diff --git a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/convex-sanitize.test.ts b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/convex-sanitize.test.ts
index 4968e94be5..7fc58589b8 100644
--- a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/convex-sanitize.test.ts
+++ b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/convex-sanitize.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
   desanitizeFromConvexTransport,
   sanitizeForConvexTransport,
+  toPersistedToolCalls,
 } from "../convex-sanitize.js";
 
 describe("sanitizeForConvexTransport", () => {
@@ -47,3 +48,68 @@ describe("sanitizeForConvexTransport", () => {
     ).toEqual(original);
   });
 });
+
+describe("toPersistedToolCalls", () => {
+  it("returns an empty array for an iteration that called no tools", () => {
+    // The common case: `actualToolCalls: []` is what a no-tool iteration
+    // persists, and the validator requires an array, not a missing field.
+    expect(toPersistedToolCalls([])).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps exactly the fields the backend validator accepts", () => {
+    expect(
+      toPersistedToolCalls([
+        {
+          toolName: "connector_list",
+          arguments: { includeSourceConnectors: true },
+        },
+        {
+          toolName: "search",
+          arguments: { q: "coffee" },
+          toolCallId: "toolu_01SCzFBPBXj3sQjxBSxaQcoM",
+        },
+      ]),
+    ).toEqual([
+      {
+        toolName: "connector_list",
+        arguments: { includeSourceConnectors: true },
+      },
+      {
+        toolName: "search",
+        arguments: { q: "coffee" },
+        toolCallId: "toolu_01SCzFBPBXj3sQjxBSxaQcoM",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("drops a field the strict validator would reject (CONVEX-1QF)", () => {
+    // `updateTestIteration.actualToolCalls` is a strict `v.object`: an
+    // unrecognized key fails the whole finalize call, so the boundary has to
+    // project rather than trust whatever the runner attached upstream.
+    const calls = toPersistedToolCalls([
+      {
+        toolName: "connector_list",
+        arguments: { includeSourceConnectors: true },
+        toolCallId: "toolu_01SCzFBPBXj3sQjxBSxaQcoM",
+        providerExecuted: true,
+        state: "output-available",
+      } as never,
+    ]);
+
+    expect(Object.keys(calls[0]!).sort()).toEqual([
+      "arguments",
+      "toolCallId",
+      "toolName",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("omits toolCallId rather than sending undefined when absent", () => {
+    // `v.optional(v.string())` accepts a missing key; an explicit `undefined`
+    // is what Convex serialization rejects.
+    const [call] = toPersistedToolCalls([
+      { toolName: "echo", arguments: {}, toolCallId: undefined },
+    ]);
+
+    expect("toolCallId" in call!).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/finalize-iteration.test.ts b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/finalize-iteration.test.ts
index 70f5acb80a..4045dc0b3c 100644
--- a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/finalize-iteration.test.ts
+++ b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/__tests__/finalize-iteration.test.ts
@@ -186,6 +186,41 @@ describe("finalizeEvalIteration", () => {
     expect(update!.args.messages).toBeDefined();
   });
 
+  test("actualToolCalls reaches the wire projected to the persisted shape", async () => {
+    // CONVEX-1QF: `updateTestIteration.actualToolCalls` is a strict Convex
+    // `v.object`, so one unrecognized field fails the whole finalize rather
+    // than being dropped. The mapper's unit tests cover the projection; this
+    // pins that finalize actually applies it to what it sends.
+    const { client, calls } = makeClient({});
+    await finalizeEvalIteration({
+      convexClient: client,
+      iterationId: "iter1",
+      passed: true,
+      toolsCalled: [
+        {
+          toolName: "connector_list",
+          arguments: { includeSourceConnectors: true },
+          toolCallId: "toolu_01SCzFBPBXj3sQjxBSxaQcoM",
+          // Not in the validator — the shape the runner could drift into.
