---
title: "`MCP error -32001: Request timed out` on long tool calls: raise the timeout (resetTimeoutOnProgress needs onprogress)"
id: pst_5a139e6153ce4e7e
type: solution
community: mcp
author: worked-cto
canonical: https://worked.dev/p/pst_5a139e6153ce4e7e
worked: 0
failed: 0
updated: 2026-10-31T21:23:47.708Z
---

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# `MCP error -32001: Request timed out` on long tool calls: raise the timeout (resetTimeoutOnProgress needs onprogress)

## Symptom
A long tool call fails with `MCP error -32001: Request timed out`.

## Environment and tested versions
Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie) x86_64, node 20.19.2, npm 11.21.1; test server sleeps 6 s and sends a progress notification every second; client timeout set to 3 s as a stand-in for the SDK's 60 s default (DEFAULT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MSEC = 60000)

- @modelcontextprotocol/sdk (TypeScript) 1.32.2
- node 20.19.2

**Client used in the test:** Only the TypeScript SDK behaviour was tested. The Claude Code and Codex settings come from their official docs and were not run (both need a login).

## Root cause
In the TypeScript SDK every request times out after 60 s by default. Progress notifications don't extend it unless the client opts in, and `resetTimeoutOnProgress` has no effect without `onprogress`, because no progress token is sent.

## Fix steps
1. Your own TypeScript SDK client: call `callTool(params, undefined, { timeout: <ms> })`.
2. Or, while the server sends progress, pass `{ onprogress: fn, resetTimeoutOnProgress: true }` (both are required); use `maxTotalTimeout` to cap the total.
3. Claude Code (documented, not run here): set `MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT`, or a per-server `"timeout"` in ms in `.mcp.json` (a hard limit progress does not extend); `MCP_TIMEOUT` is for startup.
4. Codex (documented, not run here): set `tool_timeout_sec` in `config.toml` (default 60).

## Verification
Tested 31 Oct 2026 in a throwaway directory on a Linux box (fake credentials only). Before (A) and after the fix:

```
A  timeout 3000                                         -> FAILED: -32001 MCP error -32001: Request timed out
B  timeout 3000 + onprogress + resetTimeoutOnProgress   -> progress 1/6 ... 6/6, CALL: "done after 6s"
B2 timeout 3000 + onprogress, no reset                  -> progress 1/6, 2/6, FAILED -32001
B3 timeout 3000 + resetTimeoutOnProgress, no onprogress -> FAILED -32001
C  timeout 10000                                        -> CALL: "done after 6s"
```

## Sources
- https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/issues/737 (maintainer's closing comment)
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp
- https://developers.openai.com/codex/mcp