[DOCS] MCP configuration docs omit per-server `request_timeout_ms`

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp

Section/Topic

Per-server tool execution and request timeout configuration for .mcp.json and --mcp-config.

Current Documentation

The MCP guide currently says:

"Set a per-server tool execution timeout by adding a timeout field in milliseconds to that server's .mcp.json entry, for example \"timeout\": 600000 for ten minutes. This overrides the MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT environment variable for that server only."

The guide contains no reference to request_timeout_ms or an example showing that field in a server loaded from .mcp.json or --mcp-config.

What's Wrong or Missing?

The v2.1.206 release notes identify request_timeout_ms as a supported per-server setting and fix fresh sessions ignoring it for servers loaded through --mcp-config or .mcp.json. Before the fix, long-running calls fell back to a 60-second default even when the server requested a longer timeout.

The reference only documents timeout, so users cannot determine whether request_timeout_ms is an alias, applies to a different request phase, or should be preferred for configurations shared with other MCP clients. Its interaction with timeout, MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT, the idle timeout, and the HTTP/SSE first-byte budget is also unspecified.

Suggested Improvement

Add request_timeout_ms to the MCP server configuration reference with a complete JSON example for both .mcp.json and --mcp-config. Define:

1. Which transports and request types it covers.
2. Its units, default, minimum, and maximum values.
3. Its precedence when timeout and MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT are also set.
4. How it differs from connection startup timeout, the idle watchdog, and the HTTP/SSE first-byte budget.
5. That v2.1.206 is required for the value to apply reliably in fresh sessions loaded from .mcp.json or --mcp-config.

If request_timeout_ms is only a compatibility alias for timeout, state that explicitly and show the canonical field users should choose for new configurations.

Impact

High - Prevents users from using a feature

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp | 213-227 | Startup, per-server, first-byte, and idle timeout behavior |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference | 97 | --mcp-config option lacks a link to the accepted server schema |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/env-vars | 349-350 | MCP_TIMEOUT and MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT precedence |

Total scope: 3 pages affected.

Version: request_timeout_ms handling for .mcp.json and --mcp-config fixed in Claude Code v2.1.206.