smart-mcp-proxy
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diff --git a/‎docs/cli-management-commands.md‎
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diff --git a/‎docs/configuration.md‎
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diff --git a/‎internal/config/config.go‎
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diff --git a/‎internal/config/merge.go‎
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diff --git a/‎internal/upstream/core/client.go‎
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@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 *.so
 *.dylib
 /mcpproxy
+/test/launcher-server/launcher-server
 __debug_bin*
 
 # Playwright MCP artifacts
 
@@ -352,6 +352,14 @@ mcpproxy upstream restart --all
 
 **Note:** Restart does not require confirmation as it's non-destructive.
 
+**Locally-launched HTTP/SSE upstreams:** when a server is configured with both
+`command` and an HTTP/SSE `url` (see [docs/configuration.md](configuration.md#locally-launched-http--sse-servers)),
+`restart` stops the spawned child (`SIGTERM` → grace → `SIGKILL`) before
+re-running Connect. The grace timeout is fixed at 5s today; the next start
+won't begin until the previous child is fully reaped, so you can rely on the
+port being free after the command returns. Stop ordering is: close MCP client
+→ stop launched child → release per-server state.
+
 ---
 
 ### `mcpproxy doctor`
 
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@ MCPProxy looks for configuration in these locations (in order):
 | `args` | array | No | Command arguments |
 | `url` | string | Yes* | Server URL (required for `http`/`sse`/`streamable-http` protocols) |
 | `headers` | object | No | HTTP headers for HTTP-based protocols |
-| `working_dir` | string | No | Working directory for stdio servers (default: current directory) |
-| `env` | object | No | Environment variables for stdio servers |
+| `working_dir` | string | No | Working directory for stdio servers, or for the locally-launched child of an HTTP/SSE server (default: current directory) |
+| `env` | object | No | Environment variables for stdio servers, or for the locally-launched child of an HTTP/SSE server |
+| `launcher_wait_timeout` | duration | No | When `command` is set together with an HTTP/SSE `url`, how long mcpproxy waits for that URL to become reachable after spawning the child (e.g. `"15s"`, default `"30s"`) |
 | `oauth` | object | No | OAuth configuration (see [OAuth Configuration](#oauth-configuration)) |
 | `isolation` | object | No | Per-server Docker isolation settings (see [Docker Isolation](#docker-isolation)) |
 | `enabled` | boolean | No | Enable/disable server (default: `true`) |
@@ -210,6 +211,54 @@ MCPProxy looks for configuration in these locations (in order):
 }
 ```
 
+### Locally-launched HTTP / SSE servers
+
+By default `command` is only used for `stdio` servers. When you set `command`
+together with an HTTP/SSE `url` and an explicit `protocol` of `http`, `sse`,
+or `streamable-http`, mcpproxy will:
+
+1. Spawn the command (with `args`, `env`, `working_dir`, and Docker isolation
+   exactly like a stdio server).
+2. Wait up to `launcher_wait_timeout` (default 30s) for `url` to accept a TCP
+   connection.
+3. Connect via the configured HTTP/SSE transport.
+4. Own the child's lifecycle — the process is stopped (`SIGTERM`, then
+   `SIGKILL` after a grace period) on disconnect, restart, server-disable, or
+   mcpproxy shutdown. Unexpected exits trigger an automatic disconnect, which
+   the existing reconnect path picks up.
+
+```json
+{
+  "name": "local-http-mcp",
+  "protocol": "http",
+  "url": "http://127.0.0.1:9999/mcp",
+  "command": "node",
+  "args": ["./examples/echo-http-server.js", "--port", "9999"],
+  "working_dir": "/path/to/repo",
+  "launcher_wait_timeout": "15s",
+  "enabled": true
+}
+```
+
+`stdout` and `stderr` of the child are routed to the per-server log, so
+`mcpproxy upstream logs <name>` continues to work the same way it does for
+stdio servers.
+
+#### Behaviour matrix when both `command` and `url` are set
+
+| `protocol` | `command` | `url` | Behaviour |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `stdio` (explicit) | set | any | Stdio transport, child via stdin/stdout — `url` ignored. |
+| `http` / `sse` / `streamable-http` (explicit) | set | set | **Locally-launched HTTP/SSE** — spawn child, wait for URL, connect via network. |
+| `http` / `sse` / `streamable-http` (explicit) | unset | set | Connect to remote URL — no spawn. |
+| `auto` or unset | set | any | Stdio (`command` wins over `url` for back-compat — set `protocol` explicitly to opt into the launcher). |
+| `auto` or unset | unset | set | HTTP/SSE remote — no spawn. |
+
+The "command wins" rule under `auto` is intentional: it preserves backwards
+compatibility with configurations written before the launcher feature
+existed. To launch a local HTTP/SSE server you **must** set `protocol`
+explicitly to one of `http`, `sse`, or `streamable-http`.
+
 ### OAuth Configuration
 
