Mcp Server Restart

Overview

The mcp‑server‑restart server addresses a common friction point in the Model Context Protocol ecosystem: restarting Claude Desktop after installing or updating MCP tools. When a new tool is added, the desktop application must reload its environment to recognize the change. Manually closing and reopening Claude can be tedious, especially for developers who iterate rapidly on tool pipelines. This server lets an AI assistant trigger a graceful restart with a single, natural‑language command—e.g., “restart Claude”—eliminating the need for manual intervention and keeping development workflows smooth.

At its core, the server exposes a lightweight set of resources and a single tool that encapsulate the restart logic. The status resource () returns a JSON payload with runtime information such as the process ID, current running state, and a timestamp. This allows an assistant to verify that Claude is alive before issuing a restart or to monitor the reboot process. The restart tool () performs a safe shutdown of any existing instance, launches a fresh process, and streams progress notifications back to the caller. Because the tool is designed for MacOS, it leverages native process handling APIs to ensure that no orphaned instances linger and that the new instance inherits the correct environment.

Developers benefit from this server in several practical scenarios. During rapid tool development, an assistant can install a new MCP package via the companion mcp‑installer server and immediately trigger a restart, keeping the environment in sync without manual steps. In continuous integration pipelines that spin up Claude Desktop for automated testing, the restart server can be called after each test suite to guarantee a clean state. Moreover, in collaborative settings where multiple team members may be adding or tweaking tools on the same machine, a shared restart command prevents conflicts caused by stale processes.

Integration into existing AI workflows is straightforward. Once the server is registered in Claude Desktop’s configuration, any prompt that invokes or queries the status resource is automatically routed through MCP. The assistant can embed these calls in higher‑level tasks—such as “install tool X, then restart Claude”—thereby creating a seamless, declarative pipeline. The server’s minimal surface area (one tool and one status endpoint) reduces complexity while providing a robust hook for automation.

Unique advantages of mcp‑server‑restart include its cross‑tool compatibility and safety guarantees. By centralizing restart logic in a dedicated MCP server, developers avoid duplicating platform‑specific code across multiple tools. The progress notifications give real‑time feedback, enabling assistants to inform users of the current stage (“terminating old instance,” “launching new instance”) and improving transparency. Together, these features make the server an indispensable component for any workflow that relies on frequent tool updates or requires reliable, repeatable restarts of Claude Desktop.