[BUG] Custom MCP connectors on scheduled tasks don't load until a human sends a message

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Custom MCP connectors attached to a scheduled task don't load until a human sends a message. The agent searches for the tools, finds nothing, and asks the user to confirm they're connected. After the user replies "yes they are", the tools magically appear and work fine. This makes scheduled tasks with custom MCP connectors useless since they can't run autonomously.

What Should Happen?

MCP connectors attached to a scheduled task should be fully loaded and available when the task starts, without requiring human interaction.

Error Messages/Logs

ToolSearch +smartlead
No matching deferred tools found

ToolSearch +slack  
No matching deferred tools found

ToolSearch "smartlead campaign"
No matching deferred tools found

"Some MCP servers are still connecting: Smartlead---Parvenu. Their tools will become available shortly — try searching again."

After multiple retries and sleep waits, tools never load. Only loads after human sends a message like "they are connected."

Steps to Reproduce

1. Add a custom MCP connector to your account (e.g. Smartlead MCP via https://mcp.smartlead.ai/sse)
2. Create a scheduled task with that connector attached
3. Run the task — the agent will search for MCP tools and find nothing
4. Reply "they are connected" — tools immediately become available
5. The task works perfectly after that human message, proving the tools ARE configured correctly

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.92

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

This was tested on claude.ai/code web interface using scheduled tasks. The connectors (Slack + custom Smartlead MCP) are visible and correctly attached on the task configuration page. The issue occurs on every scheduled run — tested ~10 times. The tools consistently only become available after a human sends a follow-up message in the session.

This effectively makes scheduled tasks incompatible with custom MCP connectors, since the whole point of scheduling is autonomous execution without human interaction.

Max plan, Opus 4.6 1M model.