[Feature Request] Add MCP server reload capability without full restartfeedback submitted
Bug Description
Feature request — reload MCP server env vars without full restart
When I update environment variables in settings.json that MCP servers depend on (e.g., adding GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN to enable the github plugin's
MCP), the only way to activate the change is to fully restart Claude Code. There's no way to verify the fix worked in the same session where I made it.
Concrete example: today I added a GitHub PAT to settings.json env to fix a "Failed to connect" error on the github plugin. I verified the token works
against the endpoint via curl, but couldn't actually test that Claude Code picks it up — have to wait for the next session to find out.
Suggested capability: a claude mcp reload <name> subcommand that re-reads settings.json env and respawns the named MCP server. Or a /reload-mcp slash
command in-session. Either gives a way to validate config changes in the session where they're made.
Friction this would solve: settings.json env changes for MCP-dependent plugins currently require restart-and-pray. A reload primitive removes the
guesswork.
(Sent from Claude Code 2.1.136 on macOS.)
Environment Info
- Platform: darwin
- Terminal: Apple_Terminal
- Version: 2.1.132
- Feedback ID: b30fb800-a2a7-498a-ab5c-036fa340604a
Errors
[{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server github invalid: Missing environment variables: GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:00.908Z"},{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server greptile invalid: Missing environment variables: GREPTILE_API_KEY\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:00.908Z"},{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server greptile invalid: Missing environment variables: GREPTILE_API_KEY\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at async N (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:6382:12661)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:02.276Z"},{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server github invalid: Missing environment variables: GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at async N (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:6382:12661)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:02.276Z"},{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server github invalid: Missing environment variables: GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at async L (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:6382:11775)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:02.277Z"},{"error":"Error: Plugin MCP server error - mcp-config-invalid: MCP server greptile invalid: Missing environment variables: GREPTILE_API_KEY\n at VRH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:2652:35738)\n at async L (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:6382:11775)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T18:25:02.277Z"},{"error":"Error: Request was aborted.\n at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:50:3449)\n at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-08T23:25:51.119Z"}]This issue has 3 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