 ```json
 
@@ -224,6 +224,13 @@ type ServerConfig struct {
 	Updated        time.Time         `json:"updated,omitempty" mapstructure:"updated"`
 	Isolation      *IsolationConfig  `json:"isolation,omitempty" mapstructure:"isolation"`               // Per-server isolation settings
 	ReconnectOnUse bool              `json:"reconnect_on_use,omitempty" mapstructure:"reconnect-on-use"` // Attempt reconnection when a tool call targets a disconnected server
+
+	// LauncherWaitTimeout caps how long mcpproxy will wait for a locally-launched
+	// HTTP/SSE upstream's URL to become reachable after Spawn(). Only consulted
+	// when the server is configured with both Command and an HTTP/SSE URL — i.e.,
+	// mcpproxy starts the process AND connects via network. Stdio servers ignore
+	// this field. Zero or unset → 30s default.
+	LauncherWaitTimeout Duration `json:"launcher_wait_timeout,omitempty" mapstructure:"launcher_wait_timeout" swaggertype:"string"`
 }
 
 // OAuthConfig represents OAuth configuration for a server
 
@@ -528,17 +528,18 @@ func CopyServerConfig(src *ServerConfig) *ServerConfig {
 	}
 
 	dst := &ServerConfig{
-		Name:           src.Name,
-		URL:            src.URL,
-		Protocol:       src.Protocol,
-		Command:        src.Command,
-		WorkingDir:     src.WorkingDir,
-		Enabled:        src.Enabled,
-		Quarantined:    src.Quarantined,
-		SkipQuarantine: src.SkipQuarantine,
-		Shared:         src.Shared,
-		Created:        src.Created,
-		Updated:        src.Updated,
+		Name:                src.Name,
+		URL:                 src.URL,
+		Protocol:            src.Protocol,
+		Command:             src.Command,
+		WorkingDir:          src.WorkingDir,
+		Enabled:             src.Enabled,
+		Quarantined:         src.Quarantined,
+		SkipQuarantine:      src.SkipQuarantine,
+		Shared:              src.Shared,
+		Created:             src.Created,
+		Updated:             src.Updated,
+		LauncherWaitTimeout: src.LauncherWaitTimeout,
 	}
 
 	// Copy slices
 
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/secret"
 	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/secureenv"
 	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/storage"
+	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/upstream/launcher"
 	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/upstream/types"
 
 	"github.com/mark3labs/mcp-go/client"
@@ -98,6 +99,14 @@ type Client struct {
 	containerName   string // Store container name for cleanup via docker container commands
 	isDockerCommand bool
 
+	// Local launcher tracking — only populated when this Client is using
+	// HTTP/SSE/streamable-HTTP transport AND ServerConfig.Command is set.
+	// In that mode mcpproxy spawns the upstream process before connecting,
+	// and owns its lifecycle via the handle below. Stdio servers leave
+	// these fields nil — they spawn through mcp-go's stdio transport.
+	launcherHandle  launcher.Handle
+	launcherCIDFile string
+
 	// Notification callback for tools/list_changed
 	onToolsChanged func(serverName string)
 }
 
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package core
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/internal/transport"
@@ -118,6 +119,21 @@ func (c *Client) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// Create and connect client based on transport type
 	var err error
+	// Locally-launched HTTP/SSE upstreams: spawn the child process before
+	// the transport-level connect, then wait for its URL to become
+	// reachable. Stdio is excluded because the stdio transport spawns
+	// through mcp-go itself; running the launcher here would double-spawn.
+	switch c.transportType {
+	case transportHTTP, transportHTTPStreamable, transportSSE:
+		if c.config.Command != "" {
+			c.logger.Debug("🚀 Launching local upstream before HTTP/SSE connect",
+				zap.String("server", c.config.Name),
+				zap.String("transport", c.transportType))
+			if launchErr := c.connectWithLauncher(ctx); launchErr != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to launch local upstream: %w", launchErr)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	switch c.transportType {
 	case transportStdio:
 		c.logger.Debug("📡 Using STDIO transport")
@@ -183,6 +199,36 @@ func (c *Client) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
 			c.processGroupID = 0
 		}
 
+		// Stop any locally-launched upstream child the HTTP/SSE path
+		// started — connectWithLauncher itself only stops it on
+		// wait-for-url failure, not on subsequent transport-level
+		// connect failure.
+		//
+		// IMPORTANT: c.mu is held for the duration of Connect (see
+		// the c.mu.Lock at the top of this function), so we can read
+		// the launcher fields directly. We release the lock briefly
+		// around handle.Stop because Stop blocks until the child is
+		// reaped and we don't want to hold c.mu that long; the
+		// `connecting` flag already prevents a concurrent Connect.
+		if c.launcherHandle != nil {
+			handle := c.launcherHandle
+			cidFile := c.launcherCIDFile
+			c.launcherHandle = nil
+			c.launcherCIDFile = ""
+			c.mu.Unlock()
+			stopCtx, stopCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+			if stopErr := handle.Stop(stopCtx); stopErr != nil {
+				c.logger.Warn("error stopping launcher during connect-failure cleanup",
+					zap.String("server", c.config.Name),
+					zap.Error(stopErr))
+			}
+			stopCancel()
+			if cidFile != "" {
+				_ = os.Remove(cidFile)
+			}
+			c.mu.Lock()
+		}
+
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect: %w", err)
 	}