Linear MCP Authentication Error — Permanent Fix

You're here because Linear keeps disconnecting from Claude. Here's why it happens and how to stop it permanently.

Error: OAuth token expired. Please re-authenticate with Linear.
Error: MCP connection to Linear failed. Token invalid.
Error: Authentication error - please reconnect your Linear account.

// What's causing this error

Linear's OAuth tokens have a limited lifespan. When Claude connects to Linear through MCP, it receives a token that expires after a short period — sometimes just hours. Once it expires, every request fails and you're forced to re-authenticate manually. This cycle repeats indefinitely.

This is a widely reported problem. Users in the community describe having to re-authenticate multiple times per day, breaking their workflow every time. See the discussion at anthropics/claude-code#18444 for the scope of the issue.

// The permanent fix

Bindify eliminates this problem in three steps:

  1. Connect once. Authorize Bindify to access your Linear workspace through OAuth. This is the last time you'll ever authenticate.
  2. Get a permanent URL. Bindify gives you a stable MCP endpoint URL. Point Claude at this URL instead of connecting to Linear directly.
  3. Bindify handles the rest. When your Linear token expires, Bindify refreshes it automatically in the background. Your Claude connection never breaks.
bindify connect linear
Connected. Token refresh handled automatically.
Your permanent MCP URL: https://api.bindify.dev/s/{secret}/sse
Fix it now — free trial

// Why this keeps happening

The root cause is that MCP clients — including Claude Desktop and Claude Code — do not handle OAuth token refresh. The MCP specification supports OAuth 2.0 for authentication, but the client implementations treat the initial token as permanent. When that token expires, the client has no mechanism to request a new one without user intervention.

This is not specific to Linear. Any MCP server that uses OAuth will eventually hit the same wall. The client simply does not implement the refresh token flow, so every expiry becomes a manual re-authentication event. Read our full technical breakdown of the MCP re-auth problem.

// Set up takes 2 minutes

The full setup guide walks you through connecting Linear, getting your permanent URL, and configuring Claude. The whole process takes about two minutes. Follow the Linear setup guide →