Largest MCP spec update moves servers from stateful to stateless
dfinke · x · 2026-07-22
MCP 7/28 spec update makes server state optional
The largest MCP spec update to date is centered on a major shift: stateful becomes stateless.
- Servers can still ask for mid-call confirmations or other follow-up requests through a new MRTR (Multi Round-Trip Request) pattern, instead of keeping an SSE stream open.
- Roots, Sampling, and Logging move into formal deprecation, with at least a 12-month window before removal.
- Discovery is moving from the old handshake to a new server/discover call.
- The practical effect is simpler deployment: any server instance can handle any request, so MCP servers can sit behind a plain round-robin load balancer with no sticky routing and no shared session store.
Related event: MCP Protocol's Largest Update: Shifting to Stateless on July 28(9 posts)→
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