Feature request: native pre-session MCP selection dialog
Summary
Please add a native pre-session MCP selection flow in Codex, similar to Claude Code's MCP chooser.
Problem
Right now Codex MCP setup appears to be configuration-driven (codex mcp add, codex mcp list, or direct edits to ~/.codex/config.toml). That works for installing servers, but it does not provide a native session-start experience for choosing which MCPs should be loaded for the upcoming session.
This creates friction when:
- I want different MCP sets for different tasks
- I don't want to keep all configured MCPs active all the time
- I want a lightweight session without manually editing config or maintaining wrapper scripts
Requested behavior
At session start, before the new Codex session fully begins, provide a native dialog or picker that lets the user:
- See all configured MCP servers
- Select which MCPs to load for that session
- Optionally save the selection as the default for future sessions
- Optionally choose from recent selections or named presets
Why this matters
This would make Codex MCP usage feel much more ergonomic for people who switch between coding, browser automation, design, research, and repo-management workflows.
Today the workaround is to maintain custom launcher/profile scripts that rewrite ~/.codex/config.toml before startup. A native solution would be cleaner and less fragile.
Nice-to-have
- Allow per-project defaults
- Allow a simple "minimal / full / custom" quick-select
- Show whether an MCP is local stdio, SSE, or HTTP
- Show startup/auth errors clearly if a selected MCP fails to load
Environment
Observed on Codex for Windows on April 27, 2026.
2 Comments
+1 for pre-session MCP selection. MCP servers are powerful, but globally enabled servers can add startup time, tool/context noise, and unnecessary approval prompts when they are not relevant to the current task.
I would like per-project/session MCP profiles and a quick way to choose which servers are active before starting a task, similar to selecting a focused toolbelt for that worktree.
This feature request hasn't received enough upvotes, so it is being closed automatically. If you still feel this feature is needed, please open a new feature request with an updated title and description.