Zen MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol server that enables multi-model AI orchestration for development workflows. It allows tools like Claude Code, Gemini CLI, or Codex CLI to access multiple AI models, creating a collaborative AI development environment with conversation continuity across different models for enhanced code analysis and problem-solving.
Prerequisites: Python 3.10+, Git, uv installed
Choose one or more:
Option A: Clone and Automatic Setup (recommended)
git clone https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/zen-mcp-server.git
cd zen-mcp-server
# Handles everything: setup, config, API keys from system environment.
# Auto-configures Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI
# Enable / disable additional settings in .env
./run-server.sh
Option B: Instant Setup with uvx
// Add to ~/.claude/settings.json or .mcp.json
// Don't forget to add your API keys under env
{
"mcpServers": {
"zen": {
"command": "bash",
"args": ["-c", "for p in $(which uvx 2>/dev/null) $HOME/.local/bin/uvx /opt/homebrew/bin/uvx /usr/local/bin/uvx uvx; do [ -x \"$p\" ] && exec \"$p\" --from git+https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/zen-mcp-server.git zen-mcp-server; done; echo 'uvx not found' >&2; exit 1"],
"env": {
"PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:~/.local/bin",
"GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-key-here",
"DISABLED_TOOLS": "analyze,refactor,testgen,secaudit,docgen,tracer",
"DEFAULT_MODEL": "auto"
}
}
}
}
"Use zen to analyze this code for security issues with gemini pro"
"Debug this error with o3 and then get flash to suggest optimizations"
"Plan the migration strategy with zen, get consensus from multiple models"
To optimize context window usage, only essential tools are enabled by default:
Enabled by default:
chat, thinkdeep, planner, consensus - Core collaboration toolscodereview, precommit, debug - Essential code quality toolschallenge - Critical thinking utilityDisabled by default:
analyze, refactor, testgen, secaudit, docgen, tracerOption 1: Edit your .env file
# Default configuration (from .env.example)
DISABLED_TOOLS=analyze,refactor,testgen,secaudit,docgen,tracer
# To enable specific tools, remove them from the list
# Example: Enable analyze tool
DISABLED_TOOLS=refactor,testgen,secaudit,docgen,tracer
# To enable ALL tools
DISABLED_TOOLS=
Option 2: Configure in MCP settings
// In ~/.claude/settings.json or .mcp.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"zen": {
"env": {
// Tool configuration
"DISABLED_TOOLS": "refactor,testgen,secaudit,docgen,tracer",
"DEFAULT_MODEL": "pro",
"DEFAULT_THINKING_MODE_THINKDEEP": "high",
// API configuration
"GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-key",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key",
"OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "your-openrouter-key",
// Logging and performance
"LOG_LEVEL": "INFO",
"CONVERSATION_TIMEOUT_HOURS": "6",
"MAX_CONVERSATION_TURNS": "50"
}
}
}
}
Multi-model Code Review:
"Perform a codereview using gemini pro and o3, then use planner to create a fix strategy"
→ Claude reviews code systematically → Consults Gemini Pro → Gets O3's perspective → Creates unified action plan
Collaborative Debugging:
"Debug this race condition with max thinking mode, then validate the fix with precommit"
→ Deep investigation → Expert analysis → Solution implementation → Pre-commit validation
Architecture Planning:
"Plan our microservices migration, get consensus from pro and o3 on the approach"
→ Structured planning → Multiple expert opinions → Consensus building → Implementation roadmap
To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:
claude mcp add-json "gemini" '{"command":"python","args":["-m","gemini_mcp_server"]}'See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.
There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.
If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.
To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".
When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:
{
"mcpServers": {
"gemini": {
"command": "python",
"args": [
"-m",
"gemini_mcp_server"
]
}
}
}To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.
Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.
The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.
You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.
To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:
1. Find your configuration file:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json2. Add this to your configuration file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"gemini": {
"command": "python",
"args": [
"-m",
"gemini_mcp_server"
]
}
}
}3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect