[BUG] Claude Desktop Chat does not auto-reconnect to MCP servers after they restart

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened May 15, 2026 by SherryLyu1 Closed May 18, 2026

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?

When an MCP server restarts (e.g., after an update), Claude Desktop Chat permanently loses the connection and shows "Not connected to [server name]". The only way to recover is to fully restart Claude Desktop.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop Chat should automatically detect when an MCP server becomes available again and re-establish the connection without requiring a full app restart. Claude Code already handles this correctly — it re-checks the connection on each tool call and reconnects automatically. Claude Desktop Chat should behave the same way.

Error Messages/Logs

Not connected to VMark

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open Claude Desktop with an MCP server (e.g., VMark) already connected and working.
  2. Restart the MCP server (e.g., by updating the app).
  3. Return to Claude Desktop Chat and attempt to use the MCP tool.
  4. Claude Desktop shows "Not connected to [server]" and never recovers.
  5. The only fix is to fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.97

Platform

Other

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

_No response_

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