MCP Autostarter

MCP Autostarter is a smart tool that restarts only the Node.js process handling MCP connections, allowing you to reload plugins and configurations without closing Claude Desktop. It preserves your UI and workflow by avoiding a full application restart while still applying changes quickly.

How to use

Install and configure MCP Autostarter in your MCP setup, then use the built-in commands to manage MCP restarts and status checks. The tool focuses on restarting just the MCP handler process, so your Claude Desktop session remains active while changes take effect.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installation:

• Node.js installed on your machine

• Access to your MCP-enabled Claude Desktop setup

Step-by-step commands to enable MCP Autostarter as an MCP server:

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "autostarter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-autostarter"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Usage notes

Smart MCP Restart (Recommended) use the command: "restart MCP" to restart only the MCP handler while Claude Desktop continues running.

Full Claude Restart use the command: "restart Claude" to completely restart Claude Desktop if MCP restart encounters issues.

Check Status use the command: "check MCP status" to view the status of the MCP handler and Claude Desktop processes.

How it works

Process Detection uses intelligent heuristics to locate the Node.js process that runs MCP servers.

Graceful Shutdown sends SIGTERM to allow a clean shutdown, and SIGKILL if needed to force termination.

Automatic Recovery ensures Claude Desktop detects the disconnection and restarts the MCP handler.

Verification confirms the new process is running before reporting success.

Platform support

Supported on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build
npm run build

# Development mode (watch)
npm run dev

# Type checking
npm run typecheck

# Linting
npm run lint

Comparison with other MCP restart tools

Table compares MCP Autostarter with an alternative restart tool. MCP Autostarter restarts the MCP handler only, keeps the UI running, is cross‑platform, uses intelligent process detection, and performs a graceful shutdown.

License

MIT

Notes on usage safety

Only use the MCP restart option when you want to reload MCP configurations or plugins without interrupting your main Claude Desktop session. If MCP restart fails, you can opt to perform a full Claude restart.

Available tools

processDetection

Identifies the MCP handler Node.js process responsible for MCP connections.

gracefulShutdown

Sends a SIGTERM to allow a clean shutdown of the MCP handler, with a fallback to SIGKILL if necessary.

automaticRecovery

Allows Claude Desktop to automatically restart the MCP handler after a disconnection.

verification

Verifies that the new MCP handler process is running before reporting success.