Summary

Warp-configured global file-based MCP servers under ~/.warp/.mcp.json are not being auto-spawned, even though they should always spawn by default. The Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents setting should only control third-party global configs such as ~/.claude/settings.json.

Problem

A user reported that file-based MCP auto-spawn behavior does not match the intended scope split between Warp-managed global MCP config and third-party global MCP config. Warp global MCP servers are expected to be treated as trusted Warp-configured servers and spawned regardless of the third-party auto-spawn toggle. Instead, servers configured under the Warp global MCP config appear not to spawn whether the third-party setting is off or on.

This smells like a path/scope classification bug: Warp may not be correctly recognizing the relevant config path as the global Warp MCP config when deciding whether a detected file-based server is globally scoped.

Expected behavior

• Servers configured in Warp's global MCP config, e.g. ~/.warp/.mcp.json, auto-spawn by default regardless of the Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents setting.
• Third-party global MCP servers, e.g. from ~/.claude/settings.json, auto-spawn only when Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents is enabled.
• Project-scoped file-based MCP servers do not auto-spawn automatically and continue to require explicit opt-in.

Actual behavior

Warp-configured global file-based MCP servers under ~/.warp/.mcp.json are not being spawned in either setting state:

• Toggle off: Warp global servers do not spawn.
• Toggle on: Warp global servers still do not spawn.

Third-party global auto-spawn behavior may still depend on the toggle, but the Warp-global path appears not to be classified/spawned correctly.

Reproduction steps or desired workflow

1. Configure one or more file-based MCP servers in Warp's global MCP config at ~/.warp/.mcp.json.
2. Ensure Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents is disabled.
3. Open Warp/Agent Mode and observe whether the Warp global MCP servers are spawned.
4. Enable Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents.
5. Observe whether the same Warp global MCP servers are spawned.

Expected: the Warp global MCP servers spawn in both steps 3 and 5.
Actual: the Warp global MCP servers do not spawn in either case.

Artifacts

None attached.

Warp version

v0.2026.04.30.08.57.dev_00

Operating system

macOS 26.4.1 (build 25E253)

Possible source references

• app/src/ai/mcp/file_based_manager.rs: is_global_server, is_global_warp_server, spawn_file_based_servers, and handle_file_based_mcp_enabled_change encode the intended split: global Warp servers always auto-spawn, global third-party servers respect the toggle, and project-scoped servers do not auto-spawn.
• app/src/settings/ai.rs: file_based_mcp_enabled describes the user-visible setting as controlling third-party file-based MCP servers, while Warp-native .warp/.mcp.json configs are always detected and spawned.
• app/src/ai/mcp/file_based_manager_tests.rs: tests cover global Warp auto-spawn, global non-Warp toggle behavior, and project-scoped non-auto-spawn behavior; this area likely needs coverage for the exact discovered root/path shape that fails in practice.