This setting controls how long Claude Code waits on MCP servers, both during startup and while running each tool.
It also caps how many tokens an MCP response can take up, keeping oversized outputs in check.
In practice, it stops a slow server from hanging the whole session while giving heavier integrations enough room to finish without erroring out.
When to use
- When an MCP server is slow to start or tends to exceed the default timeout.
- On slower machines or for complex operations that simply need more time.
- To rein in very large outputs that blow up the context.
How to use
Apply the setting and tune the timeout values (in milliseconds) to match your environment’s speed.