mcp-broker

Name: mcp-broker
Author: doricstack

by doricstackversion 2.1.1i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.doricstack/mcp-broker

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Local MCP broker that exposes one compact entry for many upstream servers.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
The registry lists no key to fill in.

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "broker": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-broker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add broker -- uvx mcp-broker

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "broker": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-broker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "broker": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-broker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 6, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account doricstack, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 32433 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 34% of the other 32433 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 32433 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is mcp-broker safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (2.1.1) reached the registry 2 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, Symantec Cloud DLP AIops

Alternatives

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

mcp-broker

mcp-broker is a local Model Context Protocol process broker for MCP clients.

Think PgBouncer for MCP: one stable local endpoint in front of many upstream MCP servers. The broker owns upstream startup, reuse, cleanup, profile exposure, status, and safe tool routing.

The core idea is simple: do not make every agent session load every upstream tool definition before the user asks a task.

Why this exists

AI coding sessions with many MCP servers tend to accumulate the same problems:

every client config repeats the same MCP server list
every new session can start duplicate upstream processes
OAuth, browser state, local files, and database handles spread across tools
raw tool lists consume context before the task begins
hosted connector caches can duplicate local MCP tools
orphaned MCP processes survive after client sessions exit

mcp-broker puts a small broker facade in front of those upstreams. It is not a hosted workflow builder; it is local infrastructure for keeping MCP clients small, predictable, and under one config contract.

Client profile

| | one local MCP entry v mcp-broker-client | | Unix socket v mcp-broker-daemon | | profile gates, namespace routing, status, cleanup v upstream MCP servers

The client sees a small set of broker tools:

broker_search_tools

broker_describe_tool broker_call_tool broker_status broker_close_session

The upstream MCPs still exist. They are discovered and called through the broker when a task needs them.

Measured context reduction

On 2026-05-24, the measured Codex setup went from many raw MCP and hosted app tool definitions to one broker facade plus a pruned codex_apps cache.

Surface	Before	After	Reduction
Direct Codex MCP server entries	11	1	90.91%
MCP tool definitions	414	4	99.03%
Hosted `codex_apps` tool definitions	195	39	80.00%
Combined always-loaded tool definitions	609	43	92.94%
Combined serialized tool payload bytes	1,026,171	185,877	81.89%
Combined `o200k_base` tool tokens	276,989	45,281	83.65%

The 92.94% number is a tool-definition count reduction. The 83.65% number is a token reduction for canonical serialized tool payloads measured with tiktoken o200k_base.

See docs/context-reduction-measurement.md for evidence and caveats.

What it does

Runs one local broker daemon over a Unix socket.
Exposes one lightweight stdio client shim to MCP clients.
Starts upstream MCP servers on demand.
Reuses shared upstreams across sessions when configured.
Isolates per-session upstreams when state must not be shared.
Maps upstream tools into stable namespaces.
Exposes compact search, describe, call, status, and caller-bound session-close tools.
Enforces profile-level tool budgets and exposure gates.
Blocks mutating upstream exposure unless a profile allowlist grants it.
Stores runtime state under $HOME/mcp/mcp-broker, outside the repo.
Renders MCP client config entries with dry-run, backup, and rollback.
Provides LaunchAgent install and uninstall flows for macOS.
Provides Linux systemd user-service render, install, unload, and removal flows.
Provides Windows PowerShell Scheduled Task render, install, and removal flows.
Includes unit, journey, live, and e2e tests through Makefile targets.

Core differentiators:

Profile-scoped exposure: each MCP client gets a configured view of upstreams instead of every tool by default.
Mutating-tool gates: mutating upstreams stay hidden until a profile allowlist grants access.
Lifecycle ownership: shared and per-session upstreams are started, watched, stopped, and reaped by the broker.
Client parity checks: rendered profiles can be validated through the same compact broker facade before config is applied.

Who this is for

Use mcp-broker if you:

use Codex, Claude Code, AGY CLI, or other MCP clients
have more MCP tools than you want in every session
need shared local MCP servers without duplicate process startup
want one place for OAuth state, browser state, sockets, logs, and cleanup
need per-client profiles instead of the same tool list everywhere
want a small broker facade instead of raw upstream tool dumps

This repo is not an enterprise MCP control plane. It is local desktop infrastructure for developer-agent workflows.

Current status

Implemented:

YAML config loading from config/broker.private.yaml, created from config/broker.example.yaml.
Strict YAML contract validation for runtime, clients, profiles, upstreams, and policy blocks.
Public JSON Schema validation through config/broker.schema.json.
Runtime path derivation from runtime.root.
Tool namespace mapping from configured upstream prefixes.
Local upstream subprocess lifecycle management and process-group cleanup.
Broker daemon over Unix socket.
MCP client shim and renderers for configured MCP client profiles, including Codex, Claude, and AGY.
AGY profile rendering to .gemini/config/mcp_config.json, including its MCP allowed-server policy.
Dry-run client config rendering, apply-time backups, and rollback.
LaunchAgent render and install scripts with dry-run defaults.
Compact broker facade for search, describe, call, status, and caller-bound session close.
Profile validation from YAML smoke probes.
Discovery parity checks between compact client profiles.
Public and maintainer quality gates through Makefile targets.
Shared-runtime guardrail contracts through P3.8 E2E proof while hosted execution remains disabled by default.

