MCP Gateway for VS Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with MCP Gateway in VS Code

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

• Mask supported credentials in proxied tool exchanges
• Trace tool calls through the optional Xetrack plugin

Before you start: MCP Gateway in VS 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 VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

   For MCP Gateway, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

2. Add MCP Gateway to VS Code

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

3. Check MCP Gateway in VS Code

   MCP Gateway: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

{
  "servers": {
    "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 VS Code

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

get_metadata

Look for get_metadata among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Gateway through the MCP controls.

Inspect available proxied servers and their capabilities.

run_tool

Look for run_tool among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting MCP Gateway through the MCP controls.

MCP Gateway: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MCP Gateway in VS Code

• Make mcp-gateway available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting MCP Gateway. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• MCP Gateway uses stdio here: VS 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 VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions