fix(mcp): allow third-party providers to approve project-scope .mcp.json servers (#696)

When a user runs openclaude with a third-party provider, project-scope
MCP servers added via `openclaude mcp add -s project ...` were silently
dropped from `/mcp` and `openclaude mcp list`. Re-adding the same
server printed "MCP server already exists in .mcp.json" but the server
never actually loaded. Reporter @gbmerrall pinpointed the cause to the
`if (usesAnthropicSetup)` gate around `handleMcpjsonServerApprovals`
in src/interactiveHelpers.tsx.

The MCP approval dialog and the CLAUDE.md external-includes warning
are about workspace trust, not about Anthropic auth. Gating them on
`usesAnthropicSetup` meant 3P-provider users never saw the dialog
that writes `enableAllProjectMcpServers: true` and
`enabledMcpjsonServers: [...]` to settings.local.json — without
those settings, the MCP server isn't loaded for use.

Drop the `usesAnthropicSetup` gate around the approval flow. The
inner logic is unchanged and `handleMcpjsonServerApprovals` already
early-returns when no servers are pending, so users without project
`.mcp.json` see no new behavior.

- src/interactiveHelpers.tsx: drop the gate, add a comment explaining
  why (and cite #696 so future readers can find context).
- src/__tests__/bugfixes.test.ts: +2 regression tests asserting the
  gate is gone and the issue is referenced.

Verified locally on Linux: build passes (v0.7.0), 1634 tests pass,
the 4 remaining failures (StartupScreen.test.ts, thinking.test.ts)
reproduce on main and are unrelated. The bundled dist/cli.mjs shows
`handleMcpjsonServerApprovals(root2)` running directly after
`setSessionTrustAccepted(true)` with no auth gate.

.env.example

@@ -421,16 +421,3 @@ ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key-here
 # WEB_CUSTOM_ALLOW_HTTP=false                — set "true" to allow http:// URLs
 # WEB_CUSTOM_ALLOW_PRIVATE=false             — set "true" to target localhost/private IPs
 #                                               (needed for self-hosted SearXNG)
-
-# ── Config directory override ───────────────────────────────────────
-#
-# By default openclaude stores per-user state under ~/.openclaude
-# (and falls back to ~/.claude for installs that pre-date the rename).
-# Set this to point openclaude at a different directory — useful for
-# isolating profiles or sharing config across machines.
-#
-# OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/path/to/dir         — preferred name
-# CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/path/to/dir             — legacy alias (still works)
-#
-# When both are set with different values, OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR wins
-# and a warning is logged once per process.

src/__tests__/bugfixes.test.ts

@@ -288,3 +288,30 @@ describe('Context overflow 500 fix', () => {
     expect(content).toContain('automatic compaction has failed')
   })
 })
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Fix N: Project-scope MCP servers from .mcp.json not detected for 3P providers (issue #696)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+describe('Project-scope MCP approval — third-party providers (issue #696)', () => {
+  test('handleMcpjsonServerApprovals is NOT gated behind usesAnthropicSetup', async () => {
+    const content = await file('interactiveHelpers.tsx').text()
+
+    // The call site for handleMcpjsonServerApprovals must not sit inside an
+    // `if (usesAnthropicSetup) { ... }` block, or third-party providers will
+    // never get the dialog and project-scope .mcp.json servers will be silently
+    // dropped from /mcp listings (issue #696).
+    const approvalCallIdx = content.indexOf('await handleMcpjsonServerApprovals(root)')
+    expect(approvalCallIdx).toBeGreaterThan(-1)
+
+    // Look at the 800 chars BEFORE the call site for any `if (usesAnthropicSetup)`
+    // block that would still be open. Pick a window that's definitely inside the
+    // showSetupScreens function but not in earlier dialogs.
+    const before = content.slice(Math.max(0, approvalCallIdx - 800), approvalCallIdx)
+    expect(before).not.toMatch(/if\s*\(\s*usesAnthropicSetup\s*\)\s*{[^}]*$/)
+  })
+
+  test('issue #696 is referenced from the comment so future readers can find context', async () => {
+    const content = await file('interactiveHelpers.tsx').text()
+    expect(content).toContain('#696')
+  })
+})

src/interactiveHelpers.tsx

@@ -158,24 +158,25 @@ export async function showSetupScreens(root: Root, permissionMode: PermissionMod
     // Now that trust is established, prefetch system context if it wasn't already
     void getSystemContext();
 
