[FEATURE] Add UI toggles for MCP servers and built-in tools to reduce baseline token usage
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
Every Claude Code session loads tool schemas into context before the user sends a single message. On my setup: i know i can disable in settings , but sometimes I am working with different models simultaneously and its time consuming to go back to settings every time i need to turn on and off a tool to optimize for token wasted.
System tools: ~11.8k tokens
MCP tools (GitHub server): ~14.5k tokens
System prompt: ~5.8k tokens
Memory files: ~2.8k tokens
That's ~35k tokens consumed before I type anything. If I'm only asking a quick question or doing work that doesn't touch GitHub, those MCP schemas are pure waste — and they count against my usage.
Proposed Solution
- In-session UI toggle — a simple panel (e.g. in
/mcpor a new/toolscommand) to enable/disable MCP servers and tool groups on the fly, without editingsettings.jsonand restarting.
- Smarter auto-loading — Claude Code should be able to read the user's prompt and decide which MCP servers / tool groups are actually relevant, loading schemas on demand. Deferred tools via
ToolSearchare a step in this direction, but MCP servers are still fully loaded upfront.
- Per-session overrides — let me say "this session doesn't need GitHub" without permanently disabling it.
Why it matters
For consumer/Pro-plan users on token-limited sessions, paying 14k+ tokens per session for tools I'm not using feels like a tax. The infrastructure (deferred tools) already exists — extend it to MCP servers and expose a UI.
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
Critical - Blocking my work
Feature Category
MCP server integration
Use Case Example
_No response_
Additional Context
_No response_
This issue has 3 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