,38 @@ def to_h
 
       private
 
+      def stringify(obj)
+        case obj
+        when Hash
+          obj.each_with_object({}) { |(k, v), h| h[k.to_s] = stringify(v) }
+        when Array
+          obj.map { |v| stringify(v) }
+        when Symbol
+          obj.to_s
+        else
+          obj
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Lazily built so a cache hit in `validate_schema!` avoids the schemer construction cost.
+      # Memoized per Schema instance because schema content is fixed at construction,
+      # so the compiled schemer is reusable across many `fully_validate` calls.
+      #
+      # `format: false` preserves the legacy behavior of the previous `json-schema` based implementation,
+      # which did not enforce `format` keywords. `RegexpError` from a malformed `pattern` is re-raised as
+      # `ArgumentError` so callers see the same exception class they used to.
+      def schemer
+        @schemer ||= JSONSchemer.schema(
+          stringify(schema_for_validation),
+          meta_schema: DRAFT4_META_SCHEMA_URI,
+          format: false,
+        )
+      rescue RegexpError => e
+        raise ArgumentError, "Invalid JSON Schema: #{e.message}"
+      end
+
       def fully_validate(data)
-        JSON::Validator.fully_validate(schema_for_validation, data)
+        schemer.validate(stringify(data)).map { |validation_error| validation_error.fetch("error") }
       end
 
       def validate_schema!
@@ -75,16 +104,7 @@ def validate_schema!
         key = Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(JSON.generate(target, max_nesting: false))
         return if VALIDATION_CACHE.validated?(key)
 
-        gem_path = File.realpath(Gem.loaded_specs["json-schema"].full_gem_path)
-        schema_reader = JSON::Schema::Reader.new(
-          accept_uri: false,
-          accept_file: ->(path) { File.realpath(path.to_s).start_with?(gem_path) },
-        )
-        metaschema_path = Pathname.new(JSON::Validator.validator_for_name("draft4").metaschema)
-        # Converts metaschema to a file URI for cross-platform compatibility
-        metaschema_uri = JSON::Util::URI.file_uri(metaschema_path.expand_path.cleanpath.to_s.tr("\\", "/"))
-        metaschema = metaschema_uri.to_s
-        errors = JSON::Validator.fully_validate(metaschema, target, schema_reader: schema_reader)
+        errors = schemer.validate_schema.map { |validation_error| validation_error.fetch("error") }
         if errors.any?
           raise ArgumentError, "Invalid JSON Schema: #{errors.join(", ")}"
         end
@@ -92,9 +112,8 @@ def validate_schema!
         VALIDATION_CACHE.store(key)
       end
 
-      # The `json-schema` gem's draft-04 validator cannot resolve newer or unknown `$schema`
-      # dialect URIs. Strip the top-level `$schema` before validation so a dialect URI
-      # (whether SDK-injected by `to_h` or user-supplied) does not break the validator.
+      # `json_schemer` is pinned to the draft-04 metaschema, so strip top-level `$schema` before validation:
+      # this preserves the legacy behavior of ignoring the advertised dialect URI when the SDK validates schemas.
       def schema_for_validation
         return @schema unless @schema.key?(:"$schema")
 
diff --git a/mcp.gemspec b/mcp.gemspec
index 4c44f498..9c4d6021 100644
--- a/mcp.gemspec
+++ b/mcp.gemspec
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.executables   = spec.files.grep(%r{^exe/}) { |f| File.basename(f) }
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  spec.add_dependency("json-schema", ">= 4.1")
+  spec.add_dependency("json_schemer", ">= 2.4")
 end
diff --git a/test/mcp/tool/input_schema_test.rb b/test/mcp/tool/input_schema_test.rb
index 80a57828..972c843a 100644
--- a/test/mcp/tool/input_schema_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/tool/input_schema_test.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class Tool
     class InputSchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       test "required arguments are converted to strings" do
         input_schema = InputSchema.new(properties: { message: { type: "string" } }, required: [:message])
-        assert_equal ["message"], input_schema.schema[:required]
+        assert_equal ["message"], input_schema.to_h[:required]
       end
 
       test "to_h returns a hash representation of the input schema" do
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ class InputSchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       test "unexpected errors bubble up from validate_arguments" do
         schema = InputSchema.new(properties: { foo: { type: "string" } }, required: ["foo"])
 