+          providerExecuted: true,
+        } as never,
+      ],
+      usage: usageZero,
+      messages,
+    });
+    const update = calls.find(
+      (c) => c.ref === "testSuites:updateTestIteration",
+    );
+    expect(update).toBeDefined();
+    expect(update!.args.actualToolCalls).toEqual([
+      {
+        toolName: "connector_list",
+        arguments: { includeSourceConnectors: true },
+        toolCallId: "toolu_01SCzFBPBXj3sQjxBSxaQcoM",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   test("W1 fallback omits systemPrompt when unset", async () => {
     const { client, calls } = makeClient({
       appendThrows: new Error("fanout pre-turn failure"),
diff --git a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/convex-sanitize.ts b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/convex-sanitize.ts
index 4154b14003..3bb9ac655d 100644
--- a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/convex-sanitize.ts
+++ b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/convex-sanitize.ts
@@ -2,3 +2,47 @@ export {
   sanitizeForConvexTransport,
   desanitizeFromConvexTransport,
 } from "@/shared/convex-sanitize";
+
+/**
+ * The exact persisted shape of one `testIteration.actualToolCalls` entry —
+ * mirrors the backend's `evalIterationToolCallValidator` (mcpjam-backend
+ * `convex/lib/evalAnalysis.ts`), which is a strict `v.object`.
+ */
+export type PersistedToolCall = {
+  toolName: string;
+  arguments: Record<string, unknown>;
+  toolCallId?: string;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Project tool calls onto exactly the fields that
+ * `updateTestIteration.actualToolCalls` accepts, dropping anything else.
+ *
+ * Convex object validators are STRICT: one unrecognized field is a hard
+ * `ArgumentValidationError`, not a silent drop — so an extra key here doesn't
+ * degrade a write, it fails the whole iteration finalize. That is what
+ * CONVEX-1QF was: the runner began attaching `toolCallId` (inspector #4308, to
+ * filter policy-blocked calls by id) and every eval iteration carrying a tool
+ * call stopped persisting until the validator was widened (backend #1134).
+ *
+ * Each producer currently builds these objects field-by-field, so today's
+ * payload is already clean. This makes that a property of the boundary rather
+ * than of every producer remembering: the runner reads tool calls out of
+ * `any`-typed AI SDK step objects, so the next field added upstream would
+ * otherwise reach the validator the same way.
+ */
+export function toPersistedToolCalls(
+  toolCalls: ReadonlyArray<{
+    toolName: string;
+    arguments: Record<string, unknown>;
+    toolCallId?: string;
+  }>,
+): PersistedToolCall[] {
+  return toolCalls.map((call) => ({
+    toolName: call.toolName,
+    arguments: call.arguments,
+    ...(typeof call.toolCallId === "string"
+      ? { toolCallId: call.toolCallId }
+      : {}),
+  }));
+}
diff --git a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/finalize-iteration.ts b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/finalize-iteration.ts
index 764be8036b..d43689db17 100644
--- a/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/finalize-iteration.ts
+++ b/mcpjam-inspector/server/services/evals/finalize-iteration.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ import type {
 import { logger } from "../../utils/logger.js";
 import { uploadVideoBlob } from "../../utils/mcp-app-widget-capture.js";
 import type { UsageTotals } from "./types.js";
-import { sanitizeForConvexTransport } from "./convex-sanitize.js";
+import {
+  sanitizeForConvexTransport,
+  toPersistedToolCalls,
+} from "./convex-sanitize.js";
 import { emitBrowserEvalMetrics } from "./browser-eval-metrics.js";
 import {
   serializeBrowserStepsForBackend,
@@ -964,7 +967,9 @@ export async function finalizeEvalIteration(
       iterationId,
       status: iterationStatus === "completed" ? "completed" : iterationStatus,
       result,
-      actualToolCalls: sanitizeForConvexTransport(toolsCalled),
+      actualToolCalls: sanitizeForConvexTransport(
+        toPersistedToolCalls(toolsCalled),
+      ),
       tokensUsed: usage.totalTokens ?? 0,
       ...(useW1Fallback
         ? {