-    // Skip MCP approval dialogs for third-party providers (no interactive auth prompts)
+    // MCP approval and external-includes warnings are about workspace
-    if (usesAnthropicSetup) {
+    // trust, not about Anthropic auth. They must run for all providers
-      // If settings are valid, check for any mcp.json servers that need approval
+    // — including third-party — otherwise project-scoped .mcp.json
-      const {
+    // servers never get the approval that writes
-        errors: allErrors
+    // enableAllProjectMcpServers / enabledMcpjsonServers into
-      } = getSettingsWithAllErrors();
+    // settings.local.json, and the servers are silently dropped from
-      if (allErrors.length === 0) {
+    // /mcp and `mcp list` (issue #696).
-        await handleMcpjsonServerApprovals(root);
+    const { errors: allErrors } = getSettingsWithAllErrors();
-      }
+    if (allErrors.length === 0) {
+      await handleMcpjsonServerApprovals(root);
+    }
 
-      // Check for claude.md includes that need approval
+    // Check for claude.md includes that need approval
-      if (await shouldShowClaudeMdExternalIncludesWarning()) {
+    if (await shouldShowClaudeMdExternalIncludesWarning()) {
-        const externalIncludes = getExternalClaudeMdIncludes(await getMemoryFiles(true));
+      const externalIncludes = getExternalClaudeMdIncludes(await getMemoryFiles(true));
-        const {
+      const {
-          ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog
+        ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog
-        } = await import('./components/ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog.js');
+      } = await import('./components/ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog.js');
-        await showSetupDialog(root, done => <ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog onDone={done} isStandaloneDialog externalIncludes={externalIncludes} />);
+      await showSetupDialog(root, done => <ClaudeMdExternalIncludesDialog onDone={done} isStandaloneDialog externalIncludes={externalIncludes} />);
-      }
     }
   }
 

src/utils/env.ts

@@ -3,11 +3,7 @@ import { homedir } from 'os'
 import { join } from 'path'
 import { fileSuffixForOauthConfig } from '../constants/oauth.js'
 import { isRunningWithBun } from './bundledMode.js'
-import {
+import { getClaudeConfigHomeDir, isEnvTruthy } from './envUtils.js'
-  getClaudeConfigHomeDir,
-  isEnvTruthy,
-  resolveConfigDirEnv,
-} from './envUtils.js'
 import { findExecutable } from './findExecutable.js'
 import { getFsImplementation } from './fsOperations.js'
 import { which } from './which.js'
@@ -26,11 +22,7 @@ export const getGlobalClaudeFile = memoize((): string => {
   }
 
   const oauthSuffix = fileSuffixForOauthConfig()
-  const configDir =
+  const configDir = process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR || homedir()
-    resolveConfigDirEnv({
-      openClaudeConfigDir: process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-      legacyConfigDir: process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-    }) ?? homedir()
 
   // Default to .openclaude.json. Fall back to .claude.json only if the new
   // file doesn't exist yet and the legacy one does (same migration pattern

src/utils/envUtils.ts

@@ -3,39 +3,6 @@ import { existsSync } from 'fs'
 import { homedir } from 'os'
 import { join } from 'path'
 
-/**
- * Resolves the override env value for the config home directory.
- * `OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` is preferred — `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` is the legacy
- * Anthropic name kept working for backward compatibility. When both are set
- * and disagree, `OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` wins and we warn once so the user
- * can clean up. Exported for tests.
- */
-let warnedAboutConflictingConfigDirEnvs = false
-
-export function resolveConfigDirEnv(options?: {
-  openClaudeConfigDir?: string
-  legacyConfigDir?: string
-  warn?: (message: string) => void
-}): string | undefined {
-  const open = options?.openClaudeConfigDir
-  const legacy = options?.legacyConfigDir
-  if (open && legacy && open !== legacy && !warnedAboutConflictingConfigDirEnvs) {
-    warnedAboutConflictingConfigDirEnvs = true
-    options?.warn?.(
-      `Both OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR and CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR are set to different values. Using OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=${open}; ignoring CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=${legacy}.`,
-    )
-  }
-  return open || legacy || undefined
-}
-
-/**
- * Test-only escape hatch — resets the once-per-process conflict warning so
- * unit tests can re-trigger it.
- */
-export function __resetConfigDirEnvWarningForTesting(): void {
-  warnedAboutConflictingConfigDirEnvs = false
-}
-
 export function resolveClaudeConfigHomeDir(options?: {
   configDirEnv?: string
   homeDir?: string
@@ -63,21 +30,13 @@ export function resolveClaudeConfigHomeDir(options?: {
   return openClaudeDir.normalize('NFC')
 }
 
-// Memoized: 150+ callers, many on hot paths. Keyed off both override env
+// Memoized: 150+ callers, many on hot paths. Keyed off CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR so
-// vars so tests that change either get a fresh value without explicit
+// tests that change the env var get a fresh value without explicit cache.clear.
-// cache.clear.
 export const getClaudeConfigHomeDir = memoize(
   (): string => resolveClaudeConfigHomeDir({
-    configDirEnv: resolveConfigDirEnv({
+    configDirEnv: process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-      openClaudeConfigDir: process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-      legacyConfigDir: process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-      warn: message => {
-        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-        console.warn(`[openclaude] ${message}`)
-      },
-    }),
   }),
-  () => `${process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR ?? ''}|${process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR ?? ''}`,
+  () => process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
 )
 
 export function getTeamsDir(): string {

src/utils/openclaudePaths.test.ts

@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ describe('OpenClaude paths', () => {
     ).toBe(join(homedir(), '.claude'))
   })
 
