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MCP SERVER

MCP Remote

by geelen ↗

Connect a client that only speaks stdio to a remote MCP server, including the OAuth flow — one line in the config, removable the day your client supports remote servers natively.

MCP Plumbing: Proxies, Registries & Inspectors
Summary
The stopgap between remote MCP servers and clients that cannot reach them yet.

It is meant to be deleted: the moment your client supports authorized remote servers directly, the line comes out of the config. Until then it is what lets a stdio-only client use a server that lives on the web.

What it is

A bridge, not a server of its own. Most MCP clients today only launch local stdio servers; this stands in as that local process and forwards everything to a remote HTTP or SSE server, handling the authorization flow on the way.

What you get
  • The standard one-liner: `npx mcp-remote https://remote.mcp.server/sse` in the `command` and `args` of any client that takes them — Claude Desktop, Cursor and Windsurf all use the same shape
  • Custom headers with `--header`, to pass a bearer token or bypass the OAuth flow entirely
  • Isolated sessions per instance with `--resource`, so two tenants of the same remote server keep separate OAuth sessions and token storage; it is sent as the RFC 8707 resource indicator on the authorization, token and refresh requests alike
  • `--disable-resource-parameter` for authorization servers that reject it outright, such as Microsoft Entra ID v2
  • Transport strategies with `--transport`: `http-first` (the default, falling back to SSE on a 404), `sse-first`, `http-only` and `sse-only`
  • Static OAuth client metadata and client information via `--static-oauth-client-metadata` and `--static-oauth-client-info`, for servers that expect pre-registered clients rather than dynamic registration
  • `--ignore-tool` with wildcard patterns, filtering tools out of `tools/list` responses and blocking calls to them
  • Operational flags: `--allow-http` for trusted private networks, `--enable-proxy` to honour `HTTPS_PROXY` and `NO_PROXY`, `--debug` for verbose logs, and `--silent`
  • A client mode for diagnosis: `npx -p mcp-remote@latest mcp-remote-client https://remote.mcp.server/sse` runs the full authorization flow and lists the remote tools and resources
Requirements

Node 18 or higher — Claude Desktop uses your system Node even if a newer one is installed elsewhere. Credentials are stored under `~/.mcp-auth`, or wherever `MCP_REMOTE_CONFIG_DIR` points; clearing that directory is the first fix for a stuck token exchange. The OAuth redirect listens on 3334 by default, changeable by passing a port after the server URL, with `--host` and `--callback-path` for the rest of the callback shape. Cursor, Codex-Cli and Claude Desktop on Windows do not escape spaces inside `args`, so pass a header as `Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}` with no space and keep the space in the environment variable. Behind a VPN, `NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` may need to point at your CA file. The author describes it as a working proof-of-concept and experimental.

Setup effort

One command — npx mcp-remote https://remote.mcp.server/sse