fix(mcp): retain builtin startup tasks and reap npx probe

Keep strong references to builtin MCP startup tasks until completion and kill/reap the npx probe subprocess when cancellation interrupts the probe. Includes focused regression coverage for both lifecycle paths.

src/builtin_mcp.py

@@ -89,6 +89,21 @@ _BUILTIN_NPX_SERVERS = {
 MCP_DISABLED = os.environ.get("ODYSSEUS_DISABLE_MCP", "").lower() in ("1", "true", "yes")
 
 
+# Strong references to the fire-and-forget startup tasks scheduled below.
+# asyncio only keeps weak references to tasks created via create_task, so
+# without this the GC can collect a task mid-execution and the server
+# registration silently never runs. Mirrors _spawn_bg in routes/chat_helpers.py.
+_BG_TASKS: set[asyncio.Task] = set()
+
+
+def _spawn_bg(coro) -> asyncio.Task:
+    """Schedule a background task and hold a strong reference until it finishes."""
+    task = asyncio.create_task(coro)
+    _BG_TASKS.add(task)
+    task.add_done_callback(_BG_TASKS.discard)
+    return task
+
+
 async def register_builtin_servers(mcp_manager):
     """Connect all built-in MCP servers to the manager."""
     if MCP_DISABLED:
@@ -123,7 +138,7 @@ async def register_builtin_servers(mcp_manager):
         if not os.path.exists(script_path):
             logger.warning(f"Built-in MCP server script not found: {script_path}")
             continue
-        asyncio.create_task(_connect_python_server(server_id, script_path, name))
+        _spawn_bg(_connect_python_server(server_id, script_path, name))
 
     # Register NPX-based servers in the background (they take longer to start)
     npx_path = _find_npx()
@@ -175,7 +190,7 @@ async def register_builtin_servers(mcp_manager):
             except BaseException as e:
                 logger.warning(f"Built-in NPX server {cfg['name']} error: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
 
-    asyncio.create_task(_start_npx_servers())
+    _spawn_bg(_start_npx_servers())
 
 
 def _npx_package_from_args(args):
@@ -233,6 +248,15 @@ async def _is_npx_package_cached(npx_path, package_spec, timeout_s=5):
         except Exception:
             pass
         return False
+    except asyncio.CancelledError:
+        # The probe was cancelled (e.g. app shutdown). Reap the child so it
+        # isn't orphaned, then propagate the cancellation.
+        try:
+            proc.kill()
+            await proc.wait()
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        raise
     return proc.returncode == 0 and bool(stdout.strip())
 
 

tests/test_builtin_mcp_bg_tasks.py

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+"""Issue #4592 — built-in MCP startup must not leak tasks or subprocesses.
+
+Two defects in src/builtin_mcp.py:
+  * `register_builtin_servers` scheduled its python/npx connect coroutines with
+    a bare `asyncio.create_task(...)` whose return value was dropped. asyncio
+    keeps only a weak reference to such tasks, so the GC can collect one
+    mid-flight and the server silently never registers.
+  * `_is_npx_package_cached` killed its `npx --version` probe subprocess on
+    `TimeoutError` but not on `CancelledError`, so a cancellation (e.g. app
+    shutdown) orphaned the child.
+
+Both are exercised here with the module loaded in isolation (the same loader
+the existing npx-cache tests use), so no real servers or npx are involved.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+import types
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+
+def _load_builtin_mcp(monkeypatch):
+    core = types.ModuleType("core")
+    core.__path__ = []
+    platform_compat = types.ModuleType("core.platform_compat")
+    platform_compat.IS_WINDOWS = False
+    platform_compat.which_tool = lambda name: None
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "core", core)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "core.platform_compat", platform_compat)
+
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(
+        "builtin_mcp_under_test",
+        ROOT / "src" / "builtin_mcp.py",
+    )
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    assert spec.loader is not None
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+async def test_spawn_bg_holds_strong_ref_until_task_finishes(monkeypatch):
+    builtin_mcp = _load_builtin_mcp(monkeypatch)
+
+    started = asyncio.Event()
+    release = asyncio.Event()
+
+    async def work():
+        started.set()
+        await release.wait()
+
+    task = builtin_mcp._spawn_bg(work())
+    await started.wait()
+    # While the task is in flight it must be reachable from the module-level
+    # set — that strong reference is what keeps the GC from collecting it.
+    assert task in builtin_mcp._BG_TASKS
+
+    release.set()
+    await task
+    await asyncio.sleep(0)  # let the done-callback run
+    # Once finished it is discarded so the set doesn't grow without bound.
+    assert task not in builtin_mcp._BG_TASKS
+
+
+async def test_npx_probe_reaps_subprocess_on_cancel(monkeypatch):
+    builtin_mcp = _load_builtin_mcp(monkeypatch)
+
+    # Force the code past the fast cache hit so it spawns the probe subprocess.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtin_mcp, "_is_package_in_npx_cache", lambda spec: False)
+
+    state = {"killed": False, "waited": False}
+    started = asyncio.Event()
+
+    class FakeProc:
+        returncode = None
+
+        async def communicate(self):
+            started.set()
+            await asyncio.sleep(3600)  # block until the probe is cancelled
+
+        def kill(self):
+            state["killed"] = True
+
+        async def wait(self):
+            state["waited"] = True
+
+    async def fake_create(*args, **kwargs):
+        return FakeProc()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtin_mcp.asyncio, "create_subprocess_exec", fake_create)
+
+    task = asyncio.create_task(
+        builtin_mcp._is_npx_package_cached("npx", "some-pkg@1.0.0", timeout_s=3600)
+    )
+    await started.wait()
+    task.cancel()
+
+    with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
+        await task
+
+    # The child was killed and reaped rather than orphaned.
+    assert state["killed"] is True
+    assert state["waited"] is True