tailscale-rmcp

tailscale-rmcp is a Rust MCP server and CLI for managing a Tailscale tailnet through the Tailscale REST API.

It exposes one MCP tool, tailscale, plus the rtailscale CLI. Agents can list devices, inspect routes, read API keys, ACL policy, DNS settings, and users, authorize devices, and delete devices when the destructive gate is explicitly enabled.

30-second path: set TAILSCALE_API_KEY, then run npx -y tailscale-rmcp devices --json -> start loopback HTTP with TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 npx -y tailscale-rmcp serve -> call tools/call with {"action":"devices"}.

Status: operational RMCP upstream-client server. Write-capable for device authorization; destructive device deletion requires both server opt-in and caller confirmation. HTTP MCP supports loopback dev mode, static bearer tokens, and Google OAuth through lab-auth.

Not for: replacing the Tailscale admin console, bypassing Tailscale account permissions, operating multiple unrelated tailnets from one trust boundary, storing API keys for callers, arbitrary WireGuard control, or passing Tailscale API keys through MCP tool arguments.

Contents

• Naming
• Capabilities And Boundaries
• Install
• Quickstart
• Client Configuration
• Runtime Surfaces
• MCP Tool Reference
• CLI Reference
• Configuration
• Authentication
• Safety And Trust Model
• Architecture
• Distribution Contract
• Development
• Verification
• Deployment
• Troubleshooting
• Related Servers
• Documentation
• License

Naming

Surface	This repo
Repository	tailscale-rmcp
Rust crate	tailscale-rmcp
Binary / CLI	rtailscale
npm package	tailscale-rmcp
npm binary aliases	tailscale-rmcp, rtailscale
MCP tool	tailscale
Config home	~/.tailscale-mcp on hosts, /data in containers
Env prefixes	TAILSCALE_*, TAILSCALE_MCP_*, TAILSCALE_RMCP_* for npm launcher controls

The repo, crate, and npm package use the RMCP family name. The shipped binary is rtailscale to avoid shadowing the official tailscale CLI.

Capabilities And Boundaries

• List devices and inspect a single device by node ID or legacy numeric device ID.
• Read subnet routes, API keys, ACL policy, DNS/MagicDNS settings, and tailnet users.
• Authorize a device for the tailnet.
• Delete a device only when TAILSCALE_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=true and the caller also passes explicit confirmation.
• Provide setup and doctor commands for local plugin/runtime checks.

This repo owns	Tailscale owns	Explicitly out of scope
MCP/CLI projection, request validation, HTTP MCP auth policy, response shaping, setup checks, and destructive gates.	Tailnet state, device identities, ACL semantics, DNS behavior, API key issuance, user membership, and upstream authorization.	Replacing the admin console, storing caller credentials, multi-tailnet tenancy, arbitrary WireGuard control, policy editing beyond exposed actions, and local Tailscale daemon management.

Install

Path	Command	Best for	Notes
npm / npx	npx -y tailscale-rmcp --help	Local MCP clients and quick trials.	Downloads the matching rtailscale binary from GitHub Releases.
Release installer	curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jmagar/tailscale-rmcp/main/scripts/install.sh | bash	Host installs without Node.	Installs rtailscale for the current Linux host.
Docker / Compose	docker compose up -d	Shared HTTP MCP deployments.	Reads .env and exposes container port 40040.
Build from source	cargo build --release	Development and audits.	Produces target/release/rtailscale.
Plugin	claude plugin install plugins/tailscale	Claude Code local plugin setup from this checkout.	Uses the packaged setup hook, skill, and local runtime metadata.

npm / npx

Run the stdio MCP server or CLI without a manual binary install:

npx -y tailscale-rmcp --help
npx -y tailscale-rmcp mcp
npx -y tailscale-rmcp devices --json

The npm package downloads rtailscale during postinstall. Override download behavior only when testing packaging:

Variable	Purpose
TAILSCALE_RMCP_SKIP_DOWNLOAD=1	Skip postinstall binary download.
TAILSCALE_RMCP_VERSION or TAILSCALE_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION	Select the GitHub Release tag.
TAILSCALE_RMCP_REPO	Select the GitHub repo used for release downloads.
TAILSCALE_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL	Select a custom release base URL.

Build From Source

git clone https://github.com/jmagar/tailscale-rmcp
cd tailscale-rmcp
cargo build --release
./target/release/rtailscale --help

Minimum supported Rust version: 1.86.

Quickstart

1. Get A Tailscale API Key

Create an API key at https://login.tailscale.com/admin/settings/keys. Use the minimum capability needed for the actions you plan to expose.

2. Configure The Tailnet

export TAILSCALE_API_KEY="tskey-api-..."
export TAILSCALE_TAILNET="-"          # personal, or "example.com" for orgs

Every Tailscale account belongs to a tailnet. TAILSCALE_TAILNET=- targets the default personal tailnet; organization tailnets usually use the org domain.