Wiring status:

Codex is wired through the broker.
Claude is wired through the broker after profile validation and manual /mcp acceptance.
AGY is wired through the broker by rendering .gemini/config/mcp_config.json.

Public release status:

The repo is designed to stay public-safe.
Private upstream inventory, account paths, OAuth state, secrets, sockets, logs, and generated client configs stay outside git.
Stable release metadata is validated by make release-version-check; publication proof is tracked in docs/distribution.md.
Docker image support is available for container-friendly configs. Docker MCP Catalog submission still requires Docker review.
MCPB metadata is present at mcpb/manifest.json for local directory review.

See ROADMAP.md for public-facing release work.

Architecture

mcp-broker has three runtime layers:

Layer	Responsibility
Client shim	Presents one stdio MCP server entry to each MCP client and forwards JSON-RPC over the broker socket.
Broker daemon	Owns profile gates, namespace routing, upstream lifecycle, status, logging, and cleanup.
Upstream MCP servers	Run as configured `stdio`, HTTP, streamable HTTP, or SSE connectors with shared or per-session process policy.

The config file is the contract. Profiles decide exposure, upstreams define transport and lifecycle behavior, and smoke probes define safe read calls for validation.

Comparison

Approach	Best fit	Tradeoff
Raw MCP client config	Small setups with a few tools.	Every session loads the full tool list and each client repeats config.
Simple MCP proxy	Forwarding one server to one client.	Does not own upstream lifecycle, profile budgets, or cross-client cleanup.
Hosted app connectors	SaaS tools managed by the client provider.	Local MCP state and cross-client parity remain outside user control.
`mcp-broker`	Local developers with many upstream MCPs across MCP clients.	Adds a local daemon and config contract that must be installed and monitored.

Screenshots Or GIF

The quickstart flow should look like this:

make config-init

make config-validate make broker-status make codex-facade-smoke

In an MCP client, /mcp should show one mcp-broker entry. Use broker_status to inspect profile-visible upstream state.

Quickstart

Prerequisites:

macOS with launchctl for LaunchAgent use.
Python 3.10 or newer available as python3.
make.
Node.js and npx for npm-based upstream MCP servers.
A clone of this repo.

Package installs:

pipx install mcp-broker

uv tool install mcp-broker brew tap ${HOMEBREW_TAP_REF} brew install mcp-broker

Homebrew installs the same console scripts as the Python package. Package installs do not write MCP client config; client wiring stays an explicit Makefile action.

Docker is for container-friendly configs:

docker build -t mcp-broker:local .

docker run --rm -i mcp-broker:local

Local stdio clients and MCPB-style installs use the package-owned lifecycle:

mcp-broker stdio --init-if-missing

Create the local venv, install dependencies, and verify runtime layout:

make setup

Create private config from the public template:

make config-init

config-init creates the destination directory when needed and copies the public template as the starting point. It does not import local MCP inventory, user paths, or secrets.

Edit config/broker.private.yaml for local upstreams. Keep secret values out of config. Use environment variable names or files under:

$HOME/mcp/mcp-broker/secrets/

Run the quality gate:

make quality-gate

Validate the configured YAML contract:

make config-validate

Start the broker:

make broker-start

Check status:

make broker-status

For the full install flow, see docs/install.md. For a clone-to-running adoption flow, see docs/adoption-guide.md#clone-to-running-path. For shared-runtime boundaries, see docs/shared-runtime-guardrails.md. P3.8 E2E proof covers tenant isolation, authz denial, quota denial, session affinity, audit events, rollback, degraded mode, local-only routing, and shared-eligible routing. Hosted execution remains unsupported in the public local broker.

Runtime layout

Default runtime root:

$HOME/mcp/mcp-broker/

Runtime files are not repo files. Upstream OAuth state, browser state, secret files, sockets, logs, rendered client configs, backups, and daemon state belong under the runtime root.

See docs/runtime-layout.md.

Client wiring

Back up a client config:

make config-backup CLIENT=codex

Dry-run render:

make config-render CLIENT=codex CONFIG_RENDER_APPLY=0

Apply after reviewing the rendered file under $HOME/mcp/mcp-broker/renders/:

make config-render CLIENT=codex CONFIG_RENDER_APPLY=1

Rollback:

make config-rollback CLIENT=codex

Use CLIENT=claude or CLIENT=agy after that profile smoke passes and that client is intended to use the broker. For new JSON-based MCP clients, generate a starter block:

make profile-snippet NEW_PROFILE=local-client NEW_CLIENT_FORMAT=mcp-settings-json

See docs/add-profile.md for the full new-profile flow.

Compact broker facade

The compact facade keeps chat-facing profiles small:

Tool	Purpose
`broker_search_tools`	Search configured upstream tools by query. Results carry name, description, upstream, purpose, tags, and mutating flag; the heavy `inputSchema` is omitted and fetched on demand from `broker_describe_tool`.
`broker_describe_tool`	Return schema and metadata for one upstream tool.

| broker_call_tool | Call one upstream tool through br

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

mcp-broker

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

Symantec Cloud DLP AIops

README from the maker

mcp-broker

Why this exists

Measured context reduction

What it does

Who this is for

Current status

Architecture

Comparison

Screenshots Or GIF

Quickstart

Runtime layout

Client wiring

Compact broker facade