Problem

When adding or modifying MCP server configurations in ~/.claude.json, users must manually:

1. Quit Claude Code (/exit or Ctrl+C)
2. Run claude --resume
3. Select the most recent session from the list

This is a friction-heavy workflow, especially when iterating on MCP server setup or debugging connection issues.

Proposed Solution

Add a built-in /restart command that:

1. Saves the current session ID
2. Re-execs the Claude Code process with --resume <session-id>
3. Automatically reconnects to updated MCP servers

Example Usage

> /restart
Restarting Claude Code...
[Claude Code restarts and resumes the same session with refreshed MCP connections]

Alternatives Considered

• Shell aliases/wrappers: Work but are external workarounds that don't preserve session context seamlessly
• Custom skills: Cannot restart the parent process from within

Additional Context

This would significantly improve the developer experience when:

• Setting up new MCP servers
• Debugging MCP connection issues
• Switching between MCP configurations
• Any scenario where MCP servers need to be reloaded

Environment

• macOS (though this would benefit all platforms)
• Claude Code CLI