Feature Request: Add 'claude mcp reload' command to reload MCP servers without restarting

Feature Request: MCP Server Reload Command

Problem

Currently, there's no way to reload MCP server configurations without fully restarting Claude Code. This is particularly problematic when:

1. MCP credentials expire - Many MCP servers use bearer tokens or session tokens that expire regularly (e.g., hourly, daily)
2. Credential refresh scripts exist - Tools like refresh-mcp-credentials can update the ~/.claude.json file programmatically, but changes don't take effect until restart
3. Workflow interruption - Restarting Claude Code loses current conversation context, interrupts active work, and requires reopening files/projects

Use Case

I have 6 MCP servers configured that authenticate via bearer tokens through an internal gateway. These tokens expire regularly and need to be refreshed. The current workflow is:

1. Run refresh-mcp-credentials script (updates ~/.claude.json)
2. Restart Claude Code ← This is the painful step
3. All MCP servers reconnect with fresh credentials

This happens frequently enough that the restart requirement is a significant productivity loss.

Proposed Solution

Add a new command to reload MCP server configurations:

claude mcp reload [server-name]

Behavior:

• claude mcp reload - Reload all MCP servers
• claude mcp reload notion-mcp-server - Reload a specific server
• Re-reads configuration from ~/.claude.json
• Disconnects and reconnects MCP servers with updated credentials
• No need to restart Claude Code
• Preserves current conversation context

Alternative Solutions

If a full reload is complex, even these would help:

1. Hot-reload on file change - Automatically detect when ~/.claude.json changes and prompt to reload
2. Manual reconnect - A UI button or slash command to reconnect a specific MCP server
3. Credential refresh API - A programmatic way to update credentials without file edits

Benefits

• Reduces friction in MCP workflows
• Enables automation-friendly credential rotation
• Improves developer experience when working with frequently-expiring tokens
• Aligns with modern dev tools that support hot-reloading of configuration

Related

This would be especially valuable for enterprise environments where:

• SSO tokens expire frequently
• Multiple MCP servers are used simultaneously
• Automated credential refresh scripts are common
• Minimizing workflow interruption is critical

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Environment:

• Platform: macOS (Darwin 24.6.0)
• Claude Code version: 2.1.80
• MCP Servers: 6 (HTTP transport via internal gateway)