FrontMCP adds hot reload for MCP servers: 0.5s restarts, no Claude Code reconnects
DavidAntoon · reddit · 2026-10-27
The author of FrontMCP, an open-source TypeScript MCP server framework, demonstrates eliminating the "edit → restart → /mcp reconnect" loop when building MCP servers with Claude Code.
Setup (three commands):
npx frontmcp create notes-server
cd notes-server && npm install
claude mcp add --scope project notes-server -- npx frontmcp dev --stdio --serve
The last command writes .mcp.json so the whole team gets the same server.
Measured results (Claude Code 2.1.310, Opus 5.5): asking Claude to call add, add a multiply tool and call it, then make add reject negative numbers — every save restarted the server in 0.44–0.62s, calls returned the new behavior immediately, and the whole flow took 58 seconds with zero manual restarts or reconnects. Control test: same prompt over HTTP to npm run dev (tsx --watch) took 6s per restart plus one ECONNREFUSED retry.
How it works: the stdio bridge process Claude Code starts never exits; it runs your server as a child over a pipe, watches files, restarts the child on change, holds in-flight calls, and sends notifications/tools/listchanged (0.6s after save) so Claude Code refreshes the tool list without a reconnect. If a save breaks the server, calls wait up to 30s, then fail with -32097 devreloaddeadline and the real error lands in .frontmcp/dev.log — the post suggests pointing Claude there via a CLAUDE.md note.
More from coding & agent
- Dev launches PlugMCP, a searchable directory of 72,000+ MCP servers usable by AI agents — Demo12133 · 2026-10-27
- 7 open-source repos turn images into Three.js scenes and video motion into 3D animation — Promptmethus · 2026-10-27
- Claude runs 32 hours straight building a game with 15-27 parallel subagents — Promptmethus · 2026-10-27
- From pest control to selling OpenClaw agents to roofers in nine months — heyneighbor · 2026-10-27
- Anthropic's Official Support Skill Promised Refunds It Never Gave in 4 of 5 Runs — InterestingCarrot997 · 2026-10-27
- Cursor's new Agent SDK copies eve.dev conventions, signaling an emerging standard for agentic development — cramforce · 2026-10-27