diff --git a/src/app_controller.py b/src/app_controller.py
index 0201e11..3e5d05b 100644
--- a/src/app_controller.py
+++ b/src/app_controller.py
@@ -953,6 +953,15 @@ class AppController:
   self.ui_agent_tools = {t: agent_tools_cfg.get(t, True) for t in models.AGENT_TOOL_NAMES}
   label = self.project.get("project", {}).get("name", "")
   session_logger.open_session(label=label)
+  # Trigger auto-start of MCP servers
+  self.event_queue.put('refresh_external_mcps', None)
+
+ async def refresh_external_mcps(self):
+  await mcp_client.get_external_mcp_manager().stop_all()
+  # Start servers with auto_start=True
+  for name, cfg in self.mcp_config.mcpServers.items():
+   if cfg.auto_start:
+    await mcp_client.get_external_mcp_manager().add_server(cfg)
 
  def cb_load_prior_log(self, path: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
   root = hide_tk_root()
@@ -1266,6 +1275,9 @@ class AppController:
        "action": "ticket_completed",
        "payload": payload
       })
+   elif event_name == "refresh_external_mcps":
+    import asyncio
+    asyncio.run(self.refresh_external_mcps())
 
  def _handle_request_event(self, event: events.UserRequestEvent) -> None:
   """Processes a UserRequestEvent by calling the AI client."""
diff --git a/src/gui_2.py b/src/gui_2.py
index 9bfa892..37fb206 100644
--- a/src/gui_2.py
+++ b/src/gui_2.py
@@ -608,6 +608,9 @@ class App:
         if imgui.begin_tab_item("Usage Analytics")[0]:
          self._render_usage_analytics_panel()
          imgui.end_tab_item()
+       if imgui.begin_tab_item("External Tools")[0]:
+        self._render_external_tools_panel()
+        imgui.end_tab_item()
        imgui.end_tab_bar()
     imgui.end()
    
@@ -2573,6 +2576,54 @@ def hello():
    imgui.pop_style_color(2)
   if self.perf_profiling_enabled: self.perf_monitor.end_component("_render_response_panel")
 
+ def _render_external_tools_panel(self) -> None:
+  if self.perf_profiling_enabled: self.perf_monitor.start_component("_render_external_tools_panel")
+  if imgui.button("Refresh External MCPs"):
+   self.event_queue.put("refresh_external_mcps", None)
+  
+  imgui.separator()
+  
+  # Server status indicators
+  manager = mcp_client.get_external_mcp_manager()
+  statuses = manager.get_servers_status()
+  if statuses:
+   imgui.text("Servers:")
+   for sname, status in statuses.items():
+    imgui.same_line()
+    # Green for running, Yellow for starting, Red for error, Gray for idle
+    col = (0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1.0)
+    if status == 'running':
+     col = (0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0)
+    elif status == 'starting':
+     col = (1.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0)
+    elif status == 'error':
+     col = (1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
+    imgui.color_button(f"##status_{sname}", col)
+    imgui.same_line()
+    imgui.text(sname)
+   imgui.separator()
+  
+  tools = manager.get_all_tools()
+  if not tools:
+   imgui.text_disabled("No external tools found.")
+  else:
+   if imgui.begin_table("external_tools_table", 3, imgui.TableFlags_.borders | imgui.TableFlags_.row_bg | imgui.TableFlags_.resizable):
+    imgui.table_setup_column("Name")
+    imgui.table_setup_column("Server")
+    imgui.table_setup_column("Description")
+    imgui.table_headers_row()
+    
+    for tname, tinfo in tools.items():
+     imgui.table_next_row()
+     imgui.table_next_column()
+     imgui.text(tname)
+     imgui.table_next_column()
+     imgui.text(tinfo.get('server', 'unknown'))
+     imgui.table_next_column()
+     imgui.text(tinfo.get('description', ''))
+    imgui.end_table()
+  if self.perf_profiling_enabled: self.perf_monitor.end_component("_render_external_tools_panel")
+
  def _render_comms_history_panel(self) -> None:
   if self.perf_profiling_enabled: self.perf_monitor.start_component("_render_comms_history_panel")
   st_col = vec4(200, 220, 160)
diff --git a/src/mcp_client.py b/src/mcp_client.py
index 6be254a..3fa8fca 100644
--- a/src/mcp_client.py
+++ b/src/mcp_client.py
@@ -925,12 +925,14 @@ class StdioMCPServer:
   self.tools = {}
   self._id_counter = 0
   self._pending_requests = {}
+  self.status = 'idle'
 
  def _get_id(self):
   self._id_counter += 1
   return self._id_counter
 
  async def start(self):
+  self.status = 'starting'
   self.proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
    self.config.command,
    *self.config.args,
@@ -940,6 +942,7 @@ class StdioMCPServer:
   )
   asyncio.create_task(self._read_stderr())
   await self.list_tools()
+  self.status = 'running'
 
  async def stop(self):
   if self.proc:
@@ -955,6 +958,7 @@ class StdioMCPServer:
    except Exception:
     pass
    self.proc = None
+  self.status = 'idle'
 
  async def _read_stderr(self):
   while self.proc and not self.proc.stdout.at_eof():
@@ -1015,9 +1019,12 @@ class ExternalMCPManager:
   all_tools = {}
   for sname, server in self.servers.items():
    for tname, tool in server.tools.items():
-    all_tools[tname] = {**tool, 'server': sname}
+    all_tools[tname] = {**tool, 'server': sname, 'server_status': server.status}
   return all_tools
 
+ def get_servers_status(self) -> dict[str, str]:
+  return {name: server.status for name, server in self.servers.items()}
+
  async def async_dispatch(self, tool_name: str, tool_input: dict) -> str:
   for server in self.servers.values():
    if tool_name in server.tools: