MCP Context Bloat: Suggestion for Lightweight Profile

[pablopda]

MCP Tools Bloating Claude Code Context - Suggestion for Lightweight Version

Issue Summary

The Task Master MCP integration is consuming a significant portion of Claude Code's context window, which can impact performance and limit available context for actual development work.

Context Usage Analysis

From a real Claude Code session with Task Master MCP enabled:

Context Usage: 178k/200k tokens (89%)

Breakdown:
- MCP tools:        63.7k tokens (31.8%)  ← Task Master is major contributor
- System tools:     11.9k tokens (6.0%)
- Messages:         49.8k tokens (24.9%)
- Reserved:         45.0k tokens (22.5%)
- System prompt:    7.3k tokens (3.6%)

Task Master MCP Tools Consuming Context:

• 59 total MCP tool definitions from task-master-ai
• Each tool definition: ~600-1,500 tokens
• Estimated total for Task Master alone: ~45-50k tokens (22-25% of total context)

Example Tool Definitions:

mcp__task-master-ai__initialize_project: 969 tokens
mcp__task-master-ai__models: 941 tokens
mcp__task-master-ai__parse_prd: 959 tokens
mcp__task-master-ai__analyze_project_complexity: 892 tokens
mcp__task-master-ai__expand_task: 787 tokens
mcp__task-master-ai__expand_all: 787 tokens
... (59 tools total)

Problem Statement

1. Context Exhaustion: With Task Master MCP enabled, users start with only ~135k usable tokens (200k - 65k MCP tools), reducing available context for:

   • Code files being edited
   • Conversation history
   • Project context
   • Documentation

2. Most Tools Rarely Used: Many Task Master functions are infrequently needed during typical coding sessions:

   • Project initialization (once per project)
   • PRD parsing (once per project)
   • Complex task operations (periodic)
   • Tag management (occasional)

3. Cognitive Overhead: 59 tool definitions in the context can also impact Claude's decision-making and response quality.

Proposed Solutions

Option 1: Lightweight MCP Profile (Recommended)

Create a "lite" MCP configuration that only exposes the most frequently used tools:

Essential Tools (~15 tools, estimated ~10-12k tokens):

{
  "command": "task-master-mcp",
  "args": ["--profile", "lite"],
  "tools": [
    "get_tasks",
    "get_task",
    "next_task",
    "set_task_status",
    "add_task",
    "add_subtask",
    "update_task",
    "update_subtask",
    "remove_task",
    "generate",
    "complexity_report",
    "validate_dependencies",
    "fix_dependencies",
    "research",
    "list_tags"
  ]
}

Full Profile (current): All 59 tools for comprehensive task management via CLI

Option 2: Dynamic Tool Loading

Only load tools when needed, reducing initial context:

• Start with core 10 tools
• Load additional tools on demand
• Cache loaded tools for session

Option 3: CLI-First Recommendation

Add prominent documentation recommending:

• CLI for heavy operations: Initialization, PRD parsing, bulk operations
• MCP for coding workflow: Task status, next task, quick updates
• Hybrid approach: Best of both worlds

Impact on Users

Current Experience (59 tools):

• ❌ 31.8% of context consumed by MCP tools
• ❌ Faster context exhaustion during long sessions
• ❌ Less room for code and conversation history
• ✅ All features available via MCP

With Lightweight Profile (15 tools):

• ✅ ~12-15k tokens for MCP tools (7-8% of context)
• ✅ More available context for actual development
• ✅ Faster Claude response times
• ✅ Core workflow tools still available
• ⚠️ Advanced features require CLI

Suggested Implementation

1. Add --profile flag to MCP server:

// server.ts
const profile = args.includes('--profile=lite') ? 'lite' : 'full';

const tools = profile === 'lite'
  ? LITE_TOOLS  // 15 essential tools
  : FULL_TOOLS; // All 59 tools

2. Update MCP configuration examples:

For Claude Code (recommended lite profile):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "task-master-mcp",
      "args": ["--profile", "lite"],
      "description": "Lightweight Task Master (15 essential tools)"
    }
  }
}

For Cline/Windsurf (full profile):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "task-master-mcp",
      "args": ["--profile", "full"],
      "description": "Full Task Master (59 tools)"
    }
  }
}

3. Add context usage warning to README:

## ⚠️ Context Usage Considerations

Task Master's MCP integration exposes 59 tools, consuming ~45-50k tokens
(22-25% of Claude Code's context window).

**Recommendations:**
- **Claude Code**: Use `--profile lite` (15 essential tools, ~12k tokens)
- **CLI for setup**: Run initialization, PRD parsing via CLI
- **MCP for workflow**: Use MCP for task status, updates during coding

Benefits

1. Performance: Reduced context consumption → faster responses
2. User Choice: Opt-in to full toolset when needed
3. Better Defaults: Lite profile optimized for coding workflow
4. Backward Compatible: Existing users unaffected (full profile default)
5. CLI + MCP Synergy: Encourages best-practice hybrid usage

Questions for Maintainers

1. Would you be open to a --profile flag implementation?
2. Should lite profile be the default for Claude Code users?
3. Are there other tools that should be in the "essential" list?
4. Would you prefer a configuration file approach instead of CLI flags?

Volunteer Offer

I'm happy to contribute a PR implementing the lightweight profile if this approach sounds good to the team.

---

Environment:

• Task Master version: [latest]
• Claude Code version: [latest]
• MCP SDK version: [check]
• Context window: 200k tokens (Claude Sonnet 4.5)

[paulp-o]

I second this. Most tools are only essential on project init & occasional 'spec updating' phase; making them irrelevant when development is actually in progress.
I was dealing with this by disabling taskmaster on coding CLI tools by default and manually turning it on when I want to change task states, etc.

[Crunchyman-ralph]

theres actually a PR right now for this where you can pick which tools you want enabled/disabled #1181

[Crunchyman-ralph]

Merged #1181 that tries to resolve this issue, will be part of 0.30.0