Claude Desktop Setup

Remem’s core is remem-server (the REST API, storage engine, and MCP server, port 4545). Claude Desktop speaks MCP over stdio only, so it talks to remem-server through the small remem-mcp companion binary rather than connecting directly.

Start Remem

The easiest way is docker compose, using the docker-compose.yml from Docker Compose:
Terminal window
```
docker compose up -d
```
Edit Claude Desktop config

Open the config file:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add the Remem server, running remem-mcp as the stdio bridge. It ships in the same rememorg/remem-community:server-latest image already started in Step 1, so this needs only Docker — no Rust toolchain:
```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "remem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "--rm", "-i", "--network", "remem-network", "rememorg/remem-community:server-latest", "remem-mcp", "--server-url", "http://remem-server:4545"]
    }
  }
}
```
If auth is enabled (see Authentication), add "-e", "REMEM_API_KEY=your-secret-key" to args (right after "--rm", "-i") so remem-mcp forwards it as a bearer token to remem-server.
Restart Claude Desktop

The tools icon appears in the conversation input when MCP tools are active.

Verifying the connection

In a Claude conversation:

“What Remem tools do you have access to?”

Claude will list the 8 available tools and 3 resources.

First memory

“Remember that I prefer responses in bullet points.”

Claude calls store_memory. The memory persists — start a new conversation and ask Claude something. It will call search_memories before responding and use the preference you stored.

Troubleshooting

Tools icon not showing: Restart Claude Desktop. Check that remem-server is running and healthy: curl http://localhost:4545/api/v1/health.

“Connection refused” in Claude: Confirm remem-server is reachable at the --server-url given in your config, and that it’s healthy (see above).

Authentication errors: Ensure the -e REMEM_API_KEY=... value in your config’s args matches the key remem-server expects.