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Gemini Flash: one malformed MCP array enum breaks all prompts with HTTP 400 #4835
Description
Type: Bug
Copilot CLI Version: 1.0.84-5
OS Version: Windows 11 x64
Model: gemini-3.7-flash
Summary
Having a single MCP tool whose schema contains an integer enum directly on an array property causes all requests to Gemini Flash to fail with an opaque HTTP 400 Bad Request error.
The error does not identify which MCP server, tool, or schema property caused the failure.
Steps to Reproduce
- Save
schema-repro.mjs,gemini-bad.json, andgemini-fixed.jsonfrom the Reproducer files section below in the same directory. Node.js must be available. - From that directory, run these native Copilot commands:
copilot --model gemini-3.7-flash --no-custom-instructions --additional-mcp-config "@gemini-bad.json" --available-tools schema_repro-probe_000 --allow-all-tools -p "Reply with exactly OK. Do not call tools."
copilot --model gemini-3.7-flash --no-custom-instructions --additional-mcp-config "@gemini-fixed.json" --available-tools schema_repro-probe_000 --allow-all-tools -p "Reply with exactly OK. Do not call tools."Both commands advertise exactly one inert tool. There is no SDK dependency or shell helper.
The bad fixture defines:
{
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"levels": {
"type": ["array", "null"],
"items": { "type": "integer" },
"enum": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 25]
}
}
}Actual Behaviour
The request immediately fails with:
Execution failed: 400 Bad Request (Request ID: ...)
Moving enum under items:
{
"type": ["array", "null"],
"items": {
"type": "integer",
"enum": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 25]
}
}completely resolves the issue and the request succeeds.
Native CLI results:
| Input Schema | Advertised tools | Result |
|---|---|---|
enum on array level |
1 | HTTP 400 |
enum under items |
1 | OK |
Expected Behaviour
Copilot CLI should validate tool schemas client-side before sending them to the provider API, and report actionable errors identifying:
- Server name
- Tool name
- Schema property path
For this fixture: schema_repro, probe_000, and /properties/levels/enum.
Failing that, the error message should include the provider's validation details instead of a generic 400 error.
Notes
- Other schema constructs like plain integer enums (
{"type": "integer", "enum": [0, 1]}) and nullable objects work fine. - Related to Gemini models fail with 400 for any MCP tool whose array
itemshas a union type (e.g. ["object","null"]); GPT/Claude unaffected #4623, but specifically caused by array-level enums rather than nullable object unions.
Impact
A single malformed tool schema from any active MCP server silently breaks all model calls to Gemini without any indication of which server or tool is at fault.
Reproducer files
schema-repro.mjs
import { createInterface } from 'node:readline';
const mode = process.argv[2];
const count = Number(process.argv[3] ?? 1);
const allowedModes = ['array-enum-bad', 'array-enum-fixed', 'count'];
if (!allowedModes.includes(mode) ||
!Number.isInteger(count) ||
count < 1 ||
count > 400) {
throw new Error('Usage: node schema-repro.mjs array-enum-bad|array-enum-fixed|count [1..400]');
}
const levels = { type: ['array', 'null'], items: { type: 'integer' } };
if (mode === 'array-enum-bad') {
levels.enum = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 25];
} else {
levels.items.enum = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 25];
}
const tools = Array.from({ length: mode === 'count' ? count : 1 }, (_, index) => ({
name: `probe_${String(index).padStart(3, '0')}`,
description: 'Schema diagnostic only; performs no operation.',
inputSchema: {
type: 'object',
properties: mode === 'count' ? { value: { type: 'string' } } : { levels },
},
}));
for await (const line of createInterface({ input: process.stdin, crlfDelay: Infinity })) {
if (!line.trim()) {
continue;
}
const request = JSON.parse(line);
if (request.id === undefined) {
continue;
}
let result;
if (request.method === 'initialize') {
result = {
protocolVersion: request.params.protocolVersion,
capabilities: { tools: {} },
serverInfo: { name: 'schema-repro', version: '1.0.0' },
};
} else if (request.method === 'tools/list') {
result = { tools };
} else if (request.method === 'tools/call') {
result = {
isError: true,
content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'This diagnostic never executes an operation.' }],
};
} else if (request.method === 'ping') {
result = {};
} else {
process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify({
jsonrpc: '2.0',
id: request.id,
error: { code: -32601, message: 'Method not found' },
})}\n`);
continue;
}
process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: request.id, result })}\n`);
}gemini-bad.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"schema_repro": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "node",
"args": ["schema-repro.mjs", "array-enum-bad"],
"tools": ["*"]
}
}
}gemini-fixed.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"schema_repro": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "node",
"args": ["schema-repro.mjs", "array-enum-fixed"],
"tools": ["*"]
}
}
}
Activity
patniko commentedon Oct 26, 2026
Thanks for the excellent reproducer. This is fixed in Copilot CLI v1.0.100: when a tool schema puts
enumon an array-typed property, the CLI now moves it onto the array items before sending the tools to Gemini, so a single MCP tool like this no longer makes every Gemini request fail with a 400; v1.0.103 also fixed further Gemini schema errors involving nullable and enum fields. If you still see opaque 400s from Gemini with your fixture on the latest version, please reopen.Triaged as part of a Copilot SDK backlog review, with help from GitHub Copilot.
kondv commentedon Oct 28, 2026
Thanks @patniko. Confirmed on 1.0.104 with the same fixtures.
gemini-3.7-flashisn't available anymore, so I ran it ongemini-3.8-flashandgemini-4-argon, and the bad schema returns OK on both.Retest on 1.0.104
Same
schema-repro.mjs,gemini-bad.jsonandgemini-fixed.jsonas in the issue:copilot --model gemini-3.8-flash --no-custom-instructions --additional-mcp-config "@gemini-bad.json" --available-tools schema_repro-probe_000 --allow-all-tools -p "Reply with exactly OK. Do not call tools." --log-level debug --log-dir <dir>canonicalDigestgemini-bad.jsongemini-3.8-flashaf93c55dadca007bgemini-bad.jsongemini-4-argonaf93c55dadca007bgemini-fixed.jsongemini-3.8-flash8ea2e436adca007bThe bad and fixed fixtures have different raw digests but the same
canonicalDigest, which matches the fix you described (theenummoved ontoitemsbefore sending).— kondv's Copilot 🤖