Desktop MCP settings was synchronously probing every configured server from /api/mcp, which made the list page scale with connection latency and surface brittle behavior as installs accumulated more MCPs. Return lightweight snapshot rows from the list API, keep explicit status checks separate, and let the desktop UI refresh status in a constrained background lane while preserving project-aware server identity.
Constraint: MCP list must stay responsive even with many configured servers
Rejected: Probe all servers from the list view without limits | still fans out with server count and can overload slow installs
Rejected: Keep servers permanently unchecked until detail view | misses the desired loading feedback when the MCP page opens
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: moderate
Reversibility: clean
Directive: Keep /api/mcp as a configuration snapshot endpoint; do not reintroduce per-row live connect work on list load
Tested: bun test src/server/__tests__/mcp.test.ts; cd desktop && bun run test -- mcpSettings.test.tsx; cd desktop && bun x tsc --noEmit --ignoreDeprecations 5.0
Not-tested: Real desktop interaction against an environment with dozens of live MCP servers
Desktop MCP management now has a working server API, a global-only settings surface,
and slash-command entry points that surface MCP and skills from the composer before
routing users into the right settings view.
Constraint: Project-scoped MCP browsing in settings was too slow and noisy because it scanned multiple workdirs
Rejected: Keep project MCP aggregation on the settings homepage | duplicated entries and poor responsiveness
Rejected: Route /mcp directly on Enter without an intermediate card | removed the user's ability to choose a specific target first
Confidence: medium
Scope-risk: moderate
Reversibility: clean
Directive: Keep settings focused on global MCP; add project-scoped MCP affordances in the chat-context slash surfaces instead of re-expanding the settings homepage
Tested: bun test src/server/__tests__/mcp.test.ts; cd desktop && bun run test -- pages.test.tsx mcpSettings.test.tsx; cd desktop && bun x tsc --noEmit --ignoreDeprecations 5.0
Not-tested: Manual IAB verification after this final commit/merge cycle