-  test('uses CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR override when provided (legacy)', async () => {
+  test('uses CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR override when provided', async () => {
-    delete process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
     process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/custom-openclaude'
     const { getClaudeConfigHomeDir, resolveClaudeConfigHomeDir } =
       await importFreshEnvUtils()
@@ -65,83 +64,6 @@ describe('OpenClaude paths', () => {
     ).toBe('/tmp/custom-openclaude')
   })
 
-  test('OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR overrides the default (issue #454)', async () => {
-    delete process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
-    process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/oc-config-only'
-    const { getClaudeConfigHomeDir } = await importFreshEnvUtils()
-
-    expect(getClaudeConfigHomeDir()).toBe('/tmp/oc-config-only')
-  })
-
-  test('OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR wins when both env vars are set with different values', async () => {
-    process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/oc-wins'
-    process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/legacy-loses'
-    const { getClaudeConfigHomeDir } = await importFreshEnvUtils()
-
-    expect(getClaudeConfigHomeDir()).toBe('/tmp/oc-wins')
-  })
-
-  test('CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR is still honored when OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR is unset', async () => {
-    delete process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
-    process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/legacy-only'
-    const { getClaudeConfigHomeDir } = await importFreshEnvUtils()
-
-    expect(getClaudeConfigHomeDir()).toBe('/tmp/legacy-only')
-  })
-
-  test('empty OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR falls through to CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR', async () => {
-    process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = ''
-    process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR = '/tmp/legacy-fallback'
-    const { getClaudeConfigHomeDir } = await importFreshEnvUtils()
-
-    expect(getClaudeConfigHomeDir()).toBe('/tmp/legacy-fallback')
-  })
-
-  test('resolveConfigDirEnv prefers OPENCLAUDE over CLAUDE and warns on conflict', async () => {
-    const { resolveConfigDirEnv, __resetConfigDirEnvWarningForTesting } =
-      await importFreshEnvUtils()
-    __resetConfigDirEnvWarningForTesting()
-
-    const warnings: string[] = []
-    const result = resolveConfigDirEnv({
-      openClaudeConfigDir: '/a',
-      legacyConfigDir: '/b',
-      warn: m => warnings.push(m),
-    })
-
-    expect(result).toBe('/a')
-    expect(warnings.length).toBe(1)
-    expect(warnings[0]).toContain('OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/a')
-    expect(warnings[0]).toContain('CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/b')
-  })
-
-  test('resolveConfigDirEnv does not warn when both env vars agree', async () => {
-    const { resolveConfigDirEnv, __resetConfigDirEnvWarningForTesting } =
-      await importFreshEnvUtils()
-    __resetConfigDirEnvWarningForTesting()
-
-    const warnings: string[] = []
-    const result = resolveConfigDirEnv({
-      openClaudeConfigDir: '/same',
-      legacyConfigDir: '/same',
-      warn: m => warnings.push(m),
-    })
-
-    expect(result).toBe('/same')
-    expect(warnings).toEqual([])
-  })
-
-  test('resolveConfigDirEnv returns undefined when neither env var is set', async () => {
-    const { resolveConfigDirEnv } = await importFreshEnvUtils()
-
-    expect(
-      resolveConfigDirEnv({
-        openClaudeConfigDir: undefined,
-        legacyConfigDir: undefined,
-      }),
-    ).toBeUndefined()
-  })
-
   test('project and local settings paths use .openclaude', async () => {
     const { getRelativeSettingsFilePathForSource } = await importFreshSettings()
 

src/utils/secureStorage/macOsKeychainHelpers.ts

@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ export function getSecureStorageServiceName(
   serviceSuffix: string = '',
 ): string {
   const configDir = getClaudeConfigHomeDir()
-  const isDefaultDir =
+  const isDefaultDir = !process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
-    !process.env.OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR && !process.env.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
 
   // Use a hash of the config dir path to create a unique but stable suffix
   // Only add suffix for non-default directories to maintain backwards compatibility

src/utils/swarm/spawnUtils.ts

@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@ const TEAMMATE_ENV_VARS = [
   'MISTRAL_BASE_URL',
   // Custom API endpoint
   'ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL',
-  // Config directory override (preferred name + legacy alias)
+  // Config directory override
-  'OPENCLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR',
   'CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR',
   // CCR marker — teammates need this for CCR-aware code paths. Auth finds
   // its own way via /home/claude/.claude/remote/.oauth_token regardless;