diff --git a/src/mcpadapt/smolagents_adapter.py b/src/mcpadapt/smolagents_adapter.py
index d48b542..1bb464f 100644
--- a/src/mcpadapt/smolagents_adapter.py
+++ b/src/mcpadapt/smolagents_adapter.py
@@ -99,12 +99,29 @@ def adapt(
             if k != "$defs"
         }
 
-        # make sure mandatory `description` and `type` is provided for each arguments:
+        # make sure mandatory `description` and `type` is provided for each argument,
+        # and propagate the JSON Schema `required` list as smolagents' own `nullable`
+        # key so that optional MCP parameters are not advertised to the model as
+        # mandatory. `nullable` propagation was added in #11 and lost in #23 when
+        # `_generate_tool_inputs` was replaced by a direct `properties` copy.
+        # Resolving `type` from `anyOf` also covers #68.
+        required = set(input_schema.get("required", []))
         for k, v in input_schema["properties"].items():
             if "description" not in v:
-                input_schema["properties"][k]["description"] = "see tool description"
+                v["description"] = "see tool description"
             if "type" not in v:
-                input_schema["properties"][k]["type"] = "string"
+                # union-typed (anyOf) parameter with no top-level `type`: take the
+                # first non-null branch's type instead of defaulting to "string".
+                non_null_options = [
+                    opt for opt in v.get("anyOf", []) if opt.get("type") != "null"
+                ]
+                v["type"] = (
+                    non_null_options[0]["type"] if non_null_options else "string"
+                )
+                if non_null_options and "enum" in non_null_options[0]:
+                    v["enum"] = non_null_options[0]["enum"]
+            if k not in required:
+                v["nullable"] = True
 
         # Extract and resolve outputSchema if present (only if structured_output=True)
         output_schema = None
diff --git a/tests/test_smolagents_adapter.py b/tests/test_smolagents_adapter.py
index a1ccb2b..2046177 100644
--- a/tests/test_smolagents_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/test_smolagents_adapter.py
@@ -135,6 +135,90 @@ def test_optional_sync(echo_server_optional_script):
         assert tools[2](text="hello") == "Echo: hello"
 
 
+def test_optional_sync_propagates_schema_optionality_and_type(
+    echo_server_optional_script,
+):
+    """The tool.inputs schema handed to the model must reflect the MCP schema's
+    own `required` list, not silently mark every parameter as required.
+
+    Regression guard: `nullable` propagation arrived in #11 and was dropped in
+    #23. It went unnoticed because `test_optional_sync` asserts on call results,
+    and direct calls keep working -- only the schema shown to the model is wrong.
+    """
+    with MCPAdapt(
+        StdioServerParameters(
+            command="uv", args=["run", "python", "-c", echo_server_optional_script]
+        ),
+        SmolAgentsAdapter(),
+    ) as tools:
+        # echo_tool_optional: `text: str | None = None` -> optional, must be nullable
+        assert tools[0].inputs["text"].get("nullable") is True
+        # echo_tool_default_value: `text: str = "empty"` -> optional, must be nullable
+        assert tools[1].inputs["text"].get("nullable") is True
+        # echo_tool_union_none: `text: str | None` (no default) -> still required
+        assert not tools[2].inputs["text"].get("nullable", False)
+
+
+def test_union_typed_parameter_keeps_its_real_type():
+    """An `int | None` MCP parameter must not be advertised to the model as
+    "string" just because pydantic emitted no top-level `type` key (#68)."""
+    mcp_server_script = dedent(
+        '''
+        from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
+
+        mcp = FastMCP("Numeric Server")
+
+        @mcp.tool()
+        def numeric(count: int | None = None) -> str:
+            """A numeric tool with an optional int parameter"""
+            return str(count)
+
+        mcp.run()
+        '''
+    )
+    with MCPAdapt(
+        StdioServerParameters(
+            command="uv", args=["run", "python", "-c", mcp_server_script]
+        ),
+        SmolAgentsAdapter(),
+    ) as tools:
+        assert tools[0].inputs["count"]["type"] == "integer"
+        assert tools[0].inputs["count"].get("nullable") is True
+
+
+def test_literal_union_none_keeps_type_and_enum():
+    """`Literal[...] | None` -- the exact shape reported in #68 -- must reach the
+    model as a string with its `enum` intact, not as a bare string."""
+    mcp_server_script = dedent(
+        '''
+        from typing import Literal
+
+        from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP
+
+        mcp = FastMCP("Lifecycle Server")
+
+        @mcp.tool()
+        def lifecycle(
+            stage: Literal["development", "production", "retired"] | None = None,
+        ) -> str:
+            """A tool with an optional Literal parameter"""
+            return str(stage)
+
+        mcp.run()
+        '''
+    )
+    with MCPAdapt(
+        StdioServerParameters(
+            command="uv", args=["run", "python", "-c", mcp_server_script]
+        ),
+        SmolAgentsAdapter(),
+    ) as tools:
+        stage = tools[0].inputs["stage"]
+        assert stage["type"] == "string"
+        assert stage["enum"] == ["development", "production", "retired"]
+        assert stage.get("nullable") is True
+
+
 def test_tool_name_with_dashes():
     mcp_server_script = dedent(
         '''