3. Run A Safe CLI Call

npx -y tailscale-rmcp devices --json

4. Start Loopback HTTP MCP

TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 npx -y tailscale-rmcp serve

In another shell:

curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:40040/health

5. Make A First MCP Call

curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:40040/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"tailscale","arguments":{"action":"devices"}}}'

Client Configuration

Claude Code Stdio

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "tailscale-rmcp", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "TAILSCALE_API_KEY": "tskey-api-...",
        "TAILSCALE_TAILNET": "-"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code HTTP

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:40040/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${TAILSCALE_MCP_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex / Labby Gateway

Register Tailscale through Labby as an HTTP upstream when sharing one long-running server, or run it directly as stdio for local-only use.

[mcp_servers.tailscale]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "tailscale-rmcp", "mcp"]

Generic MCP JSON

{
  "command": "rtailscale",
  "args": ["mcp"],
  "env": {
    "TAILSCALE_API_KEY": "tskey-api-...",
    "TAILSCALE_TAILNET": "-"
  }
}

Do not put TAILSCALE_API_KEY, OAuth secrets, passwords, SSH keys, or upstream bearer tokens in MCP tool arguments. Use env, config files, or the MCP client's secret storage. MCP callers never provide credentials, tokens, keys, or secrets as action arguments.

Runtime Surfaces

Surface	Status	Entry point	Purpose
MCP stdio	Supported	rtailscale mcp, npx -y tailscale-rmcp mcp	Local child-process MCP clients.
MCP HTTP	Supported	rtailscale serve, POST /mcp	Streamable HTTP MCP for local or shared server deployments.
CLI	Supported	rtailscale <command>	Scriptable parity and debugging.
REST API	Not shipped	N/A	Tailscale already owns the REST API.
Web UI	Not shipped	N/A	Tailscale already owns the admin console.

MCP Tool Reference

One MCP tool is exposed: tailscale. Pass the required action argument to select the operation.

Read Actions

Action	Description	Required params	Optional params
devices	List all devices in the tailnet.	none	none
device	Return one device.	id	none
device_routes	Return subnet routes for one device.	id	none
keys	List API keys in the tailnet.	none	none
acl	Return ACL policy JSON.	none	none
dns	Return DNS nameservers, search paths, and MagicDNS preferences.	none	none
users	List tailnet users.	none	none
help	Return built-in action documentation.	none	none

Write Actions

Action	Description	Required params	Optional params
authorize_device	Approve a device for the tailnet.	id	none

Destructive Actions

Action	Description	Required params	Optional params
delete_device	Permanently remove a device.	id, confirm=true	none

Device IDs may be stable node IDs such as n1234abc or legacy numeric device IDs. Use action=devices first to discover IDs.

CLI Reference

The binary calls the same service layer as the MCP tool:

rtailscale devices [--json]
rtailscale device <id> [--json]
rtailscale routes <device-id> [--json]
rtailscale keys [--json]
rtailscale acl [--json]
rtailscale dns [--json]
rtailscale users [--json]
rtailscale authorize <device-id> [--json]
rtailscale delete-device <device-id> --confirm [--json]
rtailscale doctor [--json]
rtailscale setup check [--json]
rtailscale setup repair [--json]

All commands currently print JSON. --json is accepted for parity with the rest of the RMCP family.

Configuration

Host installs read ~/.tailscale-mcp/.env before loading config. Containers read /data/.env. Process environment overrides both.

Variable	Default	Purpose
TAILSCALE_API_KEY	unset	Tailscale API key.
TAILSCALE_TAILNET	-	Tailnet: org domain or - for personal.
TAILSCALE_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE	false	Enable delete_device server-side.
TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST	0.0.0.0	HTTP bind host.
TAILSCALE_MCP_PORT	40040	HTTP bind port.
TAILSCALE_MCP_SERVER_NAME	tailscale-rmcp	Advertised MCP server name.
TAILSCALE_MCP_NO_AUTH	false	Disable auth only for loopback development.
TAILSCALE_MCP_TOKEN	unset	Static bearer token for HTTP MCP.
TAILSCALE_NOAUTH	false	Trust an upstream gateway to enforce auth.
TAILSCALE_MCP_AUTH_MODE	bearer	bearer or oauth.
TAILSCALE_MCP_PUBLIC_URL	unset	Public URL for OAuth discovery.
TAILSCALE_MCP_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID	unset	Google OAuth client ID.
TAILSCALE_MCP_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET	unset	Google OAuth client secret.
TAILSCALE_MCP_AUTH_ADMIN_EMAIL	unset	Admin email for OAuth bootstrap.
TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS	unset	Extra accepted Host header values.
TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS	unset	Extra accepted CORS origins.

Authentication

Stdio MCP runs as a local trusted child process and does not use HTTP auth.

