KISS overzealous agents goodbye. Plug & play agent oversight tool. Based on research: In our study agents calling Vibe Check improved success +27% and halved harmful actions -41% Featured on PulseMCP “Most Popular (This Week)” • 5k+ monthly calls on Smithery.ai • research-backed oversight • STDIO + streamable HTTP transport Plug-and-play mentor layer that stops agents from over-engineering and kee
Add this skill
npx mdskills install PV-Bhat/vibe-check-mcp-serverResearch-backed oversight MCP with CPI interrupts, multi-provider LLM support, and session constitutions
KISS overzealous agents goodbye. Plug & play agent oversight tool.
Based on research:
In our study agents calling Vibe Check improved success +27% and halved harmful actions -41%
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Featured on PulseMCP “Most Popular (This Week)” • 5k+ monthly calls on Smithery.ai • research-backed oversight • STDIO + streamable HTTP transport
Plug-and-play mentor layer that stops agents from over-engineering and keeps them on the minimal viable path — research-backed MCP server keeping LLMs aligned, reflective and safe.
Trusted by developers across MCP platforms and registries
Run the server directly from npm without a local installation. Requires Node >=20. Choose a transport:
npx -y @pv-bhat/vibe-check-mcp start --stdio
[MCP] stdio transport connected indicates the process is waiting for the client.{
"mcpServers": {
"vibe-check-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pv-bhat/vibe-check-mcp", "start", "--stdio"]
}
}
}
npx -y @pv-bhat/vibe-check-mcp start --http --port 2091
curl http://127.0.0.1:2091/health to confirm the service is live.http://127.0.0.1:2091/rpc.npx downloads the package on demand for both options. For detailed client setup and other commands like install and doctor, see the documentation below.
Vibe Check MCP keeps agents on the minimal viable path and escalates complexity only when evidence demands it. Vibe Check MCP is a lightweight server implementing Anthropic's Model Context Protocol. It acts as an AI meta-mentor for your agents, interrupting pattern inertia with Chain-Pattern Interrupts (CPI) to prevent Reasoning Lock-In (RLI). Think of it as a rubber-duck debugger for LLMs – a quick sanity check before your agent goes down the wrong path.
Vibe Check MCP pairs a metacognitive signal layer with CPI so agents can pause when risk spikes. Vibe Check surfaces traits, uncertainty, and risk scores; CPI consumes those triggers and enforces an intervention policy before the agent resumes. See the CPI integration guide and the CPI repo at https://github.com/PV-Bhat/cpi for wiring details.
Vibe Check invokes a second LLM to give meta-cognitive feedback to your main agent. Integrating vibe_check calls into agent system prompts and instructing tool calls before irreversible actions significantly improves agent alignment and common-sense. The high-level component map: docs/architecture.md, while the CPI handoff diagram and example shim are captured in docs/integrations/cpi.md.
Large language models can confidently follow flawed plans. Without an external nudge they may spiral into overengineering or misalignment. Vibe Check provides that nudge through short reflective pauses, improving reliability and safety.
| Feature | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| CPI Adaptive Interrupts | Phase-aware prompts that challenge assumptions | alignment, robustness |
| Multi-provider LLM | Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter support | flexibility |
| History Continuity | Summarizes prior advice when sessionId is supplied | context retention |
| Optional vibe_learn | Log mistakes and fixes for future reflection | self-improvement |
install --client now supports Cursor, Windsurf, and Visual Studio Code with idempotent merges, atomic writes, and .bak rollbacks.serverUrl entries for Windsurf and emit VS Code workspace snippets plus a vscode:mcp/install link when no config is provided.Use a lightweight “constitution” to enforce rules per sessionId that CPI will honor. Eg. constitution rules: “no external network calls,” “prefer unit tests before refactors,” “never write secrets to disk.”
API (tools):
update_constitution({ sessionId, rules }) → merges/sets rule set for the sessionreset_constitution({ sessionId }) → clears session rulescheck_constitution({ sessionId }) → returns effective rules for the session# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/PV-Bhat/vibe-check-mcp-server.git
cd vibe-check-mcp-server
npm ci
npm run build
npm test
Use npm for all workflows (npm ci, npm run build, npm test). This project targets Node >=20.
Create a .env file with the API keys you plan to use:
# Gemini (default)
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key
# Optional providers / Anthropic-compatible endpoints
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key
ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=your_proxy_bearer_token
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.anthropic.com
ANTHROPIC_VERSION=2023-06-01
# Optional overrides
# DEFAULT_LLM_PROVIDER accepts gemini | openai | openrouter | anthropic
DEFAULT_LLM_PROVIDER=gemini
DEFAULT_MODEL=gemini-2.5-pro
See docs/TESTING.md for instructions on how to run tests.
The repository includes a helper script for one-command setup.
bash scripts/docker-setup.sh
See Automatic Docker Setup for full details.
See API Keys & Secret Management for supported providers, resolution order, storage locations, and security guidance.
The CLI supports stdio and HTTP transports. Transport resolution follows this order: explicit flags (--stdio/--http) → MCP_TRANSPORT → default stdio. When using HTTP, specify --port (or set MCP_HTTP_PORT); the default port is 2091. The generated entries add --stdio or --http --port accordingly, and HTTP-capable clients also receive a http://127.0.0.1: endpoint.
Each installer is idempotent and tags entries with "managedBy": "vibe-check-mcp-cli". Backups are written once per run before changes are applied, and merges are atomic (*.bak files make rollback easy). See docs/clients.md for deeper client-specific references.
claude_desktop_config.json (auto-discovered per platform).npx … start --stdio).vibe-check-mcp, the CLI leaves it untouched and prints a warning.~/.cursor/mcp.json (provide --config if you store it elsewhere).mcpServers layout.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json, new builds use ~/.codeium/mcp_config.json.--http to emit an entry with serverUrl for Windsurf’s HTTP client.serverUrl entries are preserved and updated in place..vscode/mcp.json; profiles also store mcp.json in your VS Code user data directory.--config to target a workspace file. Without --config, the CLI prints a JSON snippet and a vscode:mcp/install?... link you can open directly from the terminal.--dev-watch and/or --dev-debug to populate dev.watch/dev.debug.*.bak next to your config) to revert immediately.vibe-check-mcp entry under mcpServers (Claude/Windsurf/Cursor) or servers (VS Code) as long as it is still tagged with "managedBy": "vibe-check-mcp-cli".CPI (Chain-Pattern Interrupt) is the research-backed oversight method behind Vibe Check. It injects brief, well-timed “pause points” at risk inflection moments to re-align the agent to the user’s true priority, preventing destructive cascades and reasoning lock-in (RLI). In pooled evaluation across 153 runs, CPI nearly doubles success (~27%→54%) and roughly halves harmful actions (~83%→42%). Optimal interrupt dosage is ~10–20% of steps. Vibe Check MCP implements CPI as an external mentor layer at test time.
Links:
flowchart TD
A[Agent Phase] --> B{Monitor Progress}
B -- high risk --> C[CPI Interrupt]
C --> D[Reflect & Adjust]
B -- smooth --> E[Continue]
In your agent's system prompt, make it clear that vibe_check is a mandatory tool for reflection. Always pass the full user request and other relevant context. After correcting a mistake, you can optionally log it with vibe_learn to build a history for future analysis.
Example snippet:
As an autonomous agent you will:
1. Call vibe_check after planning and before major actions.
2. Provide the full user request and your current plan.
3. Optionally, record resolved issues with vibe_learn.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 🛑 vibe_check | Challenge assumptions and prevent tunnel vision |
| 🔄 vibe_learn | Capture mistakes, preferences, and successes |
| 🧰 update_constitution | Set/merge session rules the CPI layer will enforce |
| 🧹 reset_constitution | Clear rules for a session |
| 🔎 check_constitution | Inspect effective rules for a session |
This repository includes a CI-based security scan that runs on every pull request. It checks dependencies with npm audit and scans the source for risky patterns. See SECURITY.md for details and how to report issues.
vibe_check: Return a JSON envelope such as { advice, riskScore, traits } so downstream agents can reason deterministically while preserving readable reflections.taskContext.generateResponse in src/utils/llm.ts with retries and exponential backoff, with a follow-up circuit breaker once the basics land.src/index.ts to mitigate prompt-injection vectors.src/utils/state.ts and switch src/utils/storage.ts file writes to fs.promises to avoid blocking the event loop.These initiatives are tracked as community-facing GitHub issues so contributors can grab them and see progress in the open.
docs/ examples compile (e.g., TypeScript snippet type-check) to catch drift between docs and code.--help example aligned with the refreshed prompt guidance.docs/agent-prompting.md and docs/technical-reference.md from the README section headers to reduce context switching for new contributors.Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md.
Vibe Check MCP is released under the MIT License. Built for reliable, enterprise-ready AI agents.
Vibe Check MCP created by: Pruthvi Bhat, Initiative - https://murst.org/
Install via CLI
npx mdskills install PV-Bhat/vibe-check-mcp-serverVibe Check MCP is a free, open-source AI agent skill. KISS overzealous agents goodbye. Plug & play agent oversight tool. Based on research: In our study agents calling Vibe Check improved success +27% and halved harmful actions -41% Featured on PulseMCP “Most Popular (This Week)” • 5k+ monthly calls on Smithery.ai • research-backed oversight • STDIO + streamable HTTP transport Plug-and-play mentor layer that stops agents from over-engineering and kee
Install Vibe Check MCP with a single command:
npx mdskills install PV-Bhat/vibe-check-mcp-serverThis downloads the skill files into your project and your AI agent picks them up automatically.
Vibe Check MCP works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Vscode Copilot, Windsurf, Continue Dev, Gemini Cli, Amp, Roo Code, Goose. Skills use the open SKILL.md format which is compatible with any AI coding agent that reads markdown instructions.