Cline error
Cline: McpError: MCP error -32001: Request timed out
McpError: MCP error -32001: Request timed outStatus: WorkaroundLast verified 3 documented fixes5 sources
What it means
An MCP server did not answer a request (tool listing, resource listing or a tool call) within the timeout, so Cline marks the request failed. Current versions phrase it as: MCP request to "<server>" timed out after <N>s. Increase the "timeout" field (in seconds) for this server in cline_mcp_settings.json.
Causes
- Slow-starting or slow-responding MCP server.
- In 3.38.1, internal operations (tools/list, resources/list, resources/templates/list) used a hardcoded 5-second timeout while the user-configured timeout applied only to tool calls (#7635).
- Timeout configured in milliseconds by mistake: the field is in seconds and values are clamped to 1-3600.
How to fix it
- Fix 1.
Set a per-server "timeout" in seconds in cline_mcp_settings.json. Source: default 60, minimum 1, maximum 3600; values above the max are treated as a milliseconds/seconds mix-up and clamped.
JSON"timeout": 120 - Fix 2.
Docs troubleshooting: "Increase MCP timeout and test server response directly"; for "Server won't connect" verify command/URL, server process status, and port.
- Fix 3.
Update Cline: 3.5.1 "Add timeout option to MCP servers"; 4.1.7 gives stdio servers that were never configured a 30-second initialize budget and keeps a hung server from taking down session creation.
More Cline errors
All 17 Cline errorsShell Integration Unavailable. Cline may have trouble viewing the command's output. Please update VSCode (CMD/CTRL + Shift + P → "Update") and make sure you're using a supported shell: zsh, bash, fish, or PowerShell (CMD/CTRL + Shift + P → "Terminal: Select Default Profile").Status: WorkaroundError executing command: The command ran successfully, but we couldn't capture its output. Please proceed accordingly.Status: Fixed in releaseCommand failed with exit code 1: powershell (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem).caption 'powershell' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.Status: WorkaroundUnexpected API Response: The language model did not provide any assistant messages. This may indicate an issue with the API or the model's output.Status: WorkaroundInvalid API Response: The provider returned an empty or unparsable response. This is a provider-side issue where the model failed to generate valid output or returned tool calls that Cline cannot process. Retrying the request may help resolve this issue.Status: OpenModel returned empty responseStatus: OpenFunction call is missing a thought_signature in functionCall parts. This is required for tools to work correctly, and missing thought_signature may lead to degraded model performance.Status: Fixed in release429 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"rate_limit_error","message":"Number of request tokens has exceeded your per-minute rate limit (https://docs.anthropic.com/en/api/rate-limits); see the response headers for current usage. Please reduce the prompt length or the maximum tokens requested, or try again later. You may also contact sales at https://www.anthropic.com/contact-sales to discuss your options for a rate limit increase."}}Status: Workaround
Related reading
- What Is Cline? The Open-Source AI Coding Agent for VS CodeCline is a free, open-source VS Code extension for agentic AI coding. Bring your own model, a cloud API or a local one via Ollama, with no vendor lock-in.
- Every AI Coding Tool Compared: The 2026 MatrixEvery AI coding tool compared: 15 terminal, IDE, cloud and browser tools side by side on pricing, model surface, strengths, weaknesses and best use cases.
FAQ
What does "McpError: MCP error -32001: Request timed out" mean in Cline?
An MCP server did not answer a request (tool listing, resource listing or a tool call) within the timeout, so Cline marks the request failed. Current versions phrase it as: MCP request to "<server>" timed out after <N>s. Increase the "timeout" field (in seconds) for this server in cline_mcp_settings.json.
How do I fix "McpError: MCP error -32001: Request timed out"?
There are 3 documented fixes. Start with the first: Set a per-server "timeout" in seconds in cline_mcp_settings.json. Source: default 60, minimum 1, maximum 3600; values above the max are treated as a milliseconds/seconds mix-up and clamped.
Is this Cline error fixed?
Status: Workaround. No release removes the cause. The documented fixes work around it. Affected versions: Hardcoded 5s internal timeout reported on 3.38.1
Sources
Last verified against 5 sources: official docs, maintainer replies and release notes.
- github.comhttps://github.com/cline/cline/issues/7635
- github.comhttps://github.com/cline/cline/issues/1712
- github.comhttps://github.com/cline/cline/blob/main/sdk/packages/shared/src/mcp.ts
- docs.cline.bothttps://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview
- github.comhttps://github.com/cline/cline/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
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