MCP naming conflict: `/mcp` UI lists user-level entry but runtime uses repo-level settings
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Description
### Describe the bug
When the same MCP server name appears in both the user-level config (`$HOME/.copilot/mcp-config.json`) and a project-level config (`./.mcp.json` or `.github/mcp-config.json`), the CLI silently uses **different sources for the displayed metadata vs. the actually-launched process**:
- The `/mcp` UI shows the server under the **user-level** section (with the source path of the user config), strongly implying the user-level definition is in effect.
- But the **process that actually gets launched uses the project-level args/command** — the repo-level entry shadows the user-level one at runtime.
This is extremely confusing because you have no in-CLI indication that the displayed config isn't the one being used. In my case the user-level entry passed `--browser msedge` to `@playwright/mcp`, while the project's `.mcp.json` defined the same server with no `--browser` flag (defaulting to chrome). `/mcp` showed me the user-level entry with msedge, but the actually-running playwright process was looking for chrome and failing.
The naming conflict should at minimum be surfaced clearly (e.g., a warning in `/mcp` like "this server is also defined in `./.mcp.json` and the project definition is being used"), and ideally a documented precedence policy with an easy way to opt into whichever scope the user prefers.
### Affected version
1.0.49-6
### Steps to reproduce the behavior
1. Define an MCP server in `$HOME/.copilot/mcp-config.json` with distinct args, e.g.:
```json
"playwright": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest", "--browser", "msedge"]
}
```
2. In a separate repo, define the **same server name** in `./.mcp.json` with different args (e.g., no `--browser` flag, so it defaults to chrome).
3. Launch `copilot` from inside that repo.
4. Run `/mcp`. Observe that the playwright entry appears in the user-level section showing the user-level args.
5. Trigger any playwright tool call. Observe that the launched process uses the project-level args (looking for chrome instead of msedge).
### Expected behavior
Either:
1. The `/mcp` UI should display whichever config is **actually in effect**, with a clear annotation when there's a naming conflict ("shadowed by `./.mcp.json`" or similar), **OR**
2. A naming conflict should be surfaced as a warning/error at startup with guidance, **OR**
3. Configs should be merged with a documented precedence (and `/mcp` should display the merged result with provenance per field).
In all cases, the displayed metadata and the actually-launched process must match.
### Additional context
- OS: Windows 11 (PowerShell 7).
- This isn't just a UI bug; it actively breaks debugging. I spent significant time troubleshooting why playwright was looking for chrome when the only config I could see said msedge. The fix turned out to be "realise the project's `.mcp.json` is shadowing the user config you're looking at."
- Related: there's no easy way to ignore the project-level configs short of editing/deleting `.mcp.json` in the repo (which can't be committed because it's a shared file). See the related feature request for a `--disable-repo-mcps` flag.
Guide de contribution
Ouvrir le guide de contribution
Piste de recherche
Start at the /mcp command and the MCP configuration sources named in the report: $HOME/.copilot/mcp-config.json, ./.mcp.json, and .github/mcp-config.json. Reproduce duplicate server names with distinct arguments, then compare the displayed source with the launched process. Done means conflicts are surfaced and /mcp metadata matches the effective process, with precedence or opt-out behavior documented.
Rédigé par le modèle d'indexation à partir du texte de l'issue.
Évaluation
- Domaine
- cli, tooling
- Type d'issue
- Bug
- Difficulté
- 4/5
- Temps estimé
- 3-5 jours
- Activité
- Calme
- Clarté
- Plutôt claire
- Accessibilité débutants
- 45/100