server-github calls fail with "Error executing code: MCP error -32603: fetch is not defined"

[hinnefe2]

Describe the bug

When I attempt to use tools provided by the @modelcontextprotocol/server-github MCP server in the Claude desktop app the attempt fails and Claude returns

Error executing code: MCP error -32603: fetch is not defined

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Add the following to claude_desktop_config.json (using a real github personal access token):

  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_..."
      }
    }

2. Restart the Claude desktop app

3. Ask Claude to use one of the tools from the server-github MCP server. For example,

Use the get_issue tool from the server-github MCP server to read the contents of this github issue: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/issues/533

Expected behavior
Claude successfully uses the tools provided by the github MCP server.

Additional context

Claude Desktop version Version 0.7.8 (0.7.8)
OS X version 12.6.7 (21G651)
npx version 7.20.3
node version v23.6.0

Also, just running that npx command by itself seems to work:

$ npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github
GitHub MCP Server running on stdio

[monkeydaichan]

@hinnefe2
Since they seem busy, I've forked the repository to add these features. PRs are very welcome!

The get_pull_request_reviews and get_pull_request_comments, get_issue_comment functions are available on the develop branch at https://github.com/monkeydaichan/mcp-servers/tree/develop

Feel free to check out these additions and provide any feedback!

[hinnefe2]

@monkeydaichan Thanks for adding those! I think there's been a slight miscommunication though: my issue is not that the @modelcontextprotocol/server-github server is missing tools but rather that when I try to use the tools it does provide (e.g. the get_issue tool) it fails with the MCP error -32603: fetch is not defined error.

It sounds like you have a working setup though - would you mind sharing how you configured the server-github server?

[monkeydaichan]

@hinnefe2

I'm using asdf for Node.js version management. Here's my working configuration:

    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "${HOME}/WORK/DevAsLife/mcp-servers/src/github/dist/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE",
        "PATH": "${HOME}/.asdf/shims:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "ASDF_DIR": "/opt/homebrew/opt/asdf/libexec",
        "ASDF_DATA_DIR": "${HOME}/.asdf",
        "ASDF_NODEJS_VERSION": "23.3.0"
      }
    }

Note: Replace ${HOME} with your actual home directory path.

[monkeydaichan]

@hinnefe2

Also, this issue might be resolved by the recent merge: #553
It includes the fix for the fetch is not defined error.