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marm-memory - persistent local memory server for AI agents (Model Context Protocol)

MARM: Local-First Persistent Multi-Agent Memory Layer for MCP Clients v2.20.0

License Python FastAPI Docker Pulls PyPI Downloads PyPI Version MCP Registry

Discord Publish CodeQL marm-memory MCP server

Contributions welcome! Browse open issues to contribute, or join the MARM Discord to share workflows, get setup help, and connect with other builders.

Table of Contents

Why MARM MCP

Your AI forgets everything. MARM MCP doesn't.

Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Qwen, Cursor, VS Code agents, and any other MCP client share the same memory server, so decisions, context, notebooks, and code structure survive across sessions, across agents, and across projects. Cross-session context is the whole point: long-running multi-agent work stops drifting because every agent recalls the same history.

MARM is built around three focused surfaces: 7 core memory tools for daily agent context, 5 code-graph tools for repo intelligence, and 2 concept-graph tools that turn stored memories into a queryable knowledge graph. All 14 are bundled over both HTTP and STDIO transports. The server handles the heavy work behind those tools: protocol delivery, hybrid semantic + full-text retrieval, serialized writes, rate-limit presets, write-time consolidation, agent-assisted compaction, and lazy graph startup. Agents get a compact memory workflow plus codebase and concept lookup when they need it, without rereading the whole project or flooding the model with duplicate context.

How It Works

Layer What it does Why it matters
Memory model Sessions, structured logs, notebooks, summaries, and semantic memories Keeps project history searchable instead of trapped in one chat
Scale layer SQLite WAL mode, connection pooling, serialized write queue, and HTTP rate-limit presets Lets one server support solo use, multi-agent work, and swarm-style bursts
Intelligence layer FTS filter, semantic re-rank, bounded semantic fallback, auto-classification, write-time consolidation, and compaction candidates Keeps recall useful as memory grows instead of letting duplicates pile up
Code graph layer Repo indexing, symbol lookup, call tracing, architecture overview, and change-impact analysis Gives agents project structure without rereading the whole codebase
Concept graph layer Entity and relationship extraction from stored memories, with links back into the code graph Connects decisions, errors, tools, and people across sessions instead of leaving them as flat text
Token layer Lightweight 7-tool core surface (14 total with bundled graph tools), semantic re-rank before retrieval, and write-time deduplication Reduces tokens sent to the model on every recall and cost stays predictable as memory scales
Deployment layer Pip, Docker, STDIO, HTTP, --swarm, --swarm-max, and --trusted Lets you run private local memory or shared multi-agent memory with the same MCP surface

See Performance & Scaling Benchmarks for retrieval latency, concurrency, and write-cost numbers, and Architecture & Internals for the mechanisms behind each layer.

Start Now

Recommended: guided setup with marm-init

The easiest way to install MARM is to let your agent do the setup with you. marm-init turns the usual MCP setup mess into one guided conversation: Python or Docker, HTTP or STDIO, local or remote server, API keys, config paths, dashboard startup, and multi-agent linking for Claude, Codex, Gemini, Qwen, Cursor, VS Code, and other MCP clients. No hunting through install docs, no guessing which config file your client uses, and no rewriting the same connection by hand for every agent.

npx degit Lyellr88/marm-memory/skills

Then tell your agent: "Use the marm-init skill to set up MARM."

Manual pip install

pip install marm-mcp-server
If you are... Start the server Connect your MCP client
Solo developer / researcher python -m marm_mcp_server "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Private local STDIO user marm-mcp-stdio "agent" mcp add --transport stdio marm-memory-stdio marm-mcp-stdio
Multiple agents sharing memory python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Private high-throughput swarm python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm-max "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Trusted private lab/server python -m marm_mcp_server --trusted "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp

Performance & Scaling Benchmarks

MARM is tuned for fast recall first, even as memory grows and long memories are chunked behind the scenes.

1. Retrieval Latency Scaling

Session Size ($N$) Min Latency Median Latency p95 Latency
N = 100 12.3 ms 13.8 ms 15.0 ms
N = 500 13.3 ms 14.1 ms 16.4 ms
N = 1,000 14.5 ms 16.2 ms 17.1 ms
N = 2,000 15.9 ms 18.4 ms 20.8 ms
N = 4,000 17.6 ms 20.8 ms 22.5 ms

2. Encoder + Concurrency

  • Cold model load: 972ms
  • Warm encode: median 10.3ms, p95 11.2ms
  • Concurrent recall: 10 gathered recalls completed in 394.7ms vs 436.6ms serial. The current path is intentionally serialized around shared encoder/SQLite work, so this is stable under load rather than true parallel speedup.

3. Write-Time Ingestion Cost

  • Consolidation off: median 10.3ms, p95 11.6ms
  • Consolidation on: median 42.0ms, p95 46.3ms
  • Tradeoff: write-time dedupe/clustering adds 4.1x median cost so recall stays fast and cleaner over time.

4. Hybrid Search Scaling

Session Size ($N$) Pure Semantic Production Hybrid FTS Filter -> Rerank Speedup vs Pure
N = 100 2.4 ms 15.1 ms 2.2 ms 1.1x
N = 1,000 23.6 ms 16.2 ms 2.7 ms 8.8x
N = 4,000 93.8 ms 18.3 ms 4.9 ms 19.0x
N = 10,000 242.7 ms 19.7 ms 5.4 ms 45.1x

Benchmarks used a throwaway real SQLite database and the live fastembed-backed all-MiniLM-L6-v2 encoder on local hardware. Reproduce them: marm-mcp-server/scripts/bench_hotpath.py

5. vs Competitors: Architecture

MARM targets a specific niche: local-first memory for MCP-connected coding agents, not general personalization memory or a full agent runtime. Here's how it differs architecturally from established names in AI agent memory:

MARM Mem0 Letta (MemGPT) Zep / Graphiti agentmemory
Type Memory engine, MCP-native Memory layer API Full agent runtime Temporal knowledge graph Memory engine, MCP-native
Required infrastructure No separate data service (embedded SQLite) Vector DB (Qdrant/pgvector) Postgres + vector DB Neo4j Separate iii-engine runtime
Deployment Local-first by default; Docker for shared/remote Cloud API or self-hosted Self-hosted or cloud Cloud or self-hosted Local-first
Retrieval model Hybrid: FTS5 BM25 exact lane + semantic rerank Vector + graph + key-value Vector archival store + agent-managed core memory Temporal knowledge graph (fact validity windows) BM25 + vector + graph (RRF fusion)
Write capture Explicit tool calls from the connected agent Explicit add() calls (some integrations auto-extract) Agent self-edits its own memory Explicit API calls Hook-based, automatic (no explicit calls needed)
Code structure awareness Bundled code graph + concept graph, fused with memory Not built in Not built in Not built in Not built in (pairs with a separate project)
Framework lock-in None (any MCP client) None High (must run within Letta) None None (any MCP client)

Disclaimers & Accuracy: Competitor landscapes evolve rapidly. The matrix above reflects core architectural traits as of Q3 2026, based on public documentation and READMEs, not internal testing of each system. If any data point regarding an alternative framework has changed or is misrepresented, please open an issue or submit a Pull Request to update the table. We actively welcome corrections from peer maintainers.

🚀 Quick Start for MCP (HTTP & STDIO)

Manual pip install

pip install marm-mcp-server
If you are... Start the server Connect your MCP client
Solo developer / researcher python -m marm_mcp_server "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Private local STDIO user marm-mcp-stdio "agent" mcp add --transport stdio marm-memory-stdio marm-mcp-stdio
Multiple agents sharing memory python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Private high-throughput swarm python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm-max "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
Trusted private lab/server python -m marm_mcp_server --trusted "agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp

Use this quick rule of thumb to choose your setup

  • Local HTTP/STDIO = fastest single-machine setup.
  • Docker HTTP = shared/always-on server (key required).
  • Docker STDIO = private containerized local use (no HTTP key).

Swarm / multi-agent note: The write queue is enabled by default to serialize memory writes through one worker. For shared HTTP deployments, use --swarm (200 RPM) or --swarm-max (600 RPM) when starting the server. --trusted disables rate limiting entirely for private deployments. STDIO is still best for private single-agent/local use. See Swarm & multi-agent presets for the full table.

Local pip HTTP (zero config)

"agent" refers to claude, gemini, grok, qwen, or any MCP client. Codex uses --url instead of --transport to add MCP tools.

pip install marm-mcp-server
python -m marm_mcp_server
# Stuck on client setup? Open a Q&A thread: https://github.com/Lyellr88/marm-memory/discussions
# most agents use this --transport command
"agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp
codex mcp add marm-memory --url http://localhost:8001/mcp

Default pip/local startup is zero-config: MARM binds to localhost and does not require a key unless you expose it with SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0.

Local pip STDIO 
pip install marm-mcp-server
python -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio
# most agents use this --transport command
"agent" mcp add --transport stdio marm-memory-stdio marm-mcp-stdio
codex mcp add marm-memory-stdio -- marm-mcp-stdio

Replace marm-mcp-stdio with python -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio if using a virtualenv or a path-based setup. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Qwen, and Gemini CLI. STDIO stays a single local process with no port and no API key, and exposes the same 14 tools as HTTP.

Local Python swarm modes (HTTP & STDIO)

Use HTTP when multiple agents need to share one live MARM server. STDIO is still best for private single-agent use because each client owns its own local process.

# HTTP shared server, normal multi-agent use
python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm

# HTTP shared server, heavier private swarm
python -m marm_mcp_server --swarm-max

# HTTP trusted private lab/server, rate limiting disabled
python -m marm_mcp_server --trusted

# STDIO remains keyless/private and does not use swarm flags
marm-mcp-stdio
Docker HTTP (key required)

Docker HTTP requires an API key because it exposes MARM as a network server; STDIO stays local to the client process and does not need one.

# Step 1: generate key (do not add < > around the key)
docker run --rm lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest --generate-key

# Step 2: run server
docker pull lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest
docker run -d --name marm-mcp-server \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8001:8001 \
  -e SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e MARM_API_KEY=your-generated-key \
  -v ~/.marm:/home/marm/.marm \
  lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest

# Step 3: connect client
"agent" mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer your-generated-key"

# PowerShell: set this before starting/restarting Codex
$env:MARM_API_KEY="your-generated-key"
codex mcp add marm-memory --url http://localhost:8001/mcp --bearer-token-env-var MARM_API_KEY

# Quick auth smoke test
curl -i -H "Authorization: Bearer $env:MARM_API_KEY" http://127.0.0.1:8001/mcp

--bearer-token-env-var takes the environment variable name, not the raw key. Start or restart Codex from the same shell after setting $env:MARM_API_KEY. For local Docker smoke tests, MARM_API_KEY=test is fine and avoids shell escaping problems; use a generated key for real deployments. A 406 Not Acceptable from the smoke-test GET /mcp means auth reached the MCP endpoint; 401 Unauthorized means the key is missing or mismatched.

Docker HTTP swarm mode 
# --swarm: write queue on, 200 RPM - recommended for multi-agent shared servers
docker run -d --name marm-mcp-server \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8001:8001 \
  -e SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e MARM_API_KEY=your-generated-key \
  -v ~/.marm:/home/marm/.marm \
  lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest --swarm
Docker graph indexing: mount the repo

Docker graph tools run inside the container, so they cannot see host paths unless you mount them at docker run.

$env:MARM_API_KEY="test"

# The second -v line mounts your repo; adjust the host path to your project
docker run -d --name marm-mcp-server `
  -p 127.0.0.1:8001:8001 `
  -e SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 `
  -e MARM_API_KEY=$env:MARM_API_KEY `
  -v ~/.marm:/home/marm/.marm `
  -v C:\Users\lyell\Desktop\marm-memory:/workspace/marm-memory `
  lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest

Then index the container path, not the Windows host path:

marm_graph_index(repo_path="/workspace/marm-memory")

Graph tools must use the container path. Mounts cannot be added to an already-running container; stop and restart the container with the repo mount when you want Docker graph indexing.

Docker STDIO (no HTTP key)

Docker STDIO includes the same built-in marm-graph tools; no extra image or install step is required.

docker run --rm -i \
  -v ~/.marm:/home/marm/.marm \
  --entrypoint python \
  lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest \
  -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio
Support notes
  • Docker HTTP requires a key; Docker STDIO does not.
  • If you get 401, verify key match and client restart after env var changes.
  • For full key setup, rotation, and troubleshooting: INSTALL-DOCKER.md

Connect your client

Start the server (python -m marm_mcp_server), then wire up your client below. Every block assumes the default local install (no key). For Docker or exposed servers, add the Authorization: Bearer header shown in each client's collapsible.

Claude Code 
claude mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp

Claude Code supports HTTP, SSE, and STDIO through claude mcp add; use HTTP for MARM. For STDIO: claude mcp add --transport stdio marm-memory-stdio marm-mcp-stdio.

VS Code / GitHub Copilot Agent

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace. Use marm-memory-local for direct Python installs; marm-memory-docker for Docker or exposed/key mode.

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "marm-api-key",
      "description": "MARM API Key for Docker or exposed server mode",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "marm-memory-local": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8001/mcp"
    },
    "marm-memory-docker": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8001/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:marm-api-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Open .vscode/mcp.json, click Start above the server you want, then use Copilot Agent or any extension that consumes VS Code's native MCP registry.

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your workspace. Cursor uses mcpServers, not VS Code's servers root.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "marm-memory-local": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8001/mcp"
    },
    "marm-memory-docker": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8001/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:MARM_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Docker/key mode, launch Cursor with MARM_API_KEY set in the environment.

Codex CLI

Codex uses codex mcp add or TOML config at ~/.codex/config.toml (%USERPROFILE%\.codex\config.toml on Windows).

# Direct Python install - no key needed
codex mcp add marm-memory --url http://localhost:8001/mcp

# Docker or SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 - key required (set MARM_API_KEY in your shell first)
codex mcp add marm-memory --url http://localhost:8001/mcp --bearer-token-env-var MARM_API_KEY
[mcp_servers."marm-memory"]
url = "http://localhost:8001/mcp"
enabled = true
bearer_token_env_var = "MARM_API_KEY"
Gemini CLI 
# Direct Python install - no key needed
gemini mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp

# Docker or SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 - key required
gemini mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer your-generated-key"

Equivalent ~/.gemini/settings.json (user scope) or project .gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "marm-memory": {
      "httpUrl": "http://localhost:8001/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-generated-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
Qwen Code 
# Direct Python install - no key needed
qwen mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp

# Docker or SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0 - key required
qwen mcp add --transport http marm-memory http://localhost:8001/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer your-generated-key"

Equivalent .qwen/settings.json (project) or ~/.qwen/settings.json (user):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "marm-memory": {
      "httpUrl": "http://localhost:8001/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-generated-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
xAI / Grok Remote MCP

xAI connects from its own infrastructure, so localhost will not work. Expose MARM behind HTTPS and set MARM_API_KEY.

{
  "type": "mcp",
  "server_url": "https://your-marm-domain.example.com/mcp",
  "server_label": "marm-memory",
  "authorization": "Bearer your-generated-key"
}

Full platform walkthroughs, key setup, and OS-specific notes: Windows · Linux · Docker/key mode · Other platforms

Using a client that isn't listed? Open an issue and let us know; client adapters are a first-class feature request.

System requirements, data location & backup

Requirements

  • Python: 3.10 or higher
  • SQLite3: Included with Python (no separate install needed)
  • Storage: ~100MB minimum for initial setup, scales with memory database size
  • RAM: 512MB minimum (varies by concurrent clients and database size)
  • OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Data location

  • Location: ~/.marm/ (Linux/macOS) or %USERPROFILE%\.marm\ (Windows)
  • Contents: SQLite database with all memories, sessions, and notebooks; the concept graph lives in its own ~/.marm/index/ database
  • Backup: Copy the entire ~/.marm/ directory to preserve all data
  • Privacy: Everything stays on your machine, no cloud sync or external storage

Verify installation

Use the MARM Dashboard status panel for the easiest live check. It polls the MCP server health endpoint and shows reachability, version, status, latency, and last checked time. For terminal validation:

curl http://localhost:8001/health

Expected output includes server version, feature availability (semantic search status), database connection status, and service health status.

MARM Demo

marm-demo.mp4

MARM gives AI agents persistent long-term memory, shared cross-session context, write-queue safety, swarm presets, and hybrid semantic + exact recall so commands, config keys, and project meaning all stay reachable.

Complete MCP Tool Suite (14 Tools)

💡 Pro Tip: You don't need to manually call these tools! Just tell your AI agent what you want in natural language:

  • "Claude, log this session as 'Project Alpha' and add this conversation as 'database design discussion'"
  • "Remember this code snippet in your notebook for later"
  • "Search for what we discussed about authentication yesterday"

The AI agent will automatically use the appropriate tools. Manual tool access is available for power users who want direct control.

🧠 Core Memory (7 tools)

Tool What it does Key parameters
marm_smart_recall Hybrid recall: exact lane for config keys, commands, and file paths; semantic rerank for natural-language queries query, limit, session_name, search_all, detail=1/2/3, project, platform, exact_mode
marm_log_entry Add structured session log entries; routing and cache upkeep are handled by the server entry, session_name
marm_log_show Display all entries and sessions, with filtering session_name
marm_delete Delete a log session, log entry, or notebook entry type, target, session_name
marm_summary Cached, paste-ready session summaries with intelligent truncation session_name
marm_notebook Reusable instructions and knowledge snippets action="add"|"use"|"show"|"status"|"clear", name, data
marm_compaction Agent-assisted memory cleanup with a reviewable audit trail action="status"|"candidates"|"review"|"stage"|"apply"|"discard"

🕸️ Code Graph (5 tools)

Tool What it does Key parameters
marm_graph_index Index a repo into the code-structure graph, check status, or list projects repo_path, project
marm_code_lookup Find symbols, text patterns, or a symbol's source; use instead of grep/glob kind="auto"|"symbol"|"text"|"snippet"
marm_graph_trace Trace call paths and data flow from a function direction, mode
marm_graph_architecture Architecture overview: modules, node/edge breakdown, schema project
marm_graph_impact Blast radius of code changes: git diff → affected symbols + risk since, base_branch, depth

🧩 Concept Graph (2 tools)

Tool What it does Key parameters
marm_concept_build Extract entities and typed relationships from stored memories session_name, project, or search_all=True (one required)
marm_concept_recall Query entities, relationships, and linked code symbols query, depth (1-5), direction, project

All 14 tools are available on both HTTP and STDIO. Behind the tool surface, the server handles lifecycle setup, protocol refresh, docs indexing, date context, summary-cache maintenance, write queue handling, project/platform attribution, and health checks automatically; none of those consume the agent's attention or tokens. The two graph engines start lazily on first use and never block the 7 core memory tools if they fail to start. See Architecture & Internals for the mechanisms.

Using MARM: Talk, Don't Call Tools

MARM handles lifecycle work internally. Docs and session state initialize on the first real tool call, and packaged docs are indexed into the marm_system memory namespace with source-file hash tracking, so your agent can answer MARM usage questions from memory itself.

Example Workflow: Cross-AI Research Project

A realistic workflow showing MARM in action. Scenario: you're researching authentication patterns for a new project using multiple AI clients.

Phase 1: Route Session (Claude)

You: "Claude, create a MARM session called 'auth-research-2025-01'"
Claude calls: marm_log_entry(entry="Session: auth-research")
Result: Session routed to auth-research-[today]. MARM lifecycle/docs initialize automatically.

Phase 2: Capture Research (Claude)

You: "Summarize OAuth2 vs JWT for API authentication and save it"
Claude calls: marm_log_entry(entry="Research: OAuth2 is token-based with refresh cycles, better for delegated access. JWT is stateless, good for microservices...", session_name="auth-research-2025-01")
Result: Research captured in the active session log and marked for summary-cache refresh

Phase 3: Add Reusable Reference (Claude)

You: "Save a JWT validation code snippet to my notebooks as 'jwt-validation-pattern'"
Claude calls: marm_notebook(action="add", name="jwt-validation-pattern", data="def verify_jwt(token):\n  # validation logic...")
Result: Reusable snippet stored for future projects

Phase 4: Recall Context (Gemini)

You: "Gemini, what authentication approaches did we research? Activate the JWT pattern."
Gemini calls: marm_smart_recall("authentication patterns", search_all=True)
Gemini calls: marm_notebook(action="use", names="jwt-validation-pattern")
Result: Gemini sees previous research + has JWT code available as context

Phase 5: Synthesis & Summary (Qwen)

You: "Qwen, pull everything from the auth research and create a summary"
Qwen calls: marm_smart_recall("authentication", session_name="auth-research-2025-01", limit=20)
Qwen calls: marm_summary(session_name="auth-research-2025-01")
Result: Qwen generates implementation guide from all captured research

Phase 6: End Session (Claude)

You: "Log final decision - we're using JWT for APIs and OAuth2 for user auth"
Claude calls: marm_log_entry(entry="DECISION: JWT for API auth, OAuth2 for user flows. Rationale: stateless APIs + delegated user access", session_name="auth-research-2025-01")
Result: Decision logged and searchable by all future AI clients

Result: Three different AI clients collaboratively researched a topic, shared insights, and documented decisions. All without re-explaining the project to each new AI.

Advanced patterns

Project memory architecture & knowledge base development 
Project Structure:
├── project-name-planning/          # Initial design and requirements
├── project-name-development/       # Implementation details
├── project-name-testing/           # QA and debugging notes
├── project-name-deployment/        # Production deployment
└── project-name-retrospective/     # Lessons learned

Knowledge base loop:

  1. Capture: Use marm_log_entry for structured session learnings
  2. Organize: Create themed sessions for knowledge areas
  3. Synthesize: Regular marm_summary for knowledge consolidation
  4. Apply: Convert summaries to marm_notebook(action="add", ...) entries

Multi-AI collaboration: each AI works in dedicated sessions on its strengths, uses marm_smart_recall to build on the others' work, then a collaborative session combines the insights.

Pro tips & best practices
  • Session naming: Include the LLM name for cross-referencing
  • Strategic logging: Focus on key decisions, solutions, discoveries, configurations
  • Global search: Use search_all=True to search across all sessions
  • Natural language search: "authentication problems with JWT tokens" beats "auth error"
  • Layered recall depth: detail=1 returns a short summary view (~200 chars), detail=2 a larger context view (~500 chars), detail=3 full memory content
  • Notebook stacking: Combine multiple entries for complex workflows
  • Compaction: Let MARM surface compaction candidates, then use marm_compaction to stage, review, apply, or discard summaries
  • Session lifecycle: Start → Work → Reference → Review staged compaction when MARM asks

Understanding MARM Memory

Two searches, two very different problems, one tool:

User: "I discussed machine learning algorithms yesterday"
MARM Search: Finds related memories about "ML models", "neural networks", "AI training"

User: "What was the COMPACTION_TRIGGER_COUNT setting?"
MARM Search: Finds the exact config memory even if the rest of the text differs

The first query is about meaning, so MARM reranks candidates with local vector embeddings — RAG-style semantic search without a hosted vector database. The second is syntax-shaped (a config key), so MARM detects that automatically and routes it through deterministic exact matching instead. This exact-retrieval lane is the difference between a memory system that works in demos and one that answers the questions developers actually ask: config keys, CLI flags, file paths, API names, error strings. Pure-semantic memory systems fail at exactly those queries.

How the recall pipeline works under the hood

MARM uses filter→rerank hybrid recall plus an exact retrieval lane:

  1. Exact lane (exact_mode="auto", the default): config keys, CLI flags, file paths, API/tool names, dotted namespaces, HTTP routes, URLs, and quoted command strings are detected and routed through deterministic FTS5 BM25 with a LIKE fallback. No embeddings involved, so results are stable and literal.
  2. Filter→rerank lane: natural-language queries first pull a bounded candidate set from the FTS index (FTS_CANDIDATE_LIMIT, default 50), then semantic embeddings rerank those candidates by meaning. Conservative temporal weighting gives fresher memories a modest boost when matches are otherwise close.
  3. Bounded semantic fallback: when FTS coverage is weak or unusable, MARM falls back to a bounded semantic scan (RECALL_SCAN_LIMIT). If the response includes recall_scan_truncated=true, the fallback hit its cap; narrow the session/query or raise the env var for larger stores.
  4. Chunk-aware scoring: long memories (roughly 180+ words) are embedded as overlapping chunk rows internally, and recall collapses chunk scores back to one parent memory using the best-matching chunk. Both the rerank lane and the fallback lane are chunk-aware.

This is why recall latency stays nearly flat as the store grows (see benchmarks): the semantic rerank always scores a bounded set instead of scanning every embedding.

Exact recall control: exact_mode="auto" is usually right. Use exact_mode="exact" when a query must match literal text such as RECALL_SCAN_LIMIT, --generate-key, or settings.py. Use exact_mode="semantic" when a syntax-looking query should still be treated as meaning-based recall.

Memory types & classification

  1. Context Logs - Auto-classified conversation memories
  2. Manual Entries - Explicitly saved important information
  3. Notebook Entries - Reusable instructions and knowledge
  4. Session Summaries - Compressed conversation history

MARM automatically categorizes content on write: Code (programming snippets and technical discussions), Project (work conversations and planning), Book (literature, learning materials, research), and General (everything else).

Project & platform attribution

MARM stores nullable project and platform columns on memories, log entries, and notebook entries. The project is detected from the working directory and the platform from the connecting client (Claude Code, VS Code, Cursor, ...); MARM_PROJECT and MARM_PLATFORM override detection. marm_smart_recall(project=..., platform=...) scopes recall without changing the default unfiltered behavior, so one shared server can hold several projects without cross-contamination.

Knowledge Graphs: Code & Concepts

MARM ships two graph systems that complement the memory store: a code graph that understands your repository's structure, and a concept graph that understands what your stored memories are about. When both are indexed for the same project, concept entities cross-link to code symbols.

Code Graph: repo indexing and code lookup

marm-graph is bundled into both transports. It indexes a repository once, then lets agents ask code-structure questions without repeatedly scanning files:

Use marm_graph_index to index this repository.
Then use marm_code_lookup when you need symbols, files, or source snippets.
Use marm_graph_trace for call paths, marm_graph_architecture for an overview, and marm_graph_impact for change-risk checks.

The recommended agent workflow: index once, then marm_code_lookup before broad file reads, marm_graph_trace when callers/callees or data-flow context matters, marm_graph_architecture for orientation, and marm_graph_impact before risky refactors. Re-index after meaningful code changes. One graph query replaces dozens of grep/read cycles, which is where the token savings come from.

Under the hood, the engine is codebase-memory-mcp (MIT), a zero-dependency static binary that parses 158 languages through tree-sitter with Hybrid LSP type resolution for the major ones, indexes an average repository in seconds, and answers structural queries in under a millisecond. MARM pins a specific release, verifies its tool schema on startup, and routes its 14 upstream tools through 5 focused MCP tools so the model surface stays small. The graph backend starts lazily on first graph-tool use, so memory, logging, notebook, and summary tools still start fast. In Docker, the engine binary is baked into the image; local pip installs fetch it on first graph use (~269MB, one time).

Degraded mode: if the graph engine fails to start (no network for the first-run download, disk full, schema drift) or GRAPH_ENABLED=false is set, graph tools return {"status": "error", "message": "graph backend unavailable"} while the other 9 tools keep working normally. Graph failures can never take down memory.

Concept Graph: what your memories are about

MARM can extract a knowledge graph from the memories you've already stored. marm_concept_build runs entity and relationship extraction over stored memory content, producing typed entities (concepts, decisions, patterns, errors, tools, people, organizations) connected by typed relationships (fixes, implements, depends_on, uses, causes, replaces, extends). marm_concept_recall then answers questions like:

marm_concept_recall(query="write queue")            → the entity, its relationships, linked code symbols
marm_concept_recall(query="related to SQLite", depth=3) → multi-hop traversal of everything connected

How to use it:

  • Build first: call marm_concept_build scoped to a session_name, project, or search_all=True. There is no data until a build has run at least once. Builds are explicit and on-demand, not a live hook into the write path; re-run after logging significant new memories.
  • Bounded by design: each build is row-capped (CONCEPT_BUILD_ROW_CAP, default 500) so a huge store can't turn one tool call into a runaway job.
  • Code cross-linking: when the code graph has indexed the same project, concept entities that match code symbols get linked, connecting "what we decided" to "where it lives in the code."
  • Optional dependency: real extraction needs the [concepts] extra (pip install marm-mcp-server[concepts] plus python -m spacy download en_core_web_sm). Without it, both concept tools stay registered and return entities_extracted: 0 instead of erroring. Base installs carry no spaCy dependency.
  • Isolated storage: the concept graph lives in its own SQLite database (~/.marm/index/marm_index.db) with its own connection pool, so concept-graph writes can never block or corrupt the production memory database.

This fills the cross-session structure gap that flat memory search leaves open: sessions organize memories, but the concept graph connects them, so "what depends on the write queue?" is answerable even when the answer spans five sessions from three different agents.

MARM Dashboard

A local web UI for browsing and managing your MARM memory. It is bundled with marm-mcp-server and mounts at /dashboard when the HTTP server starts.

What it gives you How it works
Browse/search/edit all memories Direct SQLite access to the same ~/.marm/marm_memory.db
Manage sessions and protocol logs Open http://localhost:8001/dashboard beside the MCP endpoint on :8001
Notebook CRUD with inline editor Same MARM_API_KEY auth model as the MCP server
Delete-all with count confirmation Included in the unified pip package and Docker image
View the write queue in real time Pulls live data from the write queue
Live server health panel Polls the health endpoint: reachability, version, latency, last checked

Start MARM HTTP, then open the dashboard:

python -m marm_mcp_server
# browser: http://localhost:8001/dashboard

Docker uses the same unified image and key:

docker run -d --name marm-mcp-server \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8001:8001 \
  -e MARM_API_KEY=your-key \
  -v ~/.marm:/home/marm/.marm \
  lyellr88/marm-mcp-server:latest
# browser: http://localhost:8001/dashboard

Architecture & Internals

Everything above runs on a small number of deliberate mechanisms. This section is the full map, so you (or your agent) never have to guess what the server is doing.

Storage engine

  • SQLite in WAL mode at ~/.marm/marm_memory.db with a connection pool (5 connections). WAL keeps readers unblocked during writes, which matters when several agents recall while one writes.
  • FTS5 full-text index (memories_fts) is maintained as an external-content table over the memories table and powers both the exact lane (BM25) and the filter stage of hybrid recall.
  • Chunk storage: memories past ~180 words are split into overlapping 150-token chunks (50-token overlap) in a memory_chunks table, each with its own embedding. Recall scores chunks and collapses to the parent memory.
  • Embeddings come from a fastembed-backed all-MiniLM-L6-v2 encoder, lazily loaded on first semantic use and serialized behind a lock so concurrent encodes can't corrupt each other. If the encoder is unavailable, writes still succeed; memories are simply stored without embeddings until it loads. Semantic scoring runs as a single NumPy batch (matrix cosine) rather than a Python loop.
  • The concept graph gets its own database (~/.marm/index/marm_index.db) and its own pool, reusing the same pool implementation but never sharing connections with the memory store. Deliberate isolation: an experimental graph build must not be able to stall the production WAL.

Write path

  • Serialized write queue (enabled by default): all memory writes flow through one internal async worker, eliminating SQLite writer contention under multi-agent load. The queue is generic; compaction applies go through the same worker, so there is exactly one writer no matter which subsystem is writing. MAX_QUEUE_SIZE bounds it.
  • Write-time consolidation (opt-in, CONSOLIDATION_ENABLED=1) runs two layers before a memory lands:
    • Layer 1, exact dedup: a SHA-256 hash of normalized content is checked within the session; hash hits are verified against the actual content before deduplicating, so a hash collision stores a new row instead of silently merging different content.
    • Layer 2, semantic merge: near-duplicates above CONSOLIDATION_THRESHOLD cosine similarity are merged rather than accumulated. This never blocks a write; if the encoder isn't available, the write proceeds unconsolidated.
    • The tradeoff is measured and published: roughly 4x median write cost (still ~42ms) in exchange for a store that stays clean, because reads dominate memory workloads.
  • Compaction (opt-in, COMPACTION_ENABLED=1) is Layer 3: after enough writes in a session, a background pass detects clusters of related memories using cosine similarity plus union-find connected components, gated by minimum cluster size, minimum age, and an active-session grace period so it never compacts work in flight. MARM then injects a bounded request asking the connected agent to summarize each cluster: candidates → stage → review → apply or discard. Source memory IDs are preserved on apply, so compacted summaries stay traceable to their originals. Staged summaries expire (COMPACTION_STAGING_TTL_HOURS), nudges are capped and cooldown-limited, and the injection has a byte budget. The design is honest about what LLMs are for: MARM detects, the agent summarizes, and a human-reviewable stage/apply/discard loop gates the destructive step.

Recall path

Covered in Understanding MARM Memory: exact lane (FTS5 BM25 + LIKE fallback), filter→rerank (bounded FTS candidates → batch semantic rerank → temporal blend), bounded semantic fallback with an explicit truncation flag, and chunk-collapse scoring. Recall depth (detail=1/2/3) controls how much of each memory is returned, and every MCP response passes through a 1MB response limiter that truncates content intelligently instead of breaking the protocol.

Code graph subprocess protocol

The bundled graph engine runs as a supervised child process, not an import:

  • Transport: newline-delimited JSON-RPC 2.0 over the child's stdio, with a verified handshake (initialize → capture server version → initialized notification).
  • Envelope care: responses are scanned for the first JSON-parseable content item rather than assuming index 0, because the upstream binary can prepend an update notice. Tool errors arrive as result.isError, not JSON-RPC errors, and are converted to clean {"status": "error"} dicts with the upstream's own remediation hint attached.
  • Serialization: one lock guards each write+read round trip on the single stdin pipe; async callers go through asyncio.to_thread so the event loop never blocks on subprocess IO.
  • Crash recovery: stderr is drained on a background thread, child EOF/crash is detected, and the process is transparently respawned on the next call. Timeouts are deliberately not treated as crashes; a long index run may still be working, and killing it would destroy in-flight work.
  • Supervision: a lazy singleton supervisor owns the client for the process lifetime. Startup is triggered by the first graph-tool call, never raises into the MCP layer, and verifies the pinned binary's tool schema so upstream drift is caught at startup instead of mid-call.

Security & rate limiting

  • Two-mode auth gate: keyless on loopback (127.0.0.1), MARM_API_KEY (Bearer) mandatory the moment the server is network-exposed (SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0, Docker). --generate-key produces one. Safe by default, zero setup friction locally.
  • IP-based rate limiting with sliding windows and temporary blocks, tuned through CLI presets rather than a config maze (table below).
  • Local-first: everything lives under ~/.marm/; no cloud sync, no telemetry, no external storage.
  • Graceful shutdown: SIGTERM/SIGINT handlers drain and close the connection pool cleanly, and an internal event system runs automation callbacks with per-callback error isolation and timeouts so one bad hook can't wedge the server.

Swarm & multi-agent presets

Flag Rate Limit Write Queue Use When
(none) 80 RPM enabled Normal local use and small 3-5 agent setups
--swarm 200 RPM enabled Shared HTTP server, roughly 15-30 agents depending on write style
--swarm-max 600 RPM enabled Heavier local/private swarm, roughly 50-100 agents depending on write style
--trusted disabled enabled Private/trusted deployments only
--rate-limit-rpm N N RPM unchanged Custom override; 0 disables limiting

The write queue serializes memory writes regardless of preset; swarm flags tune the HTTP rate limit on top of that. The queue controls write ordering; consolidation and compaction are separate memory-maintenance layers. This stack (WAL + pooling + one serialized writer + RPM presets) is intentionally scoped to "SQLite, many agents, one machine"; distributed multi-node memory is out of scope for the current design.

Self-maintaining documentation

Packaged docs are indexed into the marm_system memory namespace on startup and refreshed every 50 tool calls, with source-file hash tracking so unchanged docs are skipped and changed or deleted rows are re-indexed. Connected agents can answer MARM usage questions with marm_smart_recall instead of you pasting docs at them.

Configuration reference

Environment variables (defaults in parentheses)
Variable Default What it controls
SERVER_HOST 127.0.0.1 Bind address; 0.0.0.0 exposes the server and makes MARM_API_KEY mandatory
SERVER_PORT 8001 HTTP port
MARM_API_KEY (empty) Bearer key for network-exposed deployments
MARM_DB_PATH ~/.marm/marm_memory.db Memory database location
MARM_CONCEPT_DB_PATH ~/.marm/index/marm_index.db Concept graph database location
MARM_PROJECT / MARM_PLATFORM (auto-detected) Override project/platform attribution
MARM_RATE_LIMIT_RPM 80 Requests per minute per IP (presets override)
WRITE_QUEUE_ENABLED 1 Serialize writes through one worker
FTS_CANDIDATE_LIMIT 50 BM25 candidates fetched before semantic reranking; raise for stores with weak keyword overlap
RECALL_SCAN_LIMIT 10000 Cap on the semantic fallback scan; recall_scan_truncated=true in responses means it was hit
HYBRID_SEARCH_TEXT_WEIGHT 0.35 Text-vs-semantic blend in hybrid scoring
TEMPORAL_WEIGHT / TEMPORAL_HALF_LIFE_DAYS 0.1 / 30 Strength and decay of the recency boost
CONSOLIDATION_ENABLED 0 Write-time dedup + semantic merge
CONSOLIDATION_THRESHOLD 0.92 Similarity needed to merge near-duplicates
COMPACTION_ENABLED 0 Background cluster detection + agent-assisted compaction
COMPACTION_TRIGGER_COUNT 5 Writes per session before a compaction pass
COMPACTION_SIMILARITY_THRESHOLD / COMPACTION_MIN_CLUSTER_SIZE / COMPACTION_MIN_AGE_HOURS 0.88 / 3 / 24 Cluster detection gates
COMPACTION_STAGING_TTL_HOURS 168 How long staged summaries wait before expiring
GRAPH_ENABLED true Kill switch for the 5 code-graph tools
CONCEPT_BUILD_ROW_CAP 500 Max memory rows per concept-graph build
MARM_SIGNUP_PROMPT_ENABLED 1 One-time opt-in prompt for the MARM mailing list; set 0 to disable

Troubleshooting

Server issues

Server won't start

  • Check Python version: python --version (must be 3.10+)
  • Verify port 8001 isn't in use: lsof -i :8001 (macOS/Linux) or netstat -ano | findstr :8001 (Windows)
  • Check for permission errors in home directory (~/.marm/ must be readable/writable)
  • See platform-specific troubleshooting: INSTALL-DOCKER.md, INSTALL-WINDOWS.md, INSTALL-LINUX.md

STDIO connection fails

  • Verify marm-mcp-stdio is on your PATH after pip install: marm-mcp-stdio --help
  • Alternatively use: python -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio
  • Check AI client documentation for STDIO transport requirements
  • Try direct execution to see error messages: python -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio
Connection & integration

