Feature Request: disabled option for MCP servers in .mcp.json
Resolved 💬 6 comments Opened Jan 13, 2026 by YoungjaeDev Closed Mar 6, 2026
Problem
All configured MCP servers load their tool schemas into context at session start, consuming tokens even when unused.
Users must choose between:
- Keep servers configured → waste context on unused tools
- Remove servers → lose access when needed
Proposed Solution
Add disabled option to MCP server config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"serena": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["--from", "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena", "serena-mcp-server"],
"disabled": true
},
"deepwiki": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp"
}
}
}
Expected Behavior
disabled: true→ Server not connected, tools not loaded into contextdisabled: falseor omitted → Current behavior (connected at session start)- Optional enhancement: Enable at runtime via
/mcp enable serena
Benefits
- Keep configurations without context overhead
- Easy toggle without
claude mcp remove/add - Similar pattern to VS Code extension disable
Use Case
Power users with 5+ MCP servers configured only need 1-2 per session. Currently forced to remove unused servers or accept ~3000+ tokens of tool schemas loaded every session.
This issue has 6 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