MCP Doctor

What rafim-dev/mcp-doctor does

The rafim-dev/mcp-doctor MCP server checks MCP client configuration files and helps identify common reasons a configured server will not start. It is listed in the Developer Tools category and is intended for diagnosing MCP setups rather than providing a separate business-system integration.

Its checks cover configuration discovery, executable availability, and environment-variable validation. The scanner looks for MCP configuration files on macOS, Windows, and Linux, then checks whether configured tools can be found through PATH. This makes it useful when an MCP client reports a startup failure or when a server entry appears correct but points to an unavailable binary.

How it works

The project supports two operating modes. In standalone use, the compiled Node.js entry point receives a command such as scan or fix from the shell. In MCP stdio server mode, an AI assistant can invoke the diagnostic and repair functionality during a conversation, allowing it to inspect and correct supported configuration problems through chat.

The scan operation automatically searches for MCP configuration files and evaluates their configured tools. The fix operation accepts a JSON file path and rewrites supported syntax errors. Its repair scope includes trailing commas, invalid comments, and single-quoted values that would otherwise make configuration files invalid JSON.

Setup and configuration

The rafim-dev/mcp-doctor MCP server is run from the built JavaScript entry point shown in the project documentation:

node dist/index.js scan
node dist/index.js fix ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Use scan to inspect discovered configurations. Pass a specific file to fix when a client configuration contains one of the supported JSON formatting problems. The documented example targets a Claude Desktop configuration, but the project also identifies Cursor and Cline among the clients whose configurations it can diagnose or repair.

The provided material does not specify an installation command, package manager workflow, MCP registration file, or configurable environment-variable names. Those details should be confirmed from the repository before deployment.

Tools and capabilities

• Discover MCP configuration files on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
• Check whether configured MCP tools are available in PATH.
• Validate environment variables used by configured entries.
• Repair trailing commas in JSON configuration files.
• Remove or correct unsupported JSON comments.
• Repair single-quote syntax errors.
• Run as an MCP stdio server so an assistant can diagnose and repair configurations.

Limitations and notes

The rafim-dev/mcp-doctor MCP server focuses on configuration health, executable validation, and JSON repair. The supplied documentation does not describe checks for server protocol behavior, network connectivity, tool results, or application-specific configuration semantics.

Its automatic repair is limited to the malformed JSON cases documented above. Review any modified configuration before restarting the client, especially when the file contains settings beyond those examples. The project is released under the MIT License.