Docker MCP Server for Claude

Content

Connect Claude to Docker through the Docker MCP Catalog & Toolkit. Rather than a standalone npm package, Docker ships an docker mcp CLI plugin (in Docker Desktop) and an MCP Gateway that runs catalog MCP servers as containers and exposes them to MCP clients. Connecting the gateway gives Claude container lifecycle management, image operations, and Docker Compose orchestration, plus any other servers you enable from the catalog — all through natural language commands.

Features

• Container lifecycle management (start, stop, restart)
• Image operations (pull, build, push, tag)
• Docker Compose service management
• Volume and network administration
• Real-time container logs and monitoring
• Registry operations and authentication
• Advanced Docker container and image management with orchestration support, volume management, and network configuration
• Batch operations support for efficient bulk container operations, image builds, and deployment workflows with automatic retry logic

Use Cases

• Deploy and manage containerized applications
• Build and optimize Docker images
• Monitor container performance and logs
• Orchestrate multi-container applications with Compose
• Manage Docker registry operations
• Build automated container deployment workflows that sync external systems with Docker for real-time infrastructure management and scaling

Installation

Claude Code

1. Enable the MCP Toolkit in Docker Desktop (Settings > Beta features > MCP Toolkit)
2. Connect the client: docker mcp client connect claude-code (or add it manually: claude mcp add MCP_DOCKER -- docker mcp gateway run)
3. Verify installation: claude mcp list
4. Test connection: claude mcp status MCP_DOCKER

Claude Desktop

1. Ensure Docker Desktop is installed and running, with the MCP Toolkit enabled
2. Connect the client: docker mcp client connect claude-desktop (this writes the MCP_DOCKER gateway entry into the Claude Desktop config)
3. Restart Claude Desktop
4. Confirm the Docker tools appear in Claude Desktop

Requirements

• Docker installed and running (Docker Desktop for Mac/Windows, Docker Engine for Linux)
• Docker daemon accessible (via Unix socket /var/run/docker.sock or TCP connection)
• User permissions to access Docker daemon socket (user in docker group on Linux: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER)
• Docker MCP Toolkit enabled in Docker Desktop (provides the docker mcp CLI plugin and the MCP Gateway)
• Internet connection for pulling MCP server images from the Docker MCP Catalog (Docker Hub mcp/ namespace)
• Claude Desktop 0.7.0+ or Claude Code with MCP support
• Understanding of Docker concepts (containers, images, volumes, networks, Docker Compose)
• Understanding of the Docker MCP Gateway model (one gateway runs catalog MCP servers as containers)
• Registry authentication (for private registries - run docker login to authenticate)
• Understanding of Docker socket security (Unix socket permissions, TLS for remote connections)

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["mcp", "gateway", "run"],
      "type": "stdio"
    }
  }
}

Examples

List all running containers and their status

Common usage pattern for this MCP server

Ask Claude: "List all running containers and their status"

Build a Docker image from a Dockerfile

Common usage pattern for this MCP server

Ask Claude: "Build a Docker image from a Dockerfile"

Start a new container with custom configuration

Common usage pattern for this MCP server

Ask Claude: "Start a new container with custom configuration"

View real-time logs from a specific container

Common usage pattern for this MCP server

Ask Claude: "View real-time logs from a specific container"

Deploy a multi-service application using Docker Co...

Common usage pattern for this MCP server

Ask Claude: "Deploy a multi-service application using Docker Compose"

Run Container with Environment Variables

Create and start a Docker container with environment variables, port mapping, and volume mounts

// Run Docker container with environment variables
const container = await docker.containers.create({
  image: "node:18",
  env: ["NODE_ENV=production", "PORT=3000"],
  ports: [{ host: 8080, container: 3000 }],
  volumes: [{ host: "./data", container: "/app/data" }],
});
await container.start();

Security

• Secure Docker daemon socket access
• TLS certificate validation for remote connections
• Registry authentication management
• Container resource limits and isolation
• Network security controls
• Docker socket access grants full system control - ensure Docker socket permissions are restricted and only accessible to trusted processes
• Docker API credentials and TLS certificates must be securely stored and never exposed in client-side code or public repositories - use environment variables and secure credential management
• Docker container IDs and image names may expose infrastructure architecture and deployment patterns - ensure Docker resource identifiers are kept private and not shared in public configurations
• Rate limiting and API quota management are critical for Docker MCP servers - implement proper rate limit handling, retry logic, and quota monitoring to prevent service disruption
• Docker webhook configurations and payloads may contain sensitive container and image metadata - ensure webhook endpoints are properly secured with authentication and HTTPS encryption

Troubleshooting

Permission denied connecting to Docker daemon socket

Add your user to docker group: sudo usermod -a -G docker $USER, then log out and back in. Alternatively, run sudo systemctl start docker to ensure daemon is running.

Cannot connect to Docker daemon - connection refused

Start Docker daemon: sudo systemctl start docker (Linux) or launch Docker Desktop (Mac/Windows). Verify daemon is running: docker ps. Check DOCKER_HOST environment variable points to correct socket.

Error: /var/run/docker.sock has wrong permissions

Run sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock (temporary fix) or add user to docker group (permanent). Verify socket file exists: ls -l /var/run/docker.sock.

docker mcp command not found

The docker mcp CLI plugin ships with the MCP Toolkit. Update Docker Desktop and enable the MCP Toolkit (Settings > Beta features > MCP Toolkit), then re-run docker mcp gateway run. Verify with docker mcp version.

Container operations fail with authentication errors

Run docker login to authenticate with registry. Verify registry credentials are correct. For private registries, ensure network access and check firewall rules don't block Docker registry ports.

Docker MCP server authentication errors with Docker API

Verify Docker API credentials are valid. Check TLS certificate configuration for remote Docker daemon. Ensure Docker socket permissions allow access. For remote connections, verify network connectivity and firewall settings.

Docker container creation or start failures

Check container resource limits (CPU, memory). Verify image exists and is accessible. Ensure port mappings do not conflict. Check Docker daemon logs for detailed error messages. Verify disk space is available.

Docker MCP server connection timeouts or network errors

Check network connectivity to Docker daemon. Verify Docker socket is accessible. Increase request timeout values. Implement connection pooling and retry mechanisms with exponential backoff.

• Source repositorygithub.com 2026-07-13T15:19:32-07:00
• Documentationdocs.docker.com
• Package (SHA-256 pinned)/downloads/mcp/docker-mcp-server.mcpb