[Feature] Auto-reconnect or programmatic reconnect for MCP servers

Feature Request

When MCP server connections drop (particularly the Claude in Chrome extension), there's no way for Claude to programmatically reconnect. The only solution is for the user to manually refresh Claude Code (Cmd+R).

Problem

During long browser automation sessions, the Claude in Chrome MCP connection frequently drops. When this happens:

1. Claude detects the disconnection (tool calls return "Browser extension is not connected")
2. Claude cannot recover - there's no tool or command to re-establish the connection
3. User must manually Cmd+R to refresh Claude Code
4. This interrupts workflow and requires user intervention for something that could be automated

Proposed Solutions

Option 1: Auto-reconnect

MCP connections could automatically attempt to reconnect when a disconnection is detected, with exponential backoff.

Option 2: Programmatic reconnect command

Expose a tool or slash command (e.g., /reconnect-mcp <server-name>) that Claude can invoke to re-establish dropped connections without requiring a full session refresh.

Option 3: Connection health check with recovery

Periodic health checks on MCP connections with automatic recovery attempts before marking as disconnected.

Use Case

Browser automation tasks that span multiple interactions. The user reports:

"all I'm doing is a cmd+r to reconnect you, can't you do that somehow yourself?"

Currently, the answer is no - Claude has no mechanism to trigger reconnection.

Related Issues

• #14590 - Inconsistent Chrome extension integration state
• #14531 - Chrome extension not detected despite being installed
• #14448 - MCP integration disabled, re-auth required

Environment

• Claude Code version: 2.0.x
• Platform: macOS
• MCP Server: Claude in Chrome extension