Honeycomb MCP Remote Server Bug Report

Problem Summary

The remote Honeycomb MCP server at https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp was working correctly for several days but has suddenly stopped functioning. All data query operations now return "Invalid or missing environment" errors, despite the server successfully authenticating and returning workspace context. The workspace context claims "MCP tools do not function in Classic environments," but these same tools were working fine until recently.

Timeline

Working Period: MCP server functioned correctly for multiple days
Used Successfully: DLQ alarm investigations, production data queries, worker analysis
Current State: All data queries fail with environment errors
Basic Functions: Authentication and workspace context still work

Configuration

Claude Code Global MCP Configuration

From ~/.claude.json:

"honeycomb": {
  "type": "http",
  "url": "https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp"
}

Authentication

Handled via Claude Code's /mcp command
Successfully reports: "Authentication successful. Reconnected to honeycomb"

Working vs Broken Behavior

Still Working ✅

mcp__honeycomb__get_workspace_context

Returns:

HONEYCOMB WORKSPACE CONTEXT
============================

TEAM INFORMATION
----------------
Name: Intercomops
Slug: intercomops

CURRENT TIME
------------
Epoch: 1755781994
Human: 2025-08-21 13:13:14 UTC

ENVIRONMENTS
------------
MCP tools do not function in Classic environments. Please check https://docs.honeycomb.io/troubleshoot/product-lifecycle/recommended-migrations/migrate-from-honeycomb-classic/ or contact Support for more details.

Now Broken ❌

mcp__honeycomb__run_query \
  --environment_slug production \
  --dataset_slug intercom-production \
  --query_spec '{"calculations": [{"op": "COUNT"}], "time_range": 3600}'

Returns: Invalid or missing environment: production

mcp__honeycomb__run_query \
  --environment_slug intercom-production \
  --dataset_slug intercom-production \
  --query_spec '{"calculations": [{"op": "COUNT"}], "filters": [{"column": "is_dlq_error", "op": "=", "value": true}], "breakdowns": ["sqs_queue_name", "app_stage"], "time_range": 86400, "limit": 10}'

Returns: Invalid or missing environment: intercom-production

Previously Working Use Cases

Based on our team's usage over the past several days:

DLQ Investigation Queries

{
  "environment": "production",
  "dataset": "intercom-production", 
  "calculations": [{"op": "COUNT"}],
  "filters": [
    {"column": "is_dlq_error", "op": "=", "value": true},
    {"column": "sqs_queue_name", "op": "=", "value": "production-queue-name"}
  ],
  "breakdowns": ["error.type", "error.msg", "app_stage", "sqs_source_app_stage"],
  "time_range": 86400
}

Worker Analysis Queries

{
  "environment": "production",
  "dataset": "intercom-production",
  "calculations": [{"op": "COUNT"}],
  "filters": [{"column": "app_stage", "op": "contains", "value": "worker"}],
  "time_range": 86400
}

Inconsistency Analysis

The core issue: The MCP server successfully authenticates, retrieves workspace metadata, and returns real data (team name, timestamps), but claims that "MCP tools do not function in Classic environments" while simultaneously demonstrating that MCP tools ARE functioning.

This suggests either:

Recent change: The workspace was migrated TO Classic (unusual direction)
Server regression: Recent MCP server update broke environment handling
Partial functionality: Some tools work, others don't, but error messaging is unclear

Impact

Team blocked: Multiple Intercom engineers cannot use MCP for observability automation
Automation broken: DLQ alarm review workflows non-functional
Inconsistent behavior: Working authentication/metadata vs failing data queries creates confusion

Environment Details

Team: Intercomops
Workspace Type: Appears to be "Classic" (according to server message)
Previous Status: Unknown, but MCP queries were successful
Authentication: Working correctly
Basic connectivity: Working correctly

Reported: 2025-08-21
Reporter: Micheal Looney (Intercom Infrastructure)
Status: Regression - previously working functionality now broken

looneym/honeycomb-mcp-debugging-journal.md