-        JSON::Validator.stub(:fully_validate, ->(*) { raise "unexpected error" }) do
-          assert_raises(RuntimeError) do
-            schema.validate_arguments({ foo: "bar" })
-          end
+        JSONSchemer::Schema.any_instance.stubs(:validate).raises("unexpected error")
+
+        assert_raises(RuntimeError) do
+          schema.validate_arguments(foo: "bar")
         end
       end
 
@@ -200,6 +200,26 @@ class InputSchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         schema6 = InputSchema.new(properties: { foo: { type: "string" } }, required: ["foo"], additionalProperties: false)
         refute_equal schema1, schema6
       end
+
+      test "format keyword is not enforced (legacy behavior)" do
+        schema = InputSchema.new(
+          properties: { email: { type: "string", format: "email" } },
+          required: ["email"],
+        )
+        assert_nil(schema.validate_arguments(email: "not_an_email"))
+      end
+
+      test "invalid pattern raises ArgumentError, not RegexpError" do
+        error = assert_raises(ArgumentError) do
+          InputSchema.new(properties: { id: { type: "string", pattern: "[" } })
+        end
+        assert_includes error.message, "Invalid JSON Schema"
+      end
+
+      test "Symbol values in arguments are treated as strings" do
+        schema = InputSchema.new(properties: { foo: { type: "string" } }, required: ["foo"])
+        assert_nil(schema.validate_arguments(foo: :bar))
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/mcp/tool/output_schema_test.rb b/test/mcp/tool/output_schema_test.rb
index 073de2c6..5403f008 100644
--- a/test/mcp/tool/output_schema_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/tool/output_schema_test.rb
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@ class OutputSchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       test "unexpected errors bubble up from validate_result" do
         schema = OutputSchema.new(properties: { foo: { type: "string" } }, required: ["foo"])
 
-        JSON::Validator.stub(:fully_validate, ->(*) { raise "unexpected error" }) do
-          assert_raises(RuntimeError) do
-            schema.validate_result({ foo: "bar" })
-          end
+        JSONSchemer::Schema.any_instance.stubs(:validate).raises("unexpected error")
+
+        assert_raises(RuntimeError) do
+          schema.validate_result(foo: "bar")
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/test/mcp/tool/schema_test.rb b/test/mcp/tool/schema_test.rb
index 48d93d80..edc90e30 100644
--- a/test/mcp/tool/schema_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/tool/schema_test.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class SchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
 
       test "validates a schema once and reuses the result for identical schemas" do
-        JSON::Validator.expects(:fully_validate).once.returns([])
+        JSONSchemer::Schema.any_instance.expects(:validate_schema).once.returns([])
 
         schema = { properties: { validates_once: { type: "string" } } }
         InputSchema.new(schema)
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class SchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
 
       test "validates distinct schemas separately" do
-        JSON::Validator.expects(:fully_validate).twice.returns([])
+        JSONSchemer::Schema.any_instance.expects(:validate_schema).twice.returns([])
 
         InputSchema.new(properties: { distinct_a: { type: "string" } })
         InputSchema.new(properties: { distinct_b: { type: "string" } })
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ class SchemaTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
           break
         end
 
-        JSON::Validator.stub(:fully_validate, []) do
-          assert_nothing_raised do
-            InputSchema.new(schema)
-            InputSchema.new(schema)
-          end
+        JSONSchemer::Schema.any_instance.stubs(:validate_schema).returns([])
+
+        assert_nothing_raised do
+          InputSchema.new(schema)
+          InputSchema.new(schema)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/test/mcp/tool_test.rb b/test/mcp/tool_test.rb
index e32df0a9..bdec7b6a 100644
--- a/test/mcp/tool_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/tool_test.rb
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ class InputSchemaTool < Tool
       end
 
       assert_includes error.message, "Invalid JSON Schema"
-      assert_includes error.message, "#/properties/count/minimum"
-      assert_includes error.message, "string did not match the following type: number"
+      assert_includes error.message, "properties/count/minimum"
+      assert_includes error.message, "number"
     end
 
     test ".define allows definition of simple tools with a block" do
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ class OutputSchemaObjectTool < Tool
       end
 
       assert_includes error.message, "Invalid JSON Schema"
-      assert_includes error.message, "#/properties/count/minimum"
-      assert_includes error.message, "string did not match the following type: number"
+      assert_includes error.message, "properties/count/minimum"
+      assert_includes error.message, "number"
     end
 
     test "output_schema accepts $ref in schema" do