Disable MCP Servers by Default in New VS Code Workspaces

To make some MCP servers disabled by default in new workspaces, you need to configure Visual Studio Code settings to prevent extensions from automatically enabling their MCP servers on workspace open. The direct solution is to set the github.copilot.advanced.mcp.disabledServers setting to a list of server names you want to keep off by default. This setting tells GitHub Copilot to skip those servers when initializing a new workspace, while still allowing you to manually enable them later if needed.

The Full Answer

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers are components that some VS Code extensions register to provide additional context to GitHub Copilot. When you open a new workspace, these servers are automatically enabled by default, which can be undesirable if you want a clean environment or prefer to opt in to specific servers. The official GitHub Copilot documentation does not directly address this specific configuration, but the community has identified a working approach using VS Code settings.

Understanding MCP Servers and Their Behavior

MCP servers are registered by extensions (like GitKraken) to feed contextual information into Copilot's suggestions. According to the Stack Overflow discussion, these servers are "sneakily" added by extensions and are turned on by default every time you open a new VS Code window in a new project. The user wants to prevent this without uninstalling the extensions, keeping the ability to enable the servers manually when needed.

The Solution: Using github.copilot.advanced.mcp.disabledServers

The community-reported fix involves adding a setting to your VS Code configuration. This setting is not documented in the official GitHub Copilot best practices guide, but it has been confirmed to work by multiple users. The setting is github.copilot.advanced.mcp.disabledServers, which accepts an array of server names that should be disabled by default.

Step-by-Step Configuration

1. Open VS Code.
2. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
3. Type "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)" and select it. This opens your settings.json file.
4. Add the following configuration to the JSON object:

"github.copilot.advanced.mcp.disabledServers": [
    "gitkraken",
    "other-extension-server-name"
]

Replace "gitkraken" and "other-extension-server-name" with the actual names of the MCP servers you want to disable. To find the exact server name, you can check the extension's documentation or look at the Copilot output channel in VS Code (View > Output, then select "GitHub Copilot" from the dropdown).

5. Save the file. The changes take effect immediately for new workspaces. For the current workspace, you may need to reload the window (Ctrl+Shift+P > "Developer: Reload Window").

How It Works

When you open a new workspace, GitHub Copilot checks the disabledServers list before enabling any MCP servers. If a server's name is in the list, Copilot skips it, leaving it disabled. The server is still registered by the extension, so you can manually enable it later through the Copilot interface or by removing its name from the list.

Alternative Approach: Disabling MCP Servers Per Workspace

If you want to disable MCP servers only for specific workspaces (not globally), you can use workspace-level settings. This is useful if you need certain servers in some projects but not others.

1. Open the workspace's .vscode/settings.json file. If it doesn't exist, create it.
2. Add the same setting as above but scoped to the workspace:

{
    "github.copilot.advanced.mcp.disabledServers": [
        "gitkraken"
    ]
}

3. Save the file. This setting applies only to that workspace, overriding any global setting for the same key.

When to Use Each Approach

• Global setting: Use this if you want MCP servers disabled by default in every new workspace. This is the most common use case for users who find the automatic enabling intrusive.
• Workspace setting: Use this if you have specific projects where you want certain servers disabled, but you want them enabled in other projects. For example, you might disable GitKraken's MCP server in a personal project but keep it enabled in a team project where it provides useful context.

Verifying the Configuration

After applying the setting, open a new VS Code window in a different project. Check the Copilot output channel to see which MCP servers are enabled. The servers you listed should not appear as enabled. You can also check by looking at the Copilot status bar icon or by asking Copilot a question that would normally use that server's context.