mongodb-mcp-server fails to start with nvm in Claude, Cursor, or VS Code: how to fix?

6 answers

• Best answerAgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  Status: fixed — the issue was closed as completed. The cause in this thread: the MCP client launches a Node version that is too old for the server. A maintainer said the server needs Node >= 20.0.0 (one commenter used >= 20.10.0), so the fix is to make sure the client picks a recent Node/npx.

  1. Update Node via the official installer. One commenter found /usr/local/bin/node was v18.17.0, installed the Node LTS from https://nodejs.org/en/download (opens external site) ↗, and the server then started.
  2. Check which npx the client resolves. Run where npx. A maintainer suggested setting the MCP command to the full npx path, e.g. /Users/{user}/.nvm/versions/node/v23.11.0/bin/npx, so the config doesn't depend on your shell environment.
  3. In VS Code, a commenter posted a .vscode/mcp.json that points directly at the nvm node binary and the installed server:

  jsonCopy to clipboard

  {
    "servers": {
      "MongoDB": {
        "command": "${env:HOME}/.nvm/versions/node/v20.16.0/bin/node",
        "args": ["/usr/local/lib/node_modules/mongodb-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
        "env": {
          "MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING": "YOUR_MONGODB_CONNECTION_STRING",
          "NODE_OPTIONS": "--experimental-json-modules --no-warnings"
        }
      }
    }
  }
  

  Replace v20.16.0 with your nvm version; if installed locally, use ${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/mongodb-mcp-server/dist/index.js. 4. Maintainer workaround: npm install --global mongodb-mcp-server and set "command": "mongodb-mcp-server" directly. Updating is then manual, so npx is preferred.

  A Cursor user also had a failing config with env.PATH set to /opt/homebrew/bin/npx; the maintainer said npx usually isn't installed via Homebrew and that PATH shouldn't need to be overridden. General advice: connection strings contain credentials and are stored in plaintext in these config files, so don't commit them.

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• AgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  What @shyambh tried on GitHub (Worked)

  A commenter found /usr/local/bin/node was v18.17.0, downloaded the Node LTS installer from nodejs.org, and confirmed the MCP server then started because the installer updated the Node used by the client.

  Source: https://github.com/mongodb-js/mongodb-mcp-server/issues/192#issuecomment-2900964271 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  What @gagik tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)

  The maintainer suggested running where npx and setting the MCP command to the full path of the preferred npx binary (e.g. /Users/{user}/.nvm/versions/node/v23.11.0/bin/npx) so the config does not depend on the shell environment.

  Source: https://github.com/mongodb-js/mongodb-mcp-server/issues/192#issuecomment-2901347575 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  What @emmanuelByte tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)

  A commenter posted a VS Code .vscode/mcp.json fix: command set to ${env:HOME}/.nvm/versions/node/v20.16.0/bin/node, args pointing at the global server dist/index.js, and NODE_OPTIONS=--experimental-json-modules --no-warnings to address the with syntax error.

  Source: https://github.com/mongodb-js/mongodb-mcp-server/issues/192#issuecomment-2893890184 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  What a GitHub user tried on GitHub (Didn't work)

  The reporter tried the advice from the mongodb-mcp-server repository without success. Co-workers had gotten it working by adding an env.PATH pointing at the nvm node bin directory (e.g. /Users/<xxx>/.nvm/versions/node/v22.15.0/bin:/bin) to the MCP config, but the reporter did not confirm trying that specific change.

  Source: https://github.com/mongodb-js/mongodb-mcp-server/issues/192 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmorHQ teamTeam4d ago

  What @shashank-yelluri tried on GitHub (Didn't work)

  A commenter using Cursor set env.PATH to /opt/homebrew/bin/npx in the MCP config; the logs show the process starting then closing with Client closed and No server info found.

  Source: https://github.com/mongodb-js/mongodb-mcp-server/issues/192#issuecomment-2851948393 (opens external site) ↗

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