diff --git a/src/tools/registry.py b/src/tools/registry.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cdf1b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/registry.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+"""Generic tool registry — dispatcher for typed agent tools.
+
+Each tool is a function that takes a single ``StrictModel`` input and returns
+a single ``StrictModel`` output. The registry holds a mapping from tool name
+to ``(input_schema, callable)`` and provides:
+
+- ``register(name, input_schema)`` — decorator to register a callable.
+- ``dispatch(name, raw_input)``    — validate the dict-shaped ``raw_input``
+                                     against the input schema, call the
+                                     tool, return the typed output.
+
+Layer-wise the registry sits below ``agent`` / ``api`` / ``eval`` (it doesn't
+import from them) and above ``models``. Verified by the import-linter
+contract in ``pyproject.toml``.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import Callable
+from typing import Any
+
+from src.models._base import StrictModel
+
+ToolFn = Callable[[StrictModel], StrictModel]
+
+
+class UnknownToolError(KeyError):
+    """Raised when ``dispatch`` is called with an unregistered tool name."""
+
+
+class Registry:
+    """Maps a tool name to its input schema and callable implementation."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self._tools: dict[str, tuple[type[StrictModel], ToolFn]] = {}
+
+    def register(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        input_schema: type[StrictModel],
+    ) -> Callable[[ToolFn], ToolFn]:
+        """Register a tool implementation.
+
+        Returns a decorator so callers can use either of:
+
+            @registry.register("echo", EchoToolInput)
+            def echo_tool(payload: EchoToolInput) -> EchoToolOutput: ...
+
+            registry.register("echo", EchoToolInput)(echo_tool)
+        """
+
+        def decorator(fn: ToolFn) -> ToolFn:
+            if name in self._tools:
+                msg = f"Tool {name!r} is already registered."
+                raise ValueError(msg)
+            self._tools[name] = (input_schema, fn)
+            return fn
+
+        return decorator
+
+    def dispatch(self, name: str, raw_input: dict[str, Any]) -> StrictModel:
+        """Validate ``raw_input`` and call the tool.
+
+        Raises ``UnknownToolError`` when *name* isn't registered. Pydantic's
+        ``ValidationError`` propagates when ``raw_input`` doesn't match the
+        registered input schema.
+        """
+        if name not in self._tools:
+            registered = sorted(self._tools)
+            msg = f"Unknown tool {name!r}. Registered: {registered}"
+            raise UnknownToolError(msg)
+        input_schema, fn = self._tools[name]
+        payload = input_schema.model_validate(raw_input)
+        return fn(payload)
+
+    def names(self) -> list[str]:
+        """Return the sorted list of registered tool names."""
+        return sorted(self._tools)
+
+
+# Module-global singleton — agent / eval consumers import this directly so
+# tools self-register at module load via the decorator below.
+registry = Registry()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Example tool: echo — exercises the layer + demonstrates the contract shape.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class EchoToolInput(StrictModel, strict=True):
+    """Input contract for the example echo tool."""
+
+    msg: str
+
+
+class EchoToolOutput(StrictModel, strict=True):
+    """Output contract for the example echo tool."""
+
+    echoed: str
+
+
+@registry.register("echo", EchoToolInput)
+def echo_tool(payload: StrictModel) -> StrictModel:
+    """Return the input string wrapped in ``EchoToolOutput``."""
+    if not isinstance(payload, EchoToolInput):  # pragma: no cover — defensive
+        msg = f"echo_tool got unexpected payload type: {type(payload)!r}"
+        raise TypeError(msg)
+    return EchoToolOutput(echoed=payload.msg)
diff --git a/tests/test_tools.py b/tests/test_tools.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1994f60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_tools.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+"""Tests for ``src.tools.registry`` — happy path, unknown tool, bad input."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+from pydantic import ValidationError
+
+from src.tools.registry import (
+    EchoToolInput,
+    EchoToolOutput,
+    Registry,
+    UnknownToolError,
+    echo_tool,
+    registry,
+)
+
+
+def test_module_registry_resolves_echo() -> None:
+    """The module-global registry has the echo tool wired at import."""
+    assert "echo" in registry.names()
+
+
+def test_dispatch_happy_path() -> None:
+    output = registry.dispatch("echo", {"msg": "hello"})
+    assert isinstance(output, EchoToolOutput)
+    assert output.echoed == "hello"
+
+
+def test_dispatch_unknown_tool_raises() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(UnknownToolError, match="Unknown tool 'nope'"):
+        registry.dispatch("nope", {})
+
+
+def test_dispatch_rejects_bad_input() -> None:
+    """Wrong-typed payload triggers Pydantic ValidationError, not a runtime crash."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
+        registry.dispatch("echo", {"msg": 123})  # msg must be str
+
+
+def test_dispatch_rejects_unknown_keys() -> None:
+    """StrictModel input schema rejects unknown keys — extra='forbid' propagates."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
+        registry.dispatch("echo", {"msg": "hi", "boom": True})
+
+
+def test_register_rejects_duplicate_names() -> None:
+    """Registering twice under the same name is a programmer error."""
+    local = Registry()
+    local.register("echo", EchoToolInput)(echo_tool)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="already registered"):
+        local.register("echo", EchoToolInput)(echo_tool)
+
+
+def test_local_registry_isolation() -> None:
+    """Multiple registries don't share state."""
+    a = Registry()
+    b = Registry()
+    a.register("echo", EchoToolInput)(echo_tool)
+    assert a.names() == ["echo"]
+    assert b.names() == []