Unclear It is not clear what Claude Code does differently with an entry once it finds ${ in the value.
What
MCP servers are outside tools that Claude Code connects to. Their settings can include environment variables (named values handed to a program when it starts) and headers (extra details sent with each request). Writing ${ in one of these marks a placeholder that Claude Code fills in from your own environment.
Claude Code used to look for ${ in the name of each entry. It now looks in the value instead, and only when that value is text.
Why
Placeholders are normally written in the value. This means Claude Code now notices them where they actually appear in an MCP server's settings.
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The writer flagged doubt
It is not clear what Claude Code does differently with an entry once it finds `${` in the value.