MCP tool calls pose context bloat risks; developer proposes pipe-filter solution
gnoraz_theorc · reddit · 2026-08-09
A developer highlights a severe context bloat issue with the Model Context Protocol (MCP): calling tools like listissues returns massive raw payloads from the server (e.g., 24,000+ characters), while the model only needs a fraction of the data (e.g., 1,700 characters). These unfiltered results persist in the context window throughout the session.
Since direct model tool calls lack native filtering like jq, the author suggests running MCP servers via a shell. This uses pipelines to insert filtering logic between the server and the context, drastically reducing the data passed back to the model.
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