HTTP MCP auth policy:

State	Condition	Behavior
Loopback dev	TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST starts with 127. or auth is explicitly disabled on loopback	Local unauthenticated development is allowed.
Mounted bearer	Non-loopback with TAILSCALE_MCP_TOKEN	Requires Authorization: Bearer <token> and action scopes.
Mounted OAuth	TAILSCALE_MCP_AUTH_MODE=oauth	Uses Google OAuth/JWT through lab-auth.
Trusted gateway	TAILSCALE_NOAUTH=true	Assumes a reverse proxy or gateway already enforced auth.

Non-loopback HTTP startup is rejected unless bearer auth, OAuth, or TAILSCALE_NOAUTH=true is configured.

Safety And Trust Model

• Tailscale API keys are loaded from config/env only.
• MCP callers select actions and IDs, not upstream credentials.
• delete_device has a two-key interlock: TAILSCALE_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=true on the server and caller-provided confirm=true.
• Missing IDs and unknown actions fail before upstream calls.
• Non-loopback HTTP deployments must use bearer auth, OAuth, or a trusted authenticated gateway.
• This bridge does not sandbox Tailscale itself. Tailscale remains responsible for API permissions and tailnet state changes.

Architecture

TailscaleClient  (src/tailscale.rs)  REST transport and API error handling
       |
TailscaleService (src/app.rs)        action behavior and destructive gates
       |
MCP shim         (src/mcp.rs)        JSON args -> service -> Value
CLI shim         (src/cli.rs)        argv -> service -> stdout

Distribution Contract

• Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock, packages/tailscale-rmcp/package.json, .release-please-manifest.json, and server.json must agree on the released version.
• GitHub Releases publish the rtailscale binary consumed by the npm launcher.
• The npm package name is tailscale-rmcp; binary aliases are tailscale-rmcp and rtailscale.
• Docker/OCI metadata uses ghcr.io/jmagar/tailscale-rmcp:<version>.
• plugins/tailscale/.mcp.json must launch npx -y tailscale-rmcp mcp so stdio clients start the MCP transport rather than the HTTP server.
• The root README is curated. Source of truth for action behavior and config defaults is src/, plus the package, plugin, and registry manifests.

Development

cargo fmt --check
cargo test
cargo clippy -- -D warnings
cargo build --release
npm --prefix packages/tailscale-rmcp run check

Verification

python3 /home/jmagar/workspace/soma/scripts/check-readme-guide.py README.md
npm --prefix packages/tailscale-rmcp run check
cargo check
cargo test
git diff --check

Runtime smoke:

TAILSCALE_API_KEY=tskey-api-... \
TAILSCALE_TAILNET=- \
rtailscale devices --json

HTTP smoke:

TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 rtailscale serve
curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:40040/health

Deployment

Use loopback for local development:

TAILSCALE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 rtailscale serve

Use Docker Compose for shared HTTP deployment:

cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

When binding to a non-loopback address, configure TAILSCALE_MCP_TOKEN, TAILSCALE_MCP_AUTH_MODE=oauth, or TAILSCALE_NOAUTH=true behind an authenticated gateway.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
TAILSCALE_API_KEY is missing	Set it in env or ~/.tailscale-mcp/.env.
Device calls return unauthorized	Refresh the API key in Tailscale admin settings.
HTTP /mcp returns unauthorized	Set TAILSCALE_MCP_TOKEN and send Authorization: Bearer <token>.
Stdio client hangs or logs JSON errors	Ensure client config runs tailscale-rmcp mcp, not the default HTTP server mode.
delete_device is rejected	Set TAILSCALE_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=true server-side and pass confirm=true after verifying the target.
Port conflict	Set TAILSCALE_MCP_PORT or stop the process already using 40040.

Related Servers

• soma - RMCP runtime for provider-backed MCP servers.
• unifi-rmcp - UniFi controller REST API bridge.
• unraid-rmcp - Unraid GraphQL bridge for NAS and server management.
• apprise-rmcp - Apprise notification fan-out bridge for many delivery backends.
• gotify-rmcp - Gotify push notification bridge for sends, messages, apps, and clients.
• arcane-rmcp - Arcane Docker management bridge for containers and related resources.
• yarr - Media-stack bridge for Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, Plex, and related services.
• ytdl-rmcp - Media download and metadata workflow server.
• synapse-rmcp - Local Synapse workflow server for scout and flux actions.
• cortex - Syslog and homelab log aggregation MCP server.
• axon - RAG, crawl, scrape, extract, and semantic search project.
• labby - Homelab control plane and MCP gateway project.
• lumen - Local semantic code search MCP server.

Documentation

• CLAUDE.md is the curated local operating guide for contributors and agents.
• docs/SETUP.md is curated plugin/setup guidance.
• docs/OAUTH.md is curated OAuth setup guidance.
• plugins/tailscale/skills/tailscale/SKILL.md is the agent usage guide.
• src/ is the source of truth for current actions, config defaults, auth behavior, and CLI parsing.
• Package, plugin, Docker, and registry manifests are curated distribution contracts and should be checked with the verification commands above.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.