[BUG] Freshly installed Claude Code ignores settings.json

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/13663
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/4714
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/13770

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

edit .claude.json，“hasCompletedOnboarding”: true，It can skip login

edit .claude.json，“hasCompletedOnboarding”: true，It can skip login

Confirmed. This is another workaround.

edit .claude.json，“hasCompletedOnboarding”: true，It can skip login

why isn't it working when I edit the .claude.json file and set "hasCompletedOnboarding": true? Could you please take a look? I put this parameter as the first entry in the file.
{
"hasCompletedOnboarding": true,
"installMethod": "unknown",
"autoUpdates": true,
"cachedStatsigGates": {
"tengu_prompt_suggestion": true,
"tengu_vscode_review_upsell": false,
"tengu_year_end_2025_campaign_promo": false,
"tengu_log_1p_events": true,
"tengu_disable_bypass_permissions_mode": false,
"code_slack_app_install_banner": false,
"tengu_tool_pear": false,
"tengu_web_tasks": true
},
"cachedDynamicConfigs": {
"tengu_1p_event_batch_config": {
"scheduledDelayMillis": 5000,
"maxExportBatchSize": 200,
"maxQueueSize": 8192
}
},
"cachedGrowthBookFeatures": {
"tengu_mcp_tool_search": false,
"tengu_disable_bypass_permissions_mode": false,
"strawberry_granite_flag": "N/A",
"persimmon_marble_flag": "N/A",
"tengu_tool_pear": false,
"tengu_thinkback": false,
"tengu_ant_attribution_header_new": false
},
"userID": "8a747ab56e72c514ca636a69c2b9b9bd6d40ff1a6de5cd17bbc2e48d55164092",
"firstStartTime": "2026-01-06T08:05:26.542Z",
"sonnet45MigrationComplete": true,
"opus45MigrationComplete": true,
"thinkingMigrationComplete": true
}

Workaround that worked for me is to use "apiKeyHelper" instead, placed outside the env key at the root level of the settings file.

In settings.json, replace:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_TOKEN"
  }
}

With:

{
  "apiKeyHelper": "echo 'YOUR_TOKEN'",
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL"
  }
}

Another workaround is to (temporarily) export the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for the first run of claude.

Same here. With the latest version freshly installed, I tried all methods above and still can't skip login...

I really don't want to copy over the auto-generated gibberish files from other machines although that should work in theory...

Another workaround is to (temporarily) export the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for the first run of claude.

This solution is the best for now, and it is working fine for me.

Workaround that worked for me is to use "apiKeyHelper" instead, placed outside the env key at the root level of the settings file. In settings.json, replace: `` { "env": { "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL", "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_TOKEN" } } ` With: ` { "apiKeyHelper": "echo 'YOUR_TOKEN'", "env": { "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL" } } ``

This is another solution that worked fine for me as well.

Happens in v2.1.39

edit .claude.json，“hasCompletedOnboarding”: true，It can skip login

Easiest solution for this annoying problem.

edit .claude.json，“hasCompletedOnboarding”: true，It can skip login

It doesn't work, still asking for login.

> Workaround that worked for me is to use "apiKeyHelper" instead, placed outside the env key at the root level of the settings file. > In settings.json, replace: > `` > { > "env": { > "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL", > "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_TOKEN" > } > } > ` > > > > > > > > > > > > With: > ` > { > "apiKeyHelper": "echo 'YOUR_TOKEN'", > "env": { > "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_BASE_URL" > } > } > `` This is another solution that worked fine for me as well.

It doesn't work for me either.

### Preflight Checklist [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet[x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)[x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code ### What's Wrong? This breaks new users in a corporate environment behind a proxy (ex: LiteLLM). Maybe related to #13663 If you're initially installing 2.0.65 or later without having ever run a previous version (so no ~/.claude.json exists), the first run of claude doesn't pick up the environment variables from settings.json. My ~/.claude/settings.json is configured with ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN pointing at a LiteLