diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 66477c4..bc26852 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ comfy-table = "7.2.0"
 pwhash = "1.0.0"
 regex = "1.9.5"
 ringbuf = "0.3"
-rmcp = { version = "0.2.0", features = ["server"] }
+rmcp = { version = "0.2.0", features = ["server"], optional = true }
 rusqlite = { version = "0.37.0", features = ["bundled", "array", "chrono"] }
 rusqlite_migration = "2.3.0"
 serde = { version = "1.0.219", features = ["derive"] }
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ all-filter-plugins = []
 # Individual plugin features
 magic = ["magic"]
 
+# MCP feature (Model Context Protocol support)
+mcp = ["rmcp"]
+
 [dev-dependencies]
 tempfile = "3.3.0"
 rand = "0.8.5"
diff --git a/src/modes/server/api/mod.rs b/src/modes/server/api/mod.rs
index 72e5d52..27d00ea 100644
--- a/src/modes/server/api/mod.rs
+++ b/src/modes/server/api/mod.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 pub mod item;
 pub mod status;
+#[cfg(feature = "mcp")]
 pub mod mcp;
 
 use axum::{
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ pub fn add_routes(router: Router<AppState>) -> Router<AppState> {
         .route("/api/item/{item_id}/content", get(item::handle_get_item_content))
         
         // MCP endpoints
+        #[cfg(feature = "mcp")]
         .route("/mcp/sse", get(mcp::handle_mcp_sse))
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modes/server/mod.rs b/src/modes/server/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1ced07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modes/server/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+use anyhow::Result;
+use axum::{
+    Router,
+    routing::post,
+};
+use clap::Command;
+use log::{debug, info};
+use std::net::SocketAddr;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use tokio::sync::Mutex;
+use tower_http::cors::CorsLayer;
+use tower::ServiceBuilder;
+use tower_http::trace::TraceLayer;
+use crate::config;
+use crate::services::item_service::ItemService;
+
+pub mod common;
+mod api;
+mod pages;
+#[cfg(feature = "mcp")]
+mod mcp;
+
+pub use common::{AppState, logging_middleware, create_auth_middleware};
+
+pub fn mode_server(
+    cmd: &mut Command,
+    settings: &config::Settings,
+    conn: &mut rusqlite::Connection,
+    data_path: PathBuf,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    // Get server address from args or config with default
+    let server_address = if let Some(addr) = &settings.server_address() {
+        addr.clone()
+    } else if let Some(server_config) = &settings.server {
+        server_config.address.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| "127.0.0.1".to_string())
+    } else {
+        "127.0.0.1".to_string()
+    };
+    
+    // Get server port from args or config with default
+    let server_port = if let Some(port) = settings.server_port() {
+        port
+    } else if let Some(server_config) = &settings.server {
+        server_config.port.unwrap_or(21080)
+    } else {
+        21080
+    };
+    
+    let server_config = common::ServerConfig {
+        address: server_address,
+        port: Some(server_port),
+        password: settings.server_password(),
+        password_hash: settings.server_password_hash(),
+    };
+    
+    // Create ItemService once
+    let item_service = ItemService::new(data_path.clone());
+    
+    // We need to move the connection into the async runtime
+    let rt = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new()?;
+    // Take ownership of the connection and move it into the async runtime
+    let owned_conn = std::mem::replace(conn, rusqlite::Connection::open_in_memory()?);
+    let cmd = cmd.clone();
+    let settings = settings.clone();
+    rt.block_on(run_server(server_config, owned_conn, data_path, item_service, cmd, settings))
+}
+
+async fn run_server(
+    config: common::ServerConfig,
+    conn: rusqlite::Connection,
+    data_dir: PathBuf,
+    item_service: ItemService,
+    _cmd: Command,
+    settings: config::Settings,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    // Construct address with port
+    let bind_address = if let Some(port) = config.port {
+        format!("{}:{}", config.address, port)
+    } else {
+        format!("{}:21080", config.address)
+    };
+    
+    debug!("SERVER: Starting REST HTTP server on {}", bind_address);
+    
+    // Use the existing database connection
+    let db_conn = Arc::new(Mutex::new(conn));
+    
+    let state = AppState {
+        db: db_conn,
+        data_dir: data_dir.clone(),
+        item_service: Arc::new(item_service),
+        cmd: Arc::new(Mutex::new(Command::new("keep"))),
+        settings: Arc::new(settings.clone()),
+    };
+    
+    #[cfg(feature = "mcp")]
+    let mcp_router = Router::new()
+        .route("/mcp", post(mcp::handle_mcp_request))
+        .with_state(state.clone());
+    
+    // Create the app with documentation routes open and others protected
+    let app = Router::new()
+        // Add documentation routes without authentication
+        .merge(api::add_docs_routes(Router::new()))
+        // Add API, pages, and MCP routes with authentication
+        .merge(
+            Router::new()
+                .merge(api::add_routes(Router::new()))
+                .merge(pages::add_routes(Router::new()))
+                #[cfg(feature = "mcp")]
+                .merge(mcp_router)
+                .layer(axum::middleware::from_fn(create_auth_middleware(config.password.clone(), config.password_hash.clone())))
+        )
+        // Apply state to all routes
+        .with_state(state)
+        // Add other middleware layers to all routes
+        .layer(axum::middleware::from_fn(logging_middleware))
+        .layer(
+            ServiceBuilder::new()
+                .layer(TraceLayer::new_for_http())
+                .layer(CorsLayer::permissive())
+        );
+    
+    let addr: SocketAddr = bind_address.parse()?;
+    
+    info!("SERVER: HTTP server listening on {}", addr);
+    
+    let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind(addr).await?;
+    axum::serve(
+        listener, 
+        app.into_make_service_with_connect_info::<SocketAddr>()
+    ).await?;
+    
+    Ok(())
+}