CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT is a Claude Code environment variable. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294. It is listed in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212
Category	Network and proxy
Official docs	Listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT": "<value>"
  }
}

Related variables

MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT: Individual MCP tool execution timeout.
API_FORCE_IDLE_TIMEOUT
CLAUDE_BYTE_STREAM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS
CLAUDE_STREAM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS: Configures the streaming idle watchdog threshold — the maximum time Claude Code waits for data on an open SSE connection before treating it as stalled.
MCP_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS
MCP_TIMEOUT: MCP server connection timeout.
CLAUDE_CODE_SYNC_PLUGINS_MCP_TIMEOUT_MS
API_TIMEOUT_MS: Request timeout in milliseconds.

Frequently asked questions

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT?

Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.