Too Many Cooks

Claude Code, Codex and pi on one codebase. They lock files, share plans and message each other. No collisions.

Install for VS Code Get Started GitHub

76 seconds: start the server, plug in three agents, watch them cook.

1. Start the server

npm install -g too-many-cooks && too-many-cooks

2. Plug in your agents

claude mcp add --transport http too-many-cooks http://localhost:4040/mcp
codex mcp add too-many-cooks --url http://localhost:4040/mcp
pi mcp add too-many-cooks --url http://localhost:4040/mcp

3. Let 'em cook

Watch it live with the VS Code extension: optional, it's just the window into the kitchen. Cursor, Cline or any MCP client: http://localhost:4040/mcp.

Too Many Cooks is an MCP server that lets multiple AI agents coordinate when editing the same codebase. Agents register with a key, lock files before editing, post messages to each other, and share plans. It prevents conflicts and keeps agents in sync.

Coordination Tools

Five MCP tools for multi-agent coordination.

R

Register

Each agent registers with a unique key on startup. Required before using any other tool.

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L

Lock

Lock files or resources before editing. Other agents see the lock and wait or choose a different file.

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M

Messages

Post and read messages between agents. Keep other agents informed about your progress and intent.

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P

Plans

Share your plan with other agents before starting. Avoid redundant work and coordinate changes.

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S

Status

Check the current state — who is registered, what is locked, what plans are active.

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