Computer Use MCP server is automatically disabled whenever ChatGPT Desktop is restarted

What version of the app are you using?

ChatGPT Desktop 26.727.51351 (build 6119)

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

What platform is your computer?

macOS 26.6 (build 25G72), Apple Silicon

What issue are you seeing?

The Computer Use MCP server does not preserve its enabled state across application restarts.

After enabling Computer Use in the desktop app's MCP server settings, it remains enabled and can be used during that application session. Whenever the desktop app is quit and reopened, the Computer Use MCP server is shown as disabled in Settings and must be manually toggled on again.

This report concerns only the MCP server's enabled/disabled setting. It is not about plugins disappearing, the Chrome native-host manifest, or Computer Use authorization failing in an existing conversation.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open ChatGPT Desktop on macOS.
2. Open Settings and navigate to the MCP server settings.
3. Enable the Computer Use MCP server.
4. Confirm that its toggle is on.
5. Quit ChatGPT Desktop completely.
6. Reopen ChatGPT Desktop.
7. Return to the MCP server settings.
8. Observe that the Computer Use MCP server is toggled off again.

Expected behavior

The enabled state of the Computer Use MCP server should persist across application restarts unless the user explicitly disables it.

Actual behavior

Restarting the desktop app resets the Computer Use MCP server toggle to off.

Frequency

Occurs after every application restart.

Workaround

Open Settings and manually enable the Computer Use MCP server again after each restart.

Additional information

• The Computer Use MCP server remains installed; it is the enabled setting that is reset.
• Re-enabling it manually restores access for the current application session.
• The problem returns on the next restart.
• No screenshots are included because they are unnecessary to reproduce this settings-persistence issue.
• This is intentionally a narrowly scoped report, separate from older reports that combine Computer Use with Chrome plugin availability, native messaging configuration, or per-conversation authorization problems.