[BUG] /mcp command reports 'No MCP servers configured' despite valid configuration files in ~/.claude/

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues - Related to #5037 but with unique circumstances
• [x] I am reporting a single bug, not multiple issues
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

The /mcp command reports "No MCP servers configured" even though valid MCP configuration files exist in ~/.claude/ with properly formatted server definitions.

Command output:

No MCP servers configured. Please run /doctor if this is unexpected.

Existing configuration files:

~/.claude/mcp.json:
\\\json
{
"mcpServers": {
"atlassian": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse"
}
}
}
\\\

~/.claude/.mcp.json:
\\\json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
}
}
}
\\\

Both files are valid JSON in the primary configuration directory.

What Should Happen?

The /mcp command should detect and list configured MCP servers OR provide specific error messages if configuration is invalid.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create MCP configuration in ~/.claude/mcp.json with valid server definition
2. Run /mcp command
3. Observe "No MCP servers configured" message despite files existing

Is this a regression?

Unknown

Claude Code Version

2.0.52 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS - Darwin 24.6.0

Terminal/Shell

zsh

Claude Model

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Error Messages/Logs

No error messages displayed. Debug logs exist in ~/.claude/debug/ (237 files).

Additional Information

Relationship to #5037:

• Still occurring in v2.0.52
• Have BOTH mcp.json AND .mcp.json files (potential conflict?)
• /mcp command specifically doesn't detect them

Potential root causes:

1. Dual configuration files causing conflict
2. Silent parsing errors
3. Path resolution issue with legacy ~/.config/claude-code/ also existing

Requested improvements:

• Show which config files were checked
• Display parsing errors
• Indicate which file is used if multiple exist
• Provide specific error messages