mcp/streamable: add persistent SSE GET listener (#206)

This CL adds the optional persistent SSE GET listener as specified in
section 2.2.
https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/basic/transports#listening-for-messages-from-the-server

This enables server initiated SSE streams.

For #10

Author: samthanawalla

mcp/streamable.go

@@ -743,6 +743,12 @@ func (t *StreamableClientTransport) Connect(ctx context.Context) (Connection, er
 		ctx:              connCtx,
 		cancel:           cancel,
 	}
+	// Start the persistent SSE listener right away.
+	// Section 2.2: The client MAY issue an HTTP GET to the MCP endpoint.
+	// This can be used to open an SSE stream, allowing the server to
+	// communicate to the client, without the client first sending data via HTTP POST.
+	go conn.handleSSE(nil, true)
+
 	return conn, nil
 }
 
@@ -867,7 +873,7 @@ func (s *streamableClientConn) postMessage(ctx context.Context, sessionID string
 	switch ct := resp.Header.Get("Content-Type"); ct {
 	case "text/event-stream":
 		// Section 2.1: The SSE stream is initiated after a POST.
-		go s.handleSSE(resp)
+		go s.handleSSE(resp, false)
 	case "application/json":
 		body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 		resp.Body.Close()
@@ -887,13 +893,11 @@ func (s *streamableClientConn) postMessage(ctx context.Context, sessionID string
 	return sessionID, nil
 }
 
-// handleSSE manages the entire lifecycle of an SSE connection. It processes
-// an incoming Server-Sent Events stream and automatically handles reconnection
-// logic if the stream breaks.
-func (s *streamableClientConn) handleSSE(initialResp *http.Response) {
+// handleSSE manages the lifecycle of an SSE connection. It can be either
+// persistent (for the main GET listener) or temporary (for a POST response).
+func (s *streamableClientConn) handleSSE(initialResp *http.Response, persistent bool) {
 	resp := initialResp
 	var lastEventID string
-
 	for {
 		eventID, clientClosed := s.processStream(resp)
 		lastEventID = eventID
@@ -902,6 +906,11 @@ func (s *streamableClientConn) handleSSE(initialResp *http.Response) {
 		if clientClosed {
 			return
 		}
+		// If the stream has ended, then do not reconnect if the stream is
+		// temporary (POST initiated SSE).
+		if lastEventID == "" && !persistent {
+			return
+		}
 
 		// The stream was interrupted or ended by the server. Attempt to reconnect.
 		newResp, err := s.reconnect(lastEventID)
@@ -923,9 +932,13 @@ func (s *streamableClientConn) handleSSE(initialResp *http.Response) {
 // processStream reads from a single response body, sending events to the
 // incoming channel. It returns the ID of the last processed event, any error
 // that occurred, and a flag indicating if the connection was closed by the client.
+// If resp is nil, it returns "", false.
 func (s *streamableClientConn) processStream(resp *http.Response) (lastEventID string, clientClosed bool) {
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	if resp == nil {
+		return "", false
+	}
 
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	for evt, err := range scanEvents(resp.Body) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return lastEventID, false
@@ -939,13 +952,11 @@ func (s *streamableClientConn) processStream(resp *http.Response) (lastEventID s
 		case s.incoming <- evt.Data:
 		case <-s.done:
 			// The connection was closed by the client; exit gracefully.
-			return lastEventID, true
+			return "", true
 		}
 	}
-
 	// The loop finished without an error, indicating the server closed the stream.
-	// We'll attempt to reconnect, so this is not a client-side close.
-	return lastEventID, false
+	return "", false
 }
 
 // reconnect handles the logic of retrying a connection with an exponential

mcp/streamable_test.go

@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func TestClientReplay(t *testing.T) {
 	clientSession.CallTool(ctx, &CallToolParams{Name: "multiMessageTool"})
 
 	// 4. Read and verify messages until the server signals it's ready for the proxy kill.
-	receivedNotifications := readProgressNotifications(t, ctx, notifications, 2)
+	receivedNotifications := readNotifications(t, ctx, notifications, 2)
 
 	wantReceived := []string{"msg1", "msg2"}
 	if diff := cmp.Diff(wantReceived, receivedNotifications); diff != "" {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func TestClientReplay(t *testing.T) {
 	// 7. Continue reading from the same connection object.
 	// Its internal logic should successfully retry, reconnect to the new proxy,
 	// and receive the replayed messages.
-	recoveredNotifications := readProgressNotifications(t, ctx, notifications, 2)
+	recoveredNotifications := readNotifications(t, ctx, notifications, 2)
 
 	// 8. Verify the correct messages were received on the recovered connection.
 	wantRecovered := []string{"msg3", "msg4"}
@@ -211,8 +211,39 @@ func TestClientReplay(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Helper to read a specific number of progress notifications.
-func readProgressNotifications(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, notifications chan string, count int) []string {
+// TestServerInitiatedSSE verifies that the persistent SSE connection remains
+// open and can receive server-initiated events.
+func TestServerInitiatedSSE(t *testing.T) {
+	notifications := make(chan string)
+	server := NewServer(testImpl, nil)
+
+	httpServer := httptest.NewServer(NewStreamableHTTPHandler(func(*http.Request) *Server { return server }, nil))
+	defer httpServer.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	client := NewClient(testImpl, &ClientOptions{ToolListChangedHandler: func(ctx context.Context, cc *ClientSession, params *ToolListChangedParams) {
+		notifications <- "toolListChanged"
+	},
+	})
+	clientSession, err := client.Connect(ctx, NewStreamableClientTransport(httpServer.URL, nil))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("client.Connect() failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer clientSession.Close()
+	server.AddTool(&Tool{Name: "testTool", InputSchema: &jsonschema.Schema{}},
+		func(ctx context.Context, ss *ServerSession, params *CallToolParamsFor[map[string]any]) (*CallToolResult, error) {
+			return &CallToolResult{}, nil
+		})
+	receivedNotifications := readNotifications(t, ctx, notifications, 1)
+	wantReceived := []string{"toolListChanged"}
+	if diff := cmp.Diff(wantReceived, receivedNotifications); diff != "" {
+		t.Errorf("Received notifications mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
+	}
+}
+
+// Helper to read a specific number of notifications.
+func readNotifications(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, notifications chan string, count int) []string {
 	t.Helper()
 	var collectedNotifications []string
 	for {