docker/mcp-gateway

The MCP Toolkit, in Docker Desktop, allows
developers to configure and consume MCP servers from the Docker MCP Catalog.
Underneath, the Toolkit is powered by a docker CLI plugin: docker-mcp. This repository is the code of this CLI plugin. It can work in Docker Desktop or independently.
The main feature of this CLI is the Docker MCP Gateway which allows easy and secure running and deployment of MCP servers. See Features for a list of all the features.
## What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools. It provides a secure, controlled way for language models to access and interact with various services, databases, and APIs.
## Overview
Developers face criticial barriers when integrating Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools into production workflows:
Managing MCP server lifecycle Each local MCP sever in the catalog runs in an isolated Docker container. npx and uvx servers are granted minimal host privileges.
Providing a unified interface AI models access MCP servers through a single Gateway.
Handling authentication and security Keep secrets out of environment variables using Docker Desktop's secrets management.
Supports dynamic tool discovery and configuration. Each MCP client (eg VS Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop, etc.) connects to the same Gateway configuration, ensuring consistency across different clients.
Enables OAuth flows for MCPs that require OAuth access token service connections.
## Features
🐳 Container-based Servers: Run MCP servers as Docker containers with proper isolation.
🔧 Server Management: List, inspect, and call MCP tools, resources and prompts from multiple servers.
🔐 Secrets Management: Secure handling of API keys and credentials via Docker Desktop.
🌐 OAuth Integration: Built-in OAuth flows for service authentication.
📋 Server Catalog: Manage and configure multiple MCP catalogs.
🔍 Dynamic Discovery: Automatic tool, prompt, and resource discovery from running servers.
📊 Monitoring: Built-in logging and call tracing capabilities.
## Installation
### Prerequisites
Docker Desktop 4.59+ (with MCP Toolkit feature enabled)
Go 1.24+ (for development)
### Install as Docker CLI Plugin
The MCP cli will already be installed on recent versions of Docker Desktop but you can build and install the latest version by following these steps:
bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/docker/mcp-gateway.git
cd mcp-gateway
mkdir -p "$HOME/.docker/cli-plugins/"
# Build and install the plugin
make docker-mcp
After installation, the plugin will be available as:
bash
docker mcp --help
## Usage
> [!NOTE]
> Running without Docker Desktop Feature Flags
> If you encounter "Docker Desktop is not running" errors when the Docker daemon is active, you can bypass Desktop feature checks by setting:
> bash
> export DOCKERMCPINCONTAINER=1
> This is useful when running in WSL2, containerized environments, or Docker CE where Desktop backend sockets are unavailable.
> [!NOTE]
> Enabling Profiles outside Docker Desktop
> Profiles are enabled automatically in Docker Desktop. If you are using the CLI independently (e.g. Docker CE, WSL2, or a containerized environment), enable the profiles feature first: