diff --git a/src/fastmcp/utilities/components.py b/src/fastmcp/utilities/components.py
index 168599807..dc787e3c9 100644
--- a/src/fastmcp/utilities/components.py
+++ b/src/fastmcp/utilities/components.py
@@ -31,7 +31,13 @@ def get_fastmcp_metadata(meta: dict[str, Any] | None) -> FastMCPMeta:
     """
     if not meta:
         return {}
-    return cast(FastMCPMeta, meta.get("fastmcp") or meta.get("_fastmcp") or {})
+
+    for key in ("fastmcp", "_fastmcp"):
+        metadata = meta.get(key)
+        if isinstance(metadata, dict):
+            return cast(FastMCPMeta, metadata)
+
+    return {}
 
 
 def _convert_set_default_none(maybe_set: set[T] | Sequence[T] | None) -> set[T]:
diff --git a/tests/utilities/test_components.py b/tests/utilities/test_components.py
index d359ca467..d8b852986 100644
--- a/tests/utilities/test_components.py
+++ b/tests/utilities/test_components.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     FastMCPComponent,
     FastMCPMeta,
     _convert_set_default_none,
+    get_fastmcp_metadata,
 )
 
 
@@ -251,6 +252,25 @@ class WithPrefix(FastMCPComponent):
             assert WithPrefix.make_key("test") == "custom:test"
 
 
+class TestGetFastMCPMetadata:
+    """Tests for get_fastmcp_metadata helper."""
+
+    def test_returns_fastmcp_namespace_when_dict(self):
+        meta = {"fastmcp": {"tags": ["a"]}, "_fastmcp": {"tags": ["b"]}}
+
+        assert get_fastmcp_metadata(meta) == {"tags": ["a"]}
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_legacy_namespace_when_dict(self):
+        meta = {"fastmcp": "invalid", "_fastmcp": {"tags": ["legacy"]}}
+
+        assert get_fastmcp_metadata(meta) == {"tags": ["legacy"]}
+
+    def test_ignores_non_dict_metadata(self):
+        assert get_fastmcp_metadata({"fastmcp": "invalid"}) == {}
+        assert get_fastmcp_metadata({"fastmcp": ["invalid"]}) == {}
+        assert get_fastmcp_metadata({"_fastmcp": "invalid"}) == {}
+
+
 class TestComponentEnableDisable:
     """Tests for the enable/disable methods raising NotImplementedError."""