diff --git a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp.rs b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp.rs
index d24188592..a4ba0f00c 100644
--- a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp.rs
+++ b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp.rs
@@ -538,6 +538,46 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn get_node_surfaces_fill_and_stroke_refs() {
+        // When a node's fill / stroke colour follows a variable
+        // (`var_table.fill_refs[id] = "color-primary"`), the
+        // `get_node` payload must expose the variable name so LLM
+        // clients can pick "bump the variable" vs "override the
+        // node's literal colour" without re-walking the document.
+        use crate::document::{Document, NodeId};
+        let mut doc = Document::sample();
+        doc.var_table
+            .fill_refs
+            .insert(NodeId::new(11), "color-primary".into());
+        doc.var_table
+            .stroke_refs
+            .insert(NodeId::new(11), "color-accent".into());
+        let tool = get_node_snapshot(&doc);
+        let mut args = BTreeMap::new();
+        args.insert("node_id".into(), "11".into());
+        match tool.call(&args) {
+            ToolOutcome::Ok(out) => {
+                assert_eq!(out.get("fill_ref"), Some(&"color-primary".to_string()));
+                assert_eq!(out.get("stroke_ref"), Some(&"color-accent".to_string()));
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected Ok, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+        // Nodes WITHOUT a ref-mapping must return empty strings
+        // (not omit the field) so clients can probe with a single
+        // `out.get("fill_ref") == Some("")` instead of branching
+        // on Option<String> AND Option<&str>.
+        let mut args2 = BTreeMap::new();
+        args2.insert("node_id".into(), "12".into());
+        match tool.call(&args2) {
+            ToolOutcome::Ok(out) => {
+                assert_eq!(out.get("fill_ref"), Some(&String::new()));
+                assert_eq!(out.get("stroke_ref"), Some(&String::new()));
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected Ok, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn get_node_errors_on_non_numeric_arg() {
         let doc = crate::document::Document::sample();
diff --git a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp/tools.rs b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp/tools.rs
index 4a82a3df2..dddbf898b 100644
--- a/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp/tools.rs
+++ b/crates/openpencil-shell-core/src/mcp/tools.rs
@@ -189,6 +189,13 @@ pub struct NodeRecord {
     pub width: i32,
     pub height: i32,
     pub parent_id: u64,
+    /// Name of the variable driving this node's fill colour at
+    /// paint time, if any. Empty when the node's fill is a literal
+    /// colour. LLM clients use this to decide whether to bump the
+    /// variable (theme-wide change) or write a per-node override.
+    pub fill_ref: String,
+    /// Stroke parallel to `fill_ref`.
+    pub stroke_ref: String,
 }
 
 impl McpTool for GetNode {
@@ -228,6 +235,8 @@ impl McpTool for GetNode {
         out.insert("width".into(), rec.width.to_string());
         out.insert("height".into(), rec.height.to_string());
         out.insert("parent_id".into(), rec.parent_id.to_string());
+        out.insert("fill_ref".into(), rec.fill_ref.clone());
+        out.insert("stroke_ref".into(), rec.stroke_ref.clone());
         ToolOutcome::Ok(out)
     }
 }
@@ -236,7 +245,7 @@ pub fn get_node_snapshot(doc: &crate::document::Document) -> GetNode {
     let mut nodes: BTreeMap<u64, NodeRecord> = BTreeMap::new();
     for page in &doc.pages {
         for node in &page.children {
-            walk_node(node, 0, &mut nodes);
+            walk_node(node, 0, &doc.var_table, &mut nodes);
         }
     }
     GetNode { nodes }
@@ -245,6 +254,7 @@ pub fn get_node_snapshot(doc: &crate::document::Document) -> GetNode {
 fn walk_node(
     node: &crate::document::Node,
     parent_id: u64,
+    var_table: &crate::document::VariableTable,
     out: &mut BTreeMap<u64, NodeRecord>,
 ) {
     let bounds = node.aggregate_bounds();
@@ -259,6 +269,16 @@ fn walk_node(
         crate::document::NodeKind::Path => "path",
         crate::document::NodeKind::Other(_) => "other",
     };
+    let fill_ref = var_table
+        .fill_refs
+        .get(&node.id)
+        .cloned()
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let stroke_ref = var_table
+        .stroke_refs
+        .get(&node.id)
+        .cloned()
+        .unwrap_or_default();
     out.insert(
         node.id.raw(),
         NodeRecord {
@@ -269,10 +289,12 @@ fn walk_node(
             width: bounds.size.x as i32,
             height: bounds.size.y as i32,
             parent_id,
+            fill_ref,
+            stroke_ref,
         },
     );
     for child in &node.children {
-        walk_node(child, node.id.raw(), out);
+        walk_node(child, node.id.raw(), var_table, out);
     }
 }