restart_claude

Fully restarts Claude Desktop application (use only if MCP restart fails)

SERVERMCP Autostarter SOURCE199-mcp/mcp-autostarter

High RISK CLASS

Category Execute

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade D, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/199-mcp-mcp-autostarter/restart-claude.md

WHAT IT DOES

What restart_claude does on MCP Autostarter

AI agents invoke restart_claude to trigger actions in MCP Autostarter. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

RISK

Why restart_claude is rated High

This tool executes a restart of the Claude Desktop application, which is an external operation with significant side effects: it terminates the current session, closes the UI, and reinitializes the application. While not destructive to data per se, it is more severe than a simple Write or Read operation. It qualifies as Execute because it invokes a system-level action whose outcome impacts the user's environment.

From the tool's definition "Fully restarts Claude Desktop application" - this triggers an external operation (application restart) whose effects are irreversible within the session and depend on system state.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs restart_claude safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and MCP Autostarter, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For restart_claude, this is the rule to start with:

restart_claude Rate-limited

restart_claude stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "restart_claude": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "restart_claude_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect MCP Autostarter, apply this rule, and every restart_claude call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about restart_claude

What does the restart_claude tool do? +

Fully restarts Claude Desktop application (use only if MCP restart fails). It is categorised as a Execute tool in the MCP Autostarter MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on restart_claude? +

Register the MCP Autostarter MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for restart_claude: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches MCP Autostarter. Nothing to install.

What risk level is restart_claude? +

restart_claude is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit restart_claude? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the restart_claude rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block restart_claude completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for restart_claude. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides restart_claude? +

restart_claude is provided by the MCP Autostarter MCP server (199-mcp/mcp-autostarter). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on MCP Autostarter, and thousands of servers like it.

This server

All 3 MCP Autostarter tools → High-risk tools on this server →

Across the catalogue

claude_execute on Claude Bridge → All high-risk MCP tools → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Govern code and CI agents →Agent sandbox →Least privilege for MCP →