Always use MCP server instructions (#14297)

docs/tools/mcp-server.md

@@ -156,8 +156,6 @@ Each server configuration supports the following properties:
 - **`targetServiceAccount`** (string): The email address of the Google Cloud
   Service Account to impersonate. Used with
   `authProviderType: 'service_account_impersonation'`.
-- **`useInstructions`** (boolean): If true will include the MCP server's
-  initialization instructions in the system instructions.
 
 ### OAuth Support for Remote MCP Servers
 
@@ -1011,3 +1009,9 @@ gemini mcp remove my-server
 
 This will find and delete the "my-server" entry from the `mcpServers` object in
 the appropriate `settings.json` file based on the scope (`-s, --scope`).
+
+## Instructions
+
+Gemini CLI supports
+[MCP server instructions](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/schema#initializeresult),
+which will be appended to the system instructions.

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -1526,11 +1526,6 @@ export const SETTINGS_SCHEMA_DEFINITIONS: Record<
         description:
           'Service account email to impersonate (name@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com).',
       },
-      useInstructions: {
-        type: 'boolean',
-        description:
-          'If true, instructions from this server will be included in the system prompt.',
-      },
     },
   },
   TelemetrySettings: {

packages/core/src/config/config.ts

@@ -204,8 +204,6 @@ export class MCPServerConfig {
     readonly targetAudience?: string,
     /* targetServiceAccount format: <service-account-name>@<project-num>.iam.gserviceaccount.com */
     readonly targetServiceAccount?: string,
-    // Include the MCP server initialization instructions in the system instructions
-    readonly useInstructions?: boolean,
   ) {}
 }
 

packages/core/src/tools/mcp-client-manager.test.ts

@@ -195,8 +195,7 @@ describe('McpClientManager', () => {
   });
 
   describe('getMcpInstructions', () => {
-    it('should only return instructions from servers with useInstructions: true', async () => {
+    it('should not return instructions for servers that do not have instructions', async () => {
-      // Override McpClient mock for this test to return distinct objects based on config
       vi.mocked(McpClient).mockImplementation(
         (name, config) =>
           ({
@@ -206,42 +205,34 @@ describe('McpClientManager', () => {
             getServerConfig: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(config),
             getInstructions: vi
               .fn()
-              .mockReturnValue(`Instructions for ${name}`),
+              .mockReturnValue(
+                name === 'server-with-instructions'
+                  ? `Instructions for ${name}`
+                  : '',
+              ),
           }) as unknown as McpClient,
       );
 
       const manager = new McpClientManager({} as ToolRegistry, mockConfig);
 
-      // 1. Configured server with useInstructions: true
       mockConfig.getMcpServers.mockReturnValue({
-        'enabled-server': {
+        'server-with-instructions': {},
-          useInstructions: true,
+        'server-without-instructions': {},
-        },
-        'disabled-server': {
-          useInstructions: false,
-        },
-        'default-server': {
-          // undefined should be treated as false
-        },
       });
       await manager.startConfiguredMcpServers();
 
       const instructions = manager.getMcpInstructions();
 
       expect(instructions).toContain(
-        "# Instructions for MCP Server 'enabled-server'",
+        "# Instructions for MCP Server 'server-with-instructions'",
+      );
+      expect(instructions).toContain(
+        'Instructions for server-with-instructions',
       );
-      expect(instructions).toContain('Instructions for enabled-server');
 
       expect(instructions).not.toContain(
-        "# Instructions for MCP Server 'disabled-server'",
+        "# Instructions for MCP Server 'server-without-instructions'",
       );
-      expect(instructions).not.toContain('Instructions for disabled-server');
-
-      expect(instructions).not.toContain(
-        "# Instructions for MCP Server 'default-server'",
-      );
-      expect(instructions).not.toContain('Instructions for default-server');
     });
   });
 });

packages/core/src/tools/mcp-client-manager.ts

@@ -327,14 +327,11 @@ export class McpClientManager {
   getMcpInstructions(): string {
     const instructions: string[] = [];
     for (const [name, client] of this.clients) {
-      // Only include instructions if explicitly enabled in config
+      const clientInstructions = client.getInstructions();
-      if (client.getServerConfig().useInstructions) {
+      if (clientInstructions) {
-        const clientInstructions = client.getInstructions();
+        instructions.push(
-        if (clientInstructions) {
+          `# Instructions for MCP Server '${name}'\n${clientInstructions}`,
-          instructions.push(
+        );
-            `# Instructions for MCP Server '${name}'\n${clientInstructions}`,
-          );
-        }
       }
     }
     return instructions.join('\n\n');

schemas/settings.schema.json

@@ -1467,10 +1467,6 @@
         "targetServiceAccount": {
           "type": "string",
           "description": "Service account email to impersonate (name@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com)."
-        },
-        "useInstructions": {
-          "type": "boolean",
-          "description": "If true, instructions from this server will be included in the system prompt."
         }
       }
     },