CLI 0.147.0 reports “MCP startup interrupted” even though all servers initialize successfully

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.147.0

What subscription do you have?

paid company account

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

iTerm2 3.7.0beta9, without a terminal multiplexer.

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "<REDACT>",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.147.0",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "auth.credentials": {
      "id": "auth.credentials",
      "category": "auth",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
      "details": {
        "auth file": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/auth.json",
        "auth storage mode": "File",
        "stored API key": "false",
        "stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
        "stored agent identity": "false",
        "stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "config.load": {
      "id": "config.load",
      "category": "config",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "<REDACT>",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_search_always_defer_mcp_tools, tool_suggest, plugins, in_app_browser, in_app_updates, browser_use, browser_use_full_cdp_access, browser_use_external, computer_use, remote_plugin, plugin_sharing, image_generation, resize_all_images, item_ids, skill_mcp_dependency_install, skill_search, mentions_v2, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, auth_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, remote_compaction_v2, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "39",
        "log dir": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "5",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.55.0",
      "details": {
        ".git entry": "directory",
        "PATH git #1": "/opt/homebrew/bin/git",
        "PATH git #2": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "2",
        "git branch": "<REDACT>",
        "git build options": "git version 2.55.0; cpu: arm64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; rust: disabled; feature: fsmonitor--daemon; gettext: enabled; libcurl: 8.7.1; zlib: 1.2.12; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK; default-ref-format: files; default-hash: sha1",
        "git exec path": "/opt/homebrew/opt/git/libexec/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.55.0",
        "repo detected": "true",
        "repo root": "<REDACT>",
        "selected git": "/opt/homebrew/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 95
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install context": "brew (package /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0, bin /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/bin, resources /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/codex-resources, path /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 2
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "configured servers": "5",
        "disabled servers": "1",
        "stdio servers": "3",
        "streamable_http servers": "2"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1176
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "proxy env vars": "none"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.provider_reachability": {
      "id": "network.provider_reachability",
      "category": "reachability",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
      "details": {
        "ChatGPT base URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/ reachable (HTTP 404)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 216
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
        "auth mode": "chatgpt",
        "connect timeout": "15000 ms",
        "endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
        "handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "models etag present": "true",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 628
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running brew on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install method": "brew (package /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0, bin /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/bin, resources /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/codex-resources, path /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/codex-path)",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.147.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.147.0/codex-path/rg",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "sandbox.helpers": {
      "id": "sandbox.helpers",
      "category": "sandbox",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/tmp/arg0/<REDACT>/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "467 files, 317879022 total bytes, 680683 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/log (dir)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 313
    },
    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
      "id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
      "category": "threads",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
      "details": {
        "default model provider": "openai",
        "rollout DB active files": "467",
        "rollout DB active rows": "467",
        "rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
        "rollout DB archived files": "0",
        "rollout DB archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "0",
        "rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
        "rollout DB missing active rows": "0",
        "rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB model providers": "openai=467",
        "rollout DB rows": "467",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "cli=429, subagent:other=27, subagent:thread_spawn=8, vscode=3",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 165
    },
    "system.environment": {
      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-US",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "set",
        "GH_PAGER": "set",
        "GIT_PAGER": "set",
        "LANG": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "LC_ALL": "C.UTF-8",
        "LC_CTYPE": "C.UTF-8",
        "LESS": "set",
        "PAGER": "set",
        "VISUAL": "set",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.5.2 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-US",
        "os type": "Mac OS",
        "os version": "26.5.2"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 4
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORFGBG": "15;0",
        "COLORTERM": "truecolor",
        "NO_COLOR": "1",
        "TERMINFO_DIRS entry": [
          "/Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/Resources/terminfo (dir)",
          "/usr/share/terminfo (dir)"
        ],
        "TERM_PROGRAM": "iTerm.app",
        "color output": "disabled (NO_COLOR)",
        "effective locale": "C.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "false",
        "stdin is terminal": "false",
        "stdout is terminal": "false",
        "terminal": "iTerm2",
        "terminal size": "80x24",
        "terminal version": "3.7.0beta9"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 6
    },
    "terminal.title": {
      "id": "terminal.title",
      "category": "title",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal title default",
      "details": {
        "terminal title activity": "true",
        "terminal title items": "activity, project-name",
        "terminal title project source": "git repo root",
        "terminal title project value": "<REDACT>",
        "terminal title source": "default"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "updates.status": {
      "id": "updates.status",
      "category": "updates",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "cached latest version": "0.147.0",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "<REDACT>",
        "latest version": "0.147.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "update action": "brew upgrade --cask codex",
        "version cache": "/Users/<REDACT>/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 73
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

After upgrading from Codex CLI 0.146.x to 0.147.0, the TUI displays this message during startup:

MCP startup interrupted. The following servers were not initialized: appsignal, codex_apps, linear, node_repl, <REDACT>_readonly

This status appears to be incorrect or stale. Codex’s logs show that each named MCP server subsequently initializes successfully, without an authentication failure, timeout, or transport error.

The affected servers include:

• Two streamable HTTP servers
• The built-in codex_apps server
• A local Node REPL stdio server
• A project-scoped PostgreSQL toolbox stdio server whose identifying name has been redacted

After startup, /mcp and the available tool catalog show tools from all five servers. codex doctor --json also reports overallStatus: "ok" and an internally consistent MCP configuration.

This is therefore primarily a status-reporting problem: the message says the servers “were not initialized,” even though initialization continues in the background and completes successfully.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Configure multiple optional MCP servers, including at least one stdio server that takes several seconds to initialize.
2. Upgrade Codex CLI through Homebrew:

``sh
brew upgrade --cask codex
codex --version
``

1. Confirm the installed version is codex-cli 0.147.0.
2. Start the interactive TUI:

``sh
codex
``

1. Begin interacting with or typing into the TUI while MCP startup is still in progress.
2. Observe the following status message:

``text
MCP startup interrupted. The following servers were not initialized: ...
``

1. Wait several seconds and inspect /mcp or the available MCP tool catalog.
2. Observe that the servers listed as “not initialized” have actually initialized and their tools are available.
3. Run:

``sh
codex doctor --summary
``

1. Observe that the installation, network, WebSocket, authentication, and MCP configuration checks all pass.

On this machine, repeated startup logs showed initialization completing approximately as follows:

node_repl: initialized
codex_apps: initialized
linear: initialized
appsignal: initialized
<REDACT>_readonly: initialized

The slowest project-scoped stdio server completed within approximately 5–13 seconds and has a configured 60-second startup timeout. The Node REPL has a configured 120-second startup timeout. No timeout was reached.

No thread ID is included because the warning occurs during TUI startup, before a task-specific thread is needed.

What is the expected behavior?

If optional MCP initialization continues in the background, the TUI should not report those servers as definitively “not initialized.”

A more accurate status would be something like:

MCP startup is continuing in the background: ...

The status should then update or disappear when those servers initialize.

If startup is interrupted only at the UI/waiting layer, the message should distinguish that from an actual MCP initialization failure. Only servers that genuinely fail, time out, or are cancelled should be reported as not initialized.

Additional information

• This started immediately after upgrading to CLI 0.147.0.
• It was not observed with the previous 0.146.x installation.
• The 0.147.0 changelog mentions non-blocking optional MCP startup and changes to terminal input handling while MCP servers initialize, so this may be related to the new startup lifecycle.
• The experimental mcp_2026_07_28 feature is not enabled.
• All five named servers are usable in the same session where the warning was reported.
• Relevant logs, with paths and identifying information removed, contain successful Service initialized events for every named server and do not contain a corresponding startup timeout or fatal connection failure.