The Problem
MCP management in Cursor forces a trade-off between convenience and efficiency:
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All MCPs enabled — Tools are always available, but each MCP’s tool descriptors consume context tokens on every request, even when irrelevant to the task. With 5-10+ MCPs, this adds up significantly.
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All MCPs disabled — Saves context, but requires navigating to Settings → MCP → manually enabling the right server → waiting for initialization → then returning to the chat. This breaks flow and adds friction.
There’s no middle ground — and no quick way to toggle MCPs without leaving the chat.
Proposed Solution
Make MCP selection as easy as model selection:
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Quick picker in chat — A dropdown or command to enable/disable MCPs directly from the chat, similar to how you switch models.
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In-chat status indicator — Show active MCPs in the chat UI (e.g., collapsible pill or badge), so users can see what’s loaded without opening Settings.
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Session-scoped activation — Optionally, MCPs enabled during a session could auto-disable when the chat ends, returning to their default state.
Benefits
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Toggle MCPs without leaving the chat
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Visual indicator of what’s currently active
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Faster workflow for power users with many MCPs
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Context costs stay proportional to actual usage
Example Flow
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User starts a chat with no MCPs loaded
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User realizes they need Sentry → opens MCP picker (like model picker)
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Selects “Sentry” → MCP loads
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Status indicator shows:
Sentry -
User continues working without ever opening Settings
