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Document Playwright MCP startup EOF error as benign#13570

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pelikhan with Copilot wants to merge 2 commits into
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copilot/investigate-playwright-mcp-issue
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Document Playwright MCP startup EOF error as benign#13570
pelikhan with Copilot wants to merge 2 commits into
mainfrom
copilot/investigate-playwright-mcp-issue

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Copilot AI commented Feb 3, 2026

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The calling "initialize": EOF error during Playwright MCP startup is a false alarm. Playwright works correctly via lazy initialization when the agent actually connects.

Investigation Findings

Timeline:

  • Gateway startup (16:35:03): Pre-registration fails with EOF
  • Agent connection (16:35:48): Playwright initializes successfully
  • Workflow execution: All browser automation tools function correctly

Root cause: MCP Gateway's eager initialization attempts stdio handshake before Playwright container completes Node.js/browser setup (~100-500ms). Gateway continues with lazy initialization fallback.

Evidence: Run 21638629201 successfully tested 10+ device configurations, generated test results, and completed without functional issues.

Changes

  • Added docs/investigations/playwright-mcp-startup-investigation.md documenting the startup behavior, evidence, and confirming zero functional impact

Recommendations

No code changes required. Optional MCP Gateway improvements:

  • Distinguish pre-registration timeout (warn) from connection failure (error)
  • Add retry with backoff for containerized MCP servers
  • Track lazy vs eager init success rates
Original prompt

Investigate why the playwright mcp is not properly started.

See workflow run at https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/21638629201/job/62371453154

Custom agent used: agentic-workflows
GitHub Agentic Workflows (gh-aw) - Create, debug, and upgrade AI-powered workflows with intelligent prompt routing


💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Investigate why playwright mcp is not properly started Document Playwright MCP startup EOF error as benign Feb 3, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from pelikhan February 3, 2026 19:53
@pelikhan pelikhan closed this Feb 3, 2026
@github-actions github-actions Bot deleted the copilot/investigate-playwright-mcp-issue branch April 2, 2026 13:09
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2 participants