Nothing to try yetTier: how much it should matter to you
2Useful: my rating, 1 to 5
3Signal: worth watching, 1 to 5
MCPArea: what it touches
ImprovementsKind: in v2.1.296,
ImprovementsSection of the release
Unclear What the check tests, and so when project .mcp.json files are skipped, is not stated.
What
MCP servers are external tool servers that give Claude extra tools. Project ones are listed in .mcp.json files, which Claude Code finds by looking in your folder and the folders above it. Before, those files were always read. Now, when a new check passes, Claude Code skips that search and uses a list of servers from another source, with no errors reported.
Why
In practice, project MCP servers defined in .mcp.json may not load in some modes.
How sure we are
Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubtWhat the check tests, and so when project `.mcp.json` files are skipped, is not stated.
Anthropic's release notes agreeFixed headless sessions starting a folder's .mcp.json or plugin MCP server that was switched off for that folder, after changing directory…