AI client can't connect to MARM

  • Verify server is running in the dashboard health panel, or with curl http://localhost:8001/health
  • Check firewall isn't blocking port 8001
  • For STDIO: use marm-mcp-stdio (console script) or python -m marm_mcp_server.server_stdio
  • Restart both server and AI client

Tools not appearing in AI client

  • Verify HTTP mode in the dashboard health panel, or with curl http://localhost:8001/health
  • Check server logs for initialization errors
  • Disconnect and reconnect AI client to refresh tool list
  • Both HTTP and STDIO expose 14 tools: 7 core memory/logging/notebook/compaction tools, 5 bundled code-graph tools, and 2 concept-graph tools

Graph tools return graph backend unavailable

  • Confirm GRAPH_ENABLED is not set to false (affects both HTTP and STDIO; graph tools have full parity across both transports)
  • First graph use may take longer while the pinned codebase-memory engine starts or downloads locally
  • In Docker, the graph engine binary is baked into the image; local pip installs may fetch it on first graph use
  • Core memory tools continue working even when graph startup fails

Concept tools return entities_extracted: 0

  • Real extraction needs the optional extra: pip install marm-mcp-server[concepts] plus python -m spacy download en_core_web_sm
  • Without it the tools stay registered but store nothing; this is by design so base installs stay light
Memory & data issues

Memories not saving

  • Verify ~/.marm/ directory exists and has write permissions
  • Check available disk space
  • Test with simple memory: ask AI to save a single line and check with marm_log_show
  • For HTTP mode, verify server health in the dashboard health panel, or with curl http://localhost:8001/health

Search returns no results

  • Verify memories exist: use marm_log_show to list entries
  • Use search_all=True to search across all sessions
  • Try simpler, more general search queries
  • Wait a few seconds; first semantic search loads the ML model

Memories appear then disappear

  • Check if MARM was restarted or crashed (data persists in ~/.marm/)
  • Verify disk space didn't fill up
  • Check system logs for database errors

Lost or corrupted data

  • Stop the server immediately
  • Check ~/.marm/ directory for backup copies (if you created them)
  • Restore from backup: copy your backup ~/.marm/ back to home directory
  • Restart server

Database locked error

  • Close all AI client connections
  • Stop the server: Ctrl+C
  • Back up the entire database directory: cp -r ~/.marm ~/.marm.backup
  • Check for processes holding the database: lsof ~/.marm/marm_memory.db (macOS/Linux) or check Task Manager (Windows)
  • If a process is holding the lock, terminate it
  • Verify database integrity: sqlite3 ~/.marm/marm_memory.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"
  • If integrity check fails, restore from your backup
  • If integrity check passes, the lock should be released; restart server
Performance

Slow search results

  • First search is slower (model loads from disk); subsequent searches are faster
  • Large databases (1000+ memories) may take a few seconds
  • Limit searches: use limit=10 instead of unlimited results
  • Use marm_summary to compress old sessions

Server using too much memory

  • Notebooks with many entries can accumulate; use marm_notebook(action="clear") to prune active entries
  • Close unused AI client connections
  • Use marm_compaction(action="review") to inspect staged compaction summaries when compaction is enabled
Common error messages
Error Cause Solution
address already in use Port 8001 occupied Kill process on 8001 or use different port
permission denied: ~/.marm/ Database directory not writable chmod 755 ~/.marm/ or check ownership
module not found: core.memory Missing dependencies Reinstall from marm-mcp-server/: pip install -e ".[dev]"
database is locked Multiple processes accessing DB Close other connections, restart server
embedding model not found Semantic search model didn't download First run takes time; be patient, check internet connection

For memory behavior, transports, supported clients, compaction, and backup questions, see the FAQ.

⭐ Star the Project

If MARM helps with your AI memory needs, please star the repository to support development!

Contributing

MARM welcomes contributors at every level. Code helps, but so do docs, setup notes, client testing, bug reports, benchmarks, and real workflow feedback from people using AI tools every day.

Good places to help:

  • Test MARM with more MCP clients, IDE agents, and operating systems
  • Improve docs, screenshots, examples, and platform-specific setup notes
  • Report bugs or confusing install steps with clear reproduction details
  • Share memory workflows, agent habits, and tool ideas from real use
  • Check out open issues

💡 Want to get your name on this list? Check out our CONTRIBUTING.md guide to get started!

Join the MARM Community

Help build the future of AI memory - no coding required!

Connect: MARM Discord | GitHub Discussions

License & Usage Notice

Copyright © 2026 Ryan A. Lyell. MARM is released under the Apache 2.0 License (see NOTICE for the copyright statement), and forks, experiments, and integrations are welcome. MARM also wraps third-party open-source components such as codebase-memory-mcp under MIT; see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md for attribution. If you build on it, please make unofficial versions easy to distinguish from releases published by the official MARM repository so users know what they are installing.

Project Documentation

Usage Guides

  • README.md - This file: complete usage guide, tool reference, workflows, and architecture
  • PROTOCOL.md - MCP operating protocol
  • FAQ.md - Answers to common questions about using MARM

MCP Server Installation

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Self-hosted, local-first MCP memory server for AI agents. Sub-20ms recall at 10k memories, hybrid semantic + exact-syntax search (RAG), code & concept knowledge graphs (158 languages). All local in SQLite: no cloud, no vector DB, no API keys. Works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini & any MCP client.

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sqlite mcp self-hosted embeddings knowledge-graph developer-tools persistent-memory indexing-engine ai-agents long-term-memory rag local-first sematic-search llm ai-memory model-context-protocol mcp-servers agent-memory claude-code codex-cli

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