Docker desktop linux MCP gayeway - dynamic tools change not working

[MQ37]

Description

It seems that the Docker MCP gateway does not handle the MCP server dynamic tools change correctly and incorrectly handles the tools list changed notification. For instance this happens when using Apify MCP server with configured with apify-mcp-server.tools = "add-actor" - the tool add-actor dynamically changes tools list and adds the Apify Actor as a tool to the MCP session which normally works when using Apify MCP directly over stdio but fails when used throught Docker desktop MCP gateway.

Working scenario using Apify MCP stdio directly

MCP command: npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server --tools add-actor

Initial tools: add-actor, get-actor-output

We add new Actor to the session using:

{
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "add-actor",
    "arguments": {
      "actor": "apify/rag-web-browser"
    },
    "_meta": {
      "progressToken": 0
    }
  }
}

Which causes Apify MCP server to send tools list changed notification to the client:

{
  "method": "notifications/tools/list_changed"
}

And now when the client does tools/list request there is now also "apify-slash-rag-web-browser" tool with the original add-actor and get-actor-output.

Scenario where the tool list does not change even after the tools list changed notification

MCP command: docker mcp gateway run

Initial tools: add-actor, get-actor-output

We add new Actor tot the session using:

{
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "add-actor",
    "arguments": {
      "actor": "apify/rag-web-browser"
    },
    "_meta": {
      "progressToken": 0
    }
  }
}

In this case for some reason three tools list changed notifications are send instaed of one and they have additional "params": {} (it may not be related).

{
  "method": "notifications/tools/list_changed",
  "params": {}
}

When the client calls tools/list there is only the two original tools and the apify-slash-rag-web-browser is missing.

Reproduce

described in description

Expected behavior

after calling the add-actor and then doing tools/list the new tool apify-slash-rag-web-browser should be present

docker version

Version 4.47.0 (206054)
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04.3 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
Linux ubuntu 6.14.0-1012-oem #12-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Sep  5 13:02:48 UTC 2025 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

docker info

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:    28.4.0
 Context:    default
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.9.11
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.28.0-desktop.1
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  cloud: Docker Cloud (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.4.29
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-cloud
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.39.4-desktop.1
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.42
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.20.0
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.18.3
    Path:     /home/mq/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 0
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 5
 Server Version: 28.4.0
 Storage Driver: overlay2
  Backing Filesystem: extfs
  Supports d_type: true
  Using metacopy: false
  Native Overlay Diff: true
  userxattr: false
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: systemd
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: b98a3aace656320842a23f4a392a33f46af97866
 runc version: v1.3.0-0-g4ca628d1
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  apparmor
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.14.0-1012-oem
 Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 32
 Total Memory: 125.1GiB
 Name: ubuntu
 ID: c153192b-2676-405f-9de3-11c89488af9a
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnostics ID

67EE0540-B487-4C1C-BCA3-FE562038BF91/20250929121038

Additional Info

No response

[slimslenderslacks]

@MQ37 thanks! I think I know what's happening here. We have an option to use ephemeral containers when the mcp server is stateless, and I think our catalog entry has your server marked as being stateless. In fact, we need your gateway session to stay connected to a long-lived container here. We'll test an update to the catalog entry now and get back to you.

[slimslenderslacks]

Also, I might transfer this issue to our https://github.com/docker/mcp-registry repo but I'll let you know before I do that.

[MQ37]

@slimslenderslacks thank you!

[slimslenderslacks]

@MQ37 just some status on this. We're going to be pushing a new version of our catalog that will make the server long-lived. Using mcp-inspector, I was able to confirm that with this change, the second tools/list call will show the apify-slash-rag-web-browser tool. I will update this image once this version of the catalog is released.

[slimslenderslacks]

The fix for this is being released as a module update to version 4.48 of Docker Desktop (docker mcp version > v0.22.0)

[MQ37]

@slimslenderslacks thank you!