diff --git a/src/mcp_client.py b/src/mcp_client.py
index e2d39a66..e5c9406f 100644
--- a/src/mcp_client.py
+++ b/src/mcp_client.py
@@ -221,16 +221,16 @@ def list_directory(path: str) -> str:
  return "; ".join(e.ui_message() for e in resolved.errors)
 
 def read_file(path: str) -> str:
- """Return the UTF-8 content of a file, or an error string."""
- p, err = _resolve_and_check(path)
- if err or p is None:
-  return err
- if not p.exists():  return f"ERROR: file not found: {path}"
- if not p.is_file(): return f"ERROR: not a file: {path}"
- try:
-  return p.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
- except Exception as e:
-  return f"ERROR reading '{path}': {e}"
+ """Return the UTF-8 content of a file, or an error string.
+
+ Thin wrapper over read_file_result; the legacy str shape is preserved
+ for backward compatibility, but the try/except Exception lives in
+ the Result variant.
+ """
+ resolved = read_file_result(path)
+ if resolved.ok:
+  return resolved.data
+ return "; ".join(e.ui_message() for e in resolved.errors)
 
 #region: Result Variants
 def _resolve_and_check_result(raw_path: str) -> Result[Path]: