MCP Gateway for Claude Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with MCP Gateway in Claude Code

Pick it to apply shared security plugins and visibility across otherwise separate MCP servers.

• Mask supported credentials in proxied tool exchanges
• Scan server reputation and tool descriptions before loading

Before you start: MCP Gateway in Claude Code

• Python and pip
• The mcp-gateway package
• Xetrack installed for this example
• An MCP configuration containing nested server definitions

Install with pip install mcp-gateway and pip install xetrack. Replace the configuration path if needed. This example enables basic masking and tracing; Lasso API credentials and Presidio extras are needed only for those plugins.

MCP Gateway Claude Code configuration

1. Choose Claude Code configuration scope

   For MCP Gateway, open Project scope: .mcp.json at the repository root. Project JSON: merge into mcpServers; user scope: use the CLI.

2. Add MCP Gateway to Claude Code

   Use the mcp-gateway-lasso-security entry below in mcpServers. Keep MCP Gateway's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Code entries.

3. Check MCP Gateway in Claude Code

   MCP Gateway: Inspect claude mcp list and /mcp status.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-gateway-lasso-security": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "mcp-gateway",
      "args": [
        "--mcp-json-path",
        "~/.cursor/mcp.json",
        "-p",
        "basic",
        "-p",
        "xetrack"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add-json --scope project 'mcp-gateway-lasso-security' '{"type":"stdio","command":"mcp-gateway","args":["--mcp-json-path","~/.cursor/mcp.json","-p","basic","-p","xetrack"],"env":{}}'

MCP Gateway tools available to Claude Code

MCP Gateway's stored tool list documents 2 tools; compare it with Claude Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

get_metadata

For MCP Gateway's get_metadata, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

Inspect available proxied servers and their capabilities.

run_tool

For MCP Gateway's run_tool, review the permission request and arguments in Claude Code before approval.

MCP Gateway: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MCP Gateway in Claude Code

• If MCP Gateway fails to start, check mcp-gateway, the working directory, and Claude Code's selected scope; inspect claude mcp list and /mcp.
• MCP Gateway uses stdio here: Claude Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Presidio and Xetrack require additional dependencies
• Known limitation: Advanced Lasso guardrails need an API key and external API checks
• Known limitation: Scanner results can be manually overridden
• General Claude Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-code guide.

Frequently asked questions