What
MCP servers are outside tools Claude Code can connect to, and plugins can bring their own. Claude Code now explains when a plugin's MCP server is not available:
- Waiting to connect: plugin hooks (plugin code that runs at set moments) that need an MCP server now wait for it to finish connecting. If it fails, they say why, for example that the server
needs you to sign in; run /mcp, or that it "is still connecting after" a period of time. - Reasons for not connecting: a plugin's MCP server can be refused because of safe mode,
--bare,--strict-mcp-config, a remote client, a managed MCP setup that allows only its own servers, the server not being approved, being disabled, or being blocked by policy. For example: "This session runs with --bare, which connects no plugin servers."
Why
When a plugin's tools are missing, you now get a specific reason instead of silence, and often the fix, such as signing in with /mcp or starting without --bare.
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Whether this plugin hook feature is available to users yet is not clear.