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Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

Description

@its-mash

Summary

When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

Root Cause

The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

  1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
  2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

// Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

The Leapfrog Loop

1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely

Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
...

Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

What Happens in Practice

Cursor (infinite loop)

  • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
  • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
  • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
  • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
  • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

VS Code (silent notification loss)

  • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
  • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
  • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
  • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

Fix: Shadow Channels

PR: #660

Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

  • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
  • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

Why Not 409 Conflict?

The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

  1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
  2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
  3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

Changes (5 commits)

CommitDescription
8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

Files Changed

  • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
    • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
    • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
    • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
    • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
    • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
    • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

Test Results

  • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
  • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
  • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
  • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
  • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
  • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
  • cargo check --workspace passes

Environment

  • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
  • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
  • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
  • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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      Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
      Skip to content

      Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

      Description

      @its-mash

      Summary

      When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

      Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
      Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

      Root Cause

      The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

      1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
      2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

      Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

      // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

      Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

      The Leapfrog Loop

      1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
      2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
      3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
      4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
      5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
      

      Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

      13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
      13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
      13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
      13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
      ...
      

      Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

      Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

      What Happens in Practice

      Cursor (infinite loop)

      • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
      • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
      • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
      • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
      • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

      VS Code (silent notification loss)

      • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
      • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
      • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
      • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

      Fix: Shadow Channels

      PR: #660

      Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

      • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
      • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
      fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

      Why Not 409 Conflict?

      The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

      1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
      2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
      3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

      Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

      Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

      Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

      Changes (5 commits)

      CommitDescription
      8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
      0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
      a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
      7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
      a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

      Files Changed

      • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
        • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
        • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
        • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
        • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
        • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
        • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

      Test Results

      • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
      • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
      • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
      • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
      • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
      • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
      • cargo check --workspace passes

      Environment

      • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
      • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
      • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
      • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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          , 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { // Force GitHub README to respect dark mode (function() { var style = document.createElement('style'); style.textContent = ' .markdown-body { color-scheme: dark light; } .markdown-body pre { background: #161b22 !important; } .markdown-body code { background: rgba(110, 118, 129, 0.4) !important; } .markdown-body table th, .markdown-body table td { border-color: #30363d !important; } .markdown-body img { background: #0d1117; } .markdown-body blockquote { border-left-color: #8b949e; } .markdown-body hr { border-color: #30363d; } '; document.head.appendChild(style); })(); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:GitHub Dark Mode README Fix]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + ' Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
          Skip to content

          Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

          Description

          @its-mash

          Summary

          When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

          Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
          Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

          Root Cause

          The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

          1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
          2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

          Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

          // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

          Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

          The Leapfrog Loop

          1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
          2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
          3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
          4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
          5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
          

          Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

          13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
          13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
          13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
          13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
          ...
          

          Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

          Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

          What Happens in Practice

          Cursor (infinite loop)

          • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
          • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
          • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
          • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
          • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

          VS Code (silent notification loss)

          • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
          • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
          • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
          • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

          Fix: Shadow Channels

          PR: #660

          Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

          • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
          • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
          fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

          Why Not 409 Conflict?

          The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

          1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
          2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
          3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

          Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

          Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

          Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

          Changes (5 commits)

          CommitDescription
          8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
          0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
          a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
          7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
          a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

          Files Changed

          • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
            • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
            • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
            • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
            • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
            • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
            • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

          Test Results

          • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
          • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
          • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
          • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
          • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
          • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
          • cargo check --workspace passes

          Environment

          • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
          • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
          • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
          • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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              None yet

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              No branches or pull requests

              Issue actions

              , 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { // Highlight search terms from Google/DuckDuckGo/Bing referrer (function() { var ref = document.referrer; var terms = []; if (ref.includes('google.com') || ref.includes('duckduckgo.com') || ref.includes('bing.com')) { var url = new URL(ref); var q = url.searchParams.get('q') || url.searchParams.get('p'); if (q) { terms = q.split(/\s+/).filter(function(t) { return t.length > 2; }); } } if (terms.length === 0) return; var style = document.createElement('style'); style.textContent = '.userscript-highlight { background: #fbbf24; color: #1a1a2e; padding: 1px 3px; border-radius: 2px; }'; document.head.appendChild(style); function highlight(node) { if (node.nodeType === 3) { // text node var text = node.textContent; var found = false; terms.forEach(function(term) { var regex = new RegExp('(' + term.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\') + ')', 'gi'); if (regex.test(text)) { found = true; var frag = document.createDocumentFragment(); var parts = text.split(regex); parts.forEach(function(part, i) { if (i % 2 === 0) { frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(part)); } else { var span = document.createElement('span'); span.className = 'userscript-highlight'; span.textContent = part; frag.appendChild(span); } }); node.parentNode.replaceChild(frag, node); } }); } else if (node.nodeType === 1 && node.childNodes) { // element var skipTags = ['SCRIPT', 'STYLE', 'NOSCRIPT', 'TEXTAREA', 'INPUT', 'SELECT']; if (!skipTags.includes(node.tagName)) { Array.from(node.childNodes).forEach(highlight); } } } highlight(document.body); // Re-highlight on dynamic content var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) { mutations.forEach(function(m) { m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) { if (node.nodeType === 1 || node.nodeType === 3) highlight(node); }); }); }); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); })(); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Highlight Search Terms]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + ' Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
              Skip to content

              Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

              Description

              @its-mash

              Summary

              When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

              Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
              Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

              Root Cause

              The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

              1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
              2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

              Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

              // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

              Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

              The Leapfrog Loop

              1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
              2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
              3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
              4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
              5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
              

              Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

              13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
              13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
              13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
              13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
              ...
              

              Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

              Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

              What Happens in Practice

              Cursor (infinite loop)

              • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
              • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
              • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
              • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
              • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

              VS Code (silent notification loss)

              • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
              • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
              • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
              • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

              Fix: Shadow Channels

              PR: #660

              Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

              • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
              • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
              fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

              Why Not 409 Conflict?

              The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

              1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
              2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
              3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

              Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

              Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

              Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

              Changes (5 commits)

              CommitDescription
              8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
              0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
              a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
              7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
              a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

              Files Changed

              • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
                • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
                • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
                • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
                • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
                • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
                • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

              Test Results

              • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
              • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
              • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
              • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
              • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
              • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
              • cargo check --workspace passes

              Environment

              • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
              • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
              • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
              • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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                  , 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { // Strip utm_, fbclid, gclid, etc. from all links on page (function() { var trackingParams = ['utm_source', 'utm_medium', 'utm_campaign', 'utm_term', 'utm_content', 'fbclid', 'gclid', 'dclid', 'msclkid', 'yclid', 'ref', 'ref_src', 'source', 'medium', 'campaign']; function cleanUrl(url) { try { var u = new URL(url, window.location.origin); var changed = false; trackingParams.forEach(function(p) { if (u.searchParams.has(p)) { u.searchParams.delete(p); changed = true; } }); return changed ? u.toString() : url; } catch (e) { return url; } } function cleanLinks() { document.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) { var clean = cleanUrl(a.href); if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean; }); } cleanLinks(); var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) { mutations.forEach(function(m) { m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) { if (node.nodeType === 1) { if (node.tagName === 'A') cleanLinks(); node.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) { var clean = cleanUrl(a.href); if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean; }); } }); }); }); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); })(); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Remove Tracking Parameters from Links]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "youtube.com"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + "youtube\\.com" + ' Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
                  Skip to content

                  Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

                  Description

                  @its-mash

                  Summary

                  When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

                  Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
                  Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

                  Root Cause

                  The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

                  1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
                  2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

                  Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

                  // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

                  Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

                  The Leapfrog Loop

                  1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
                  2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
                  3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
                  4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
                  5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
                  

                  Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

                  13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
                  13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
                  13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
                  13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
                  ...
                  

                  Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

                  Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

                  What Happens in Practice

                  Cursor (infinite loop)

                  • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
                  • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
                  • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
                  • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
                  • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

                  VS Code (silent notification loss)

                  • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
                  • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
                  • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
                  • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

                  Fix: Shadow Channels

                  PR: #660

                  Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

                  • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
                  • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
                  fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

                  Why Not 409 Conflict?

                  The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

                  1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
                  2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
                  3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

                  Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

                  Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

                  Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

                  Changes (5 commits)

                  CommitDescription
                  8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
                  0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
                  a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
                  7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
                  a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

                  Files Changed

                  • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
                    • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
                    • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
                    • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
                    • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
                    • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
                    • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

                  Test Results

                  • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
                  • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
                  • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
                  • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
                  • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
                  • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
                  • cargo check --workspace passes

                  Environment

                  • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
                  • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
                  • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
                  • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

                  Metadata

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                      None yet

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                      Issue actions

                      , 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { // Auto-enable theater mode on YouTube (function() { function tryTheater() { var btn = document.querySelector('button[aria-label="Theater mode"], ytd-player #player button[title="Theater mode"]'); if (btn && !btn.classList.contains('activated')) { btn.click(); } } // Try immediately tryTheater(); // Try after navigation (SPA) var lastUrl = location.href; setInterval(function() { if (location.href !== lastUrl) { lastUrl = location.href; setTimeout(tryTheater, 500); } }, 1000); // Also try on player load var observer = new MutationObserver(tryTheater); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true }); })(); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:YouTube Theater Mode Default]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + ' Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
                      Skip to content

                      Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

                      Description

                      @its-mash

                      Summary

                      When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

                      Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
                      Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

                      Root Cause

                      The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

                      1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
                      2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

                      Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

                      // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

                      Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

                      The Leapfrog Loop

                      1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
                      2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
                      3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
                      4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
                      5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
                      

                      Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

                      13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
                      13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
                      13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
                      13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
                      ...
                      

                      Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

                      Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

                      What Happens in Practice

                      Cursor (infinite loop)

                      • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
                      • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
                      • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
                      • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
                      • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

                      VS Code (silent notification loss)

                      • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
                      • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
                      • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
                      • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

                      Fix: Shadow Channels

                      PR: #660

                      Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

                      • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
                      • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
                      fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

                      Why Not 409 Conflict?

                      The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

                      1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
                      2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
                      3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

                      Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

                      Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

                      Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

                      Changes (5 commits)

                      CommitDescription
                      8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
                      0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
                      a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
                      7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
                      a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

                      Files Changed

                      • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
                        • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
                        • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
                        • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
                        • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
                        • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
                        • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

                      Test Results

                      • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
                      • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
                      • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
                      • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
                      • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
                      • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
                      • cargo check --workspace passes

                      Environment

                      • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
                      • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
                      • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
                      • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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                          None yet

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                          No branches or pull requests

                          Issue actions

                          , 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { // Remove or un-stick sticky/fixed headers that block content (function() { function unstick() { document.querySelectorAll('header, nav, [role="banner"], .header, .navbar, .sticky, .fixed-top, [style*="position: fixed"], [style*="position:sticky"]').forEach(function(el) { if (el.style.position === 'fixed' || el.style.position === 'sticky' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'fixed' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'sticky') { el.style.position = 'static'; el.style.top = 'auto'; el.style.zIndex = 'auto'; } }); } unstick(); var observer = new MutationObserver(unstick); observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['style', 'class'] }); })(); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Kill Sticky Headers]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + ' Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop · Issue #659 · modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk · GitHub
                          Skip to content

                          Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

                          Description

                          @its-mash

                          Summary

                          When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

                          Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
                          Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

                          Root Cause

                          The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

                          1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
                          2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

                          Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

                          // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

                          Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

                          The Leapfrog Loop

                          1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
                          2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
                          3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
                          4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
                          5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
                          

                          Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

                          13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
                          13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
                          13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
                          13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
                          ...
                          

                          Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

                          Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

                          What Happens in Practice

                          Cursor (infinite loop)

                          • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
                          • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
                          • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
                          • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
                          • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

                          VS Code (silent notification loss)

                          • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
                          • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
                          • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
                          • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

                          Fix: Shadow Channels

                          PR: #660

                          Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

                          • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
                          • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
                          fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

                          Why Not 409 Conflict?

                          The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

                          1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
                          2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
                          3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

                          Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

                          Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

                          Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

                          Changes (5 commits)

                          CommitDescription
                          8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
                          0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
                          a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
                          7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
                          a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

                          Files Changed

                          • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
                            • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
                            • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
                            • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
                            • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
                            • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
                            • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

                          Test Results

                          • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
                          • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
                          • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
                          • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
                          • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
                          • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
                          • cargo check --workspace passes

                          Environment

                          • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
                          • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
                          • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
                          • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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                          Metadata

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                              Streamable HTTP: Multiple SSE streams cause infinite reconnect loop #659

                              Description

                              @its-mash

                              Summary

                              When multiple SSE streams exist for the same session (e.g. from POST response reconnections), LocalSessionWorker::resume() unconditionally replaces self.common.tx, killing the other stream's receiver. Both EventSource connections then reconnect every sse_retry seconds, leapfrogging each other in an infinite loop that floods the server with GET requests.

                              Affected versions: rmcp 0.14.0, 0.15.0
                              Severity: Critical — causes infinite reconnect loops with clients like Cursor, and breaks server-to-client notifications over Streamable HTTP

                              Root Cause

                              The MCP Streamable HTTP transport sends POST SSE responses with a priming event containing retry: 3000. When the POST stream ends (after delivering the response), the browser's EventSource API automatically reconnects via GET. This creates multiple competing EventSource connections:

                              1. The initial standalone GET stream (primary notification channel)
                              2. Reconnecting GETs from completed POST responses (initialize, tools/list, etc.)

                              Each reconnecting GET calls resume() which unconditionally replaces self.common.tx:

                              // Before fix — local.rs resume()None => {let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);self.common.tx = tx;// ← Unconditionally replaces sender, kills other stream// ...}

                              Dropping the old sender closes the old receiver, terminating the OTHER EventSource's stream. That stream then reconnects, replacing the sender again. Both leapfrog every sse_retry (3s) indefinitely.

                              The Leapfrog Loop

                              1. Client POST initialize → SSE response with priming (retry: 3000) → stream ends
                              2. Client GET (standalone) → becomes primary common channel (tx1/rx1)
                              3. POST EventSource reconnects via GET (3s later) → replaces common.tx → kills rx1
                              4. GET from step 2 reconnects → replaces common.tx → kills stream from step 3
                              5. Repeat every 3 seconds indefinitely
                              

                              Server logs confirm the pattern — alternating GET requests every 3 seconds with different Last-Event-ID values:

                              13:33:51.670 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← from completed POST response
                              13:33:54.668 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← from killed standalone stream
                              13:33:57.679 GET Last-Event-ID: 0/2 ← leapfrog
                              13:34:00.674 GET Last-Event-ID: 0 ← leapfrog
                              ...
                              

                              Additional Issue: Cache Replay Loop

                              Even without the leapfrog, resume() called sync() on the common channel to replay cached events. Replaying server-initiated list_changed notifications caused clients to re-process old signals, triggering unnecessary re-fetches every reconnection cycle.

                              What Happens in Practice

                              Cursor (infinite loop)

                              • Connects via POST initialize + GET standalone
                              • POST SSE stream ends → EventSource reconnects via GET
                              • Two competing streams leapfrog every 3 seconds
                              • Server flooded with GET requests indefinitely
                              • Notifications intermittently lost as channels are swapped

                              VS Code (silent notification loss)

                              • Reconnects SSE every ~5 minutes with same session ID
                              • Each reconnection replaces the channel sender
                              • Previous stream's receiver is orphaned
                              • notify_tool_list_changed().await returns Ok(())silent failure

                              Fix: Shadow Channels

                              PR: #660

                              Instead of unconditionally replacing the common channel, check if the primary is still active:

                              • Primary dead (tx.is_closed()) → Replace it. New stream becomes primary.
                              • Primary alive → Create a shadow stream — an idle SSE connection kept alive by SSE keep-alive pings that does NOT receive notifications and does NOT replace the primary channel.
                              fnresume_or_shadow_common(&mutself) -> Result<StreamableHttpMessageReceiver,SessionError>{let(tx, rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.session_config.channel_capacity);ifself.common.tx.is_closed(){// Primary is dead — replace itself.common.tx = tx;}else{// Primary is alive — create shadow (idle, keep-alive only)self.shadow_txs.push(tx);}Ok(StreamableHttpMessageReceiver{http_request_id:None,inner: rx })}

                              Why Not 409 Conflict?

                              The initial approach (matching the TypeScript SDK) was to return 409 Conflict on duplicate standalone streams. However:

                              1. The MCP spec states: "The client MAY remain connected to multiple SSE streams simultaneously" — 409 is not spec-compliant
                              2. 409 causes Cursor to fail entirely on reconnection (500 errors from unhandled Conflict)
                              3. The reconnecting EventSources are legitimate HTTP requests — they need a valid stream back

                              Shadow channels are the correct approach: keep all connections alive without interference.

                              Why No Cache Replay on Common Channel?

                              Common channel notifications (tools/list_changed, resources/list_changed) are idempotent signals. Replaying cached ones causes clients to re-process old events, triggering unnecessary re-fetches or infinite notification loops. Missing one is harmless — the next real event arrives naturally. Request-wise channels still use sync() for proper response replay.

                              Changes (5 commits)

                              CommitDescription
                              8bd424eInitial 409 Conflict approach (returned error on duplicate standalone stream)
                              0d03eb5Handle resume with completed request-wise channels (fall through to common)
                              a7bb822Remove 409 Conflict — allow channel replacement per MCP spec
                              7cf5406Skip cache replay (sync) when replacing active streams
                              a7df58cShadow channels — the final fix that prevents the leapfrog loop

                              Files Changed

                              • crates/rmcp/src/transport/streamable_http_server/session/local.rs
                                • Added shadow_txs: Vec<Sender<ServerSseMessage>> to LocalSessionWorker
                                • New method resume_or_shadow_common() with primary-alive check
                                • Updated resume() to use shadow logic for both direct common and request-wise fallback paths
                                • Removed sync() calls on common channel resume
                                • Updated close_sse_stream() to clear shadow senders
                                • Updated create_local_session() to initialize shadow_txs

                              Test Results

                              • Cursor connects and initializes successfully (no 409/500 errors)
                              • Cursor does NOT enter infinite GET reconnect loop after connection
                              • Feature changes trigger exactly one batch of list_changed notifications
                              • Cursor receives and processes notifications correctly (re-fetches tools/resources)
                              • No notification replay loop (no repeated ResourceListChanged every 3s)
                              • VS Code connects and works correctly (unaffected by changes)
                              • cargo check --workspace passes

                              Environment

                              • rmcp 0.15.0 (also affects 0.14.0)
                              • StreamableHttpService with stateful_mode: true
                              • LocalSessionManager (default session manager)
                              • Clients tested: Cursor 2.4.37, VS Code MCP Extension

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