Failed to load MCP servers. Make sure Claude Code is installed.

[phpmaple]

❯ which claude
~/.bun/bin/claude

[jason-shen]

same error here

[aldinokemal]

same error here +1

[egginsect]

Same issue here

[lfnovo]

+1

[lfnovo]

I just changed the claude code binary to the existing system one and it worked.

[TrentBrown]

+1

[itz4blitz]

Hey! I was getting the same error "Failed to load MCP servers. Make sure Claude Code is installed." on my Mac.

First, I checked if Claude Code was actually working:

❯ which claude
claude: aliased to ~/.claude/local/claude

❯ claude --version  
1.0.43 (Claude Code)

❯ claude mcp list
# My MCP servers were all there and working!

So Claude Code was perfectly installed and working - my MCP servers were all there!

The problem was that Claudia couldn't find Claude Code because it has limited access to environment variables and shell aliases. Tauri apps don't inherit your shell's PATH or aliases.

To fix this, I created a system-wide symlink to make Claude Code accessible from a standard location:

sudo ln -sf ~/.claude/local/claude /usr/local/bin/claude

After this, I restarted Claudia and the MCP servers loaded properly!

If the symlink doesn't work, you can also try:

• Adding /Users/yourusername/.claude/local to your system PATH
• Restarting Claudia after making PATH changes
• Checking that /usr/local/bin is in your system PATH

Hope this helps others who run into the same issue!

[acanino561]

❯ which claude ~/.bun/bin/claude

To echo this response, make sure the claude code being used in the general settings is the correct installation. Was defaulting to the bundled version which was causing the error, once I updated to my local claude code my MCP servers appeared in the app.

[xied-ctrl]

I have same issue....

[cmdaltctr]

I just changed the claude code binary to the existing system one and it worked.

Did the same. I downloaded claude using the official link and then use the standard npm install for claude code. Not working still. How did you install yours?

[cmdaltctr]

Solution: Fix Claudia MCP Server Detection Issue. Credit to @itz4blitz

Problem

Claudia was not detecting MCP servers properly, preventing integration with the @anthropic-ai/claude-code MCP server.

Solution

The issue was resolved by creating a proper symlink from Claudia's expected MCP directory to the actual MCP server location. Here's the complete step-by-step solution based on my successful experience:

Environment

• OS: macOS (tested on MacBook Pro M1)
• Shell: zsh 5.9
• Node.js: Installed via Homebrew
• claude-code: Installed via npm globally

Complete Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Install claude-code MCP Server

First, install the claude-code MCP server globally:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Step 2: Find Installation Locations

After installation, locate where the files are installed:

# Find the binary location
which claude
# Output: /opt/homebrew/bin/claude

# Find the package files location
npm list -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
# This shows the global installation path

# Alternative: Find npm global prefix
npm config get prefix
# Output: /opt/homebrew (on Apple Silicon Macs with Homebrew Node.js)

# Check the actual symlink details
ls -la $(which claude)
# Output: lrwxr-xr-x ... /opt/homebrew/bin/claude -> ../lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js

Installation Result:

Installation Complete! ✅

Where @anthropic-ai/claude-code is installed:

1. Package files: /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/
   • Found by: npm global prefix + /lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/
   • Main executable: cli.js
   • Package info: package.json
   • Documentation: README.md

2. Binary symlink: /opt/homebrew/bin/claude
   • Found by: which claude
   • This is a symbolic link that points to the main cli.js file
   • This is why you can run claude from anywhere in your terminal

3. Installation prefix: /opt/homebrew
   • Found by: npm config get prefix
   • This is Homebrew's directory structure
   • npm uses this as the global installation prefix on your system

Step 3: Verify Prerequisites

Check that everything is properly installed and accessible:

# Check if claude binary exists and is executable
which claude
ls -la $(which claude)

# Verify /usr/local/bin exists and is in PATH
ls -la /usr/local/bin
echo $PATH | grep "/usr/local/bin"

Prerequisites Check Results:

• Claude binary exists at /opt/homebrew/bin/claude (found via which claude)
• It's a symbolic link pointing to ../lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js
• /usr/local/bin exists and is in PATH
• ⚠️ /usr/local/bin requires sudo access for writing (this is normal)

Step 4: Create a Symlink for Claudia Detection

The key solution is to create a symlink in /usr/local/bin that points to the actual Claude binary:

# Create a symlink with sudo (required for /usr/local/bin write access)
# Use the path found by 'which claude'
sudo ln -s $(which claude) /usr/local/bin/claude-code

Why this works:

• Claudia looks for MCP servers in standard system paths like /usr/local/bin
• The Claude-code MCP server is installed in Homebrew's directory structure (/opt/homebrew/bin)
• The symlink creates a bridge between where Claudia expects to find it and where it actually is

Step 5: Verify the Symlink

Confirm the symlink was created correctly:

# Check if the symlink exists and points to the right location
ls -la /usr/local/bin/claude-code

# Test that the symlink works
claude-code --help

You should see the symlink listed with an arrow pointing to /opt/homebrew/bin/claude.

Step 6: Test Detection in Claudia

1. Open the Claudia application
2. Navigate to the MCP server settings
3. Trigger the "Detect MCP servers" workflow
4. Verify that claude-code is now detected and listed
5. If you have Claude Desktop and have your MCP integrated there, click import from Claude Desktop. - I did this one.

Result: Claudia successfully detects the MCP server!

Key Commands for Finding Installation Paths

For anyone trying to replicate this, here are the essential commands:

# 1. Find the binary location
which claude

# 2. Find npm global installation prefix
npm config get prefix

# 3. Package files are typically at: [prefix]/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/

# 4. Verify the symlink structure
ls -la $(which claude)

Why This Solution Works for me:

The core issue is a path mismatch:

• Claudia expects: MCP servers to be in standard system paths like /usr/local/bin
• Reality: When Node.js is installed via Homebrew, npm installs global packages in /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/ with binaries in /opt/homebrew/bin/

The symlink solution:

1. Creates a bridge between Claudia's expected path and the actual installation path
2. Is non-destructive (doesn't move or modify original files)
3. Allows the MCP server to work from both locations
4. Maintains the original Homebrew/npm installation structure

Troubleshooting

If you can't find the installation paths:

# Check if claude is installed and accessible
which claude

# If 'which claude' returns nothing, claude might not be installed or not in PATH
npm list -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Check npm global configuration
npm config get prefix

If symlink creation fails:

# Check if you have sudo access
sudo -v

# Verify the source path exists
ls -la $(which claude)

# Check if /usr/local/bin is writable
ls -la /usr/local/

If Claudia still doesn't detect:

1. Restart Claudia: Sometimes a restart is needed for changes to take effect
2. Check permissions: Ensure Claudia has read access to the symlink
3. Verify symlink integrity: Use ls -la /usr/local/bin/claude-code to confirm it points correctly
4. Test the symlink: Run claude-code --help to ensure it's working
5. Try importing from Claude Desktop. Before this fix, I can't import from Claude, but now it works.

Additional Notes for macOS Users

• This solution specifically addresses the Homebrew + npm installation pattern common on macOS
• The /opt/homebrew path is specific to Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2)
• Intel Macs might use /usr/local instead of /opt/homebrew
• Use npm config get prefix to find your specific installation prefix
• Always use $(which claude) to get the correct binary path

Clean Up (if needed)

To remove the symlink:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/claude-code

---

Environment Tested:

• macOS (MacBook Pro M1)
• zsh 5.9
• Node.js via Homebrew
• @anthropic-ai/claude-code installed via npm

Status: Confirmed working - Claudia successfully detects MCP server

This solution should work for anyone experiencing similar MCP server detection issues with Claudia on macOS systems using Homebrew-installed Node.js.

[cmdaltctr]

Hey! I was getting the same error "Failed to load MCP servers. Make sure Claude Code is installed." on my Mac.

First, I checked if Claude Code was actually working:

❯ which claude
claude: aliased to ~/.claude/local/claude

❯ claude --version
1.0.43 (Claude Code)

❯ claude mcp list

My MCP servers were all there and working!

So Claude Code was perfectly installed and working - my MCP servers were all there!

The problem was that Claudia couldn't find Claude Code because it has limited access to environment variables and shell aliases. Tauri apps don't inherit your shell's PATH or aliases.

To fix this, I created a system-wide symlink to make Claude Code accessible from a standard location:

sudo ln -sf ~/.claude/local/claude /usr/local/bin/claude
After this, I restarted Claudia and the MCP servers loaded properly!

If the symlink doesn't work, you can also try:

• Adding /Users/yourusername/.claude/local to your system PATH
• Restarting Claudia after making PATH changes
• Checking that /usr/local/bin is in your system PATH

Hope this helps others who run into the same issue!

thanks it works!

[backmanai]

had the same issue. all I needed to do was select the right claude in settings. pre-set was bundled. changed it to homebrew system and everything works fine. no symlinks needed for me.

[cmdaltctr]

had the same issue. all I needed to do was select the right claude in settings. pre-set was bundled. changed it to homebrew system and everything works fine. no symlinks needed for me.

Set mine to a homebrew system as well, but it doesn't work. The symlink works, but today it's not working anymore until I did some steps below. This is very weird.

Here's a summary of what I did again to resolve the issue:

1. Verified Symlinks: Checked that both /usr/local/bin/claude and /usr/local/bin/claude-code symlinks were correctly pointing to the right location.
2. Restarted Applications: Restarted the Claude Desktop application to ensure it picked up any configuration changes.
3. Diagnostic Checks: Checked the configuration and verified available paths and configurations related to Claudia and Claude Desktop.

By confirming the symlinks and ensuring that Claude Desktop was restarted, the configuration was effectively read, allowing the integration to work.

Once I did all that:
• Quitting and reopening it normally through the GUI
• I explicitly killed the Claude Desktop process: killall Claude || true
• Using killall claudia && open -a Claudia from terminal
• Using ⌘+Q to quit and then launching it again

Then it works.. again this is too much hassle just to get it to work tbh haha..