# Covenant Guard

Enforces hard spending limits, sandboxes local execution, and logs signed receipts for unattended coding agents. Built for safe autonomous runs without constant human supervision.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed · ★ 8
- Author: open-covenant
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/open-covenant/covenant
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/covenant-guard

## What it does

This MCP server connects developer tools to `covenantd`, a background daemon written in Rust. The daemon sits between autonomous agents and the host operating system, intercepting tool dispatches. It grants granular permissions through an explicit capability store. Every action gets recorded into an append-only hash chain.

The control plane stops runaway processes by enforcing hard budgets and wall-clock execution limits. Operators can inspect activity through a local Next.js web console or run intents via the CLI. Running this requires compiling the daemon locally on Linux or macOS with a working Rust toolchain.

## Requirements
- Needs: a prebuilt binary from the repository releases

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Install**
- The MCP registry has no launch command for it: see the repository README

## When to use it
- Set strict spending boundaries on autonomous coding runs
- Isolate unvetted agent commands inside an operating system sandbox
- Generate cryptographic receipt logs for automated file changes
- Restrict runtime permissions like memory access using explicit grants

## Example prompts
- Grant write access to memory and trigger the task execution
- Check the active spending limits and budget status before starting the run
- Inspect the cryptographic audit trace for the last agent action

## Similar
- [sandbox-guard](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/sandbox-guard.md) — skill · 483 installs
- [januscope](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/januscope.md) — MCP server · ★ 32
- [SchemaBrain](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/schemabrain.md) — MCP server · ★ 12
- [Arcaeon](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/arcaeon.md) — MCP server · ★ 1
- [Fabric Verify](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/fabric-verify.md) — MCP server
- [safety-guard](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/safety-guard.md) — skill · 4500 installs

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md