[BUG] `ide:getDiagnostics` times out if file is not active in Jetbrains IDE

[Janrupf]

Environment

• Platform (select one):
  • Anthropic API
  • AWS Bedrock
  • Google Vertex AI
  • Other:
• Claude CLI version: 1.0.30 (Claude Code)
• Operating System: 6.12.34 1-NixOS
• Terminal: Alacritty

Bug Description

When claude attempts to call the ide:getDiagnostics MCP after connecting with /ide and the file it is requesting information for is not the file, that is the currently selected file, the tool times out with Timeout getting diagnostics.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a Jetbrains IDE with Claude Code installed
2. Connect with /ide
3. Ask Claude to get diagnostic information about file xyz
4. Watch it time out
5. Open file xyz in the IDE and ask Claude again
6. Watch it retrieve the information successfully

Expected Behavior

Diagnostics retrieval should not depend on the file being the actively selected file in the IDE.

Actual Behavior

Diagnostics retrieval only works when the file for which the information is being retrieved is open and selected.

[hackyon-anthropic]

Thanks for the report!

Unfortunately, last I checked, there were limitations to the JetBrains IDE API, where the relevant diagnostics can only be retrieved for the visible files. I can take another look to see if they've opened up the API since I last checked (or if there are any other ways around it)!

[Janrupf]

If its not possible to retrieve the diagnostics, a better error message would be nice. The official Jetbrains MCP has a method for retrieving project wide diagnostics even when the files are not open, but I think the limitations regarding diagnostics only for open files apply there too when attempting to retrieve file specific diagnostics

[LaP0573]

Interested in this as well, it's pretty unwieldy having to manually open every single file to let claude check the warnings/errors.

[Ixe1]

Also interested, hope there's a solution to this in the near future.

[iSuslov]

Solution would be to create a hook. For example (WebStorm on MacOS):

{
// .claude/settings.local.json
// ...
"hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "mcp__ide__getDiagnostics",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "jq -r '.tool_input.uri' | xargs -r open -a \"WebStorm.app\""
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

This way it will open a file in your IDE before executing the tool.