[BUG] autoUpdaterStatus: "disabled" setting is ignored - CLI auto-updates anyway

Description

The autoUpdaterStatus: "disabled" setting in ~/.claude/settings.json is being ignored. Claude Code continues to auto-update to newer versions despite this setting being configured.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create/edit ~/.claude/settings.json with:

{"autoUpdaterStatus": "disabled"}

1. Install a specific version:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@2.0.59

1. Wait or restart Claude Code

1. Check version:

claude --version

Expected: Version remains at 2.0.59
Actual: Version auto-updates to 2.0.60 (or latest)

Environment

• OS: macOS (Darwin 24.6.0)
• Claude Code Version: 2.0.60 (updated from 2.0.59 despite disabled setting)
• Installation Method: npm via nvm
• Node Version: v22.20.0

Settings File Content

{"autoUpdaterStatus": "disabled"}

Location: ~/.claude/settings.json

Expected Behavior

When autoUpdaterStatus is set to "disabled", Claude Code should:

1. Not check for updates automatically
2. Not download or install updates
3. Remain on the installed version until manually updated

Workaround Attempted

The only workaround appears to be making the installation directory immutable with chflags schg, which is not ideal.

Impact

Users who need to stay on specific versions for stability, testing, or compliance reasons cannot reliably do so.