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CLI loses a stdio target when a boolean flag precedes it #2631

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Description

@cliffhall

Problem

Found by the 2.10.0 release smoke (#2623); the published 2.9.0 behaves the same. A boolean flag placed before an ad-hoc stdio target makes the CLI lose the target:

mcp-inspector --cli -q node test-servers/build/test-server-stdio.js --method tools/list
# → No servers found in config file   (exit 1)

The same happens with --quiet, --strict, --advertise-apps and --stored-auth-only. The same flags placed after the target work, and a valued flag before it (--format json) also works.

There is a related problem: arguments meant for the server, such as --crashable, cannot follow an ad-hoc stdio target. They are silently dropped, and -- does not help. Today the only way to pass them is a --config file.

Expected

Flag order before the target should not matter. Arguments after the target, or after --, should reach the server.

Priority

Medium (rubric total 6): Severity 3 (a real invocation fails with a misleading message; reordering is the workaround), Urgency 1, +1 bug, +1 milestoned.

Activity

  1. added this to the v2.11.0 milestone on Oct 7, 2026
  2. added
    bugSomething isn't working
    v2Issues and PRs for v2
    on Oct 7, 2026
  3. self-assigned this
    on Oct 12, 2026
  4. cliffhall commented on Oct 12, 2026

    @cliffhall
    MemberAuthor

    Fixed by #2704, merged into v2/main.

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