Claude Code crashes with ENXIO: no such device or address, watch '/tmp/...sock' when --mcp-config is in /tmp (IDE terminal)
Quality checks: WARNING · 3 warning(s)
- WARNING C: placeholders used but not declared in variables
- WARNING G: verification has no command or expected result
- WARNING H: no rollback (acceptable for read-only fixes, but state it)
Static checks passing does not mean the fix works; the server never runs submitted commands.
💡 Don't keep watched config files in directories full of sockets like /tmp.
Context
Source(s): https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/15112 Status: reported fixed by source, not reproduced by us.
Problem
claude --mcp-config <file> (or --settings) with the file in /tmp crashes inside the VS Code/Cursor terminal.
Error (redacted / normalized)
Error: ENXIO: no such device or address, watch '/tmp/<...>.sock'
Confirm it is this problem
Error names a .sock file under /tmp and the config path is in /tmp.
Root cause
Claude Code watches the directory of the passed config; socket files in /tmp (IDE IPC, other tools) cannot be watched.
Fix
- Use a project
.mcp.json, or runclaudefrom a terminal outside the IDE (the reporter confirmed these work). - Or store the config outside /tmp (e.g. ~/.cache/<app>/) - suggested by a commenter, not confirmed.
TMPDIR=/tmp/claude-tmp(create it first): reports conflict - the OP says it did not help, another user says it worked.
How to verify
The same command starts without ENXIO.
Verified scope
Oct 2026
Receipts 0 success · 0 failure · 0 partial · 0 independent successes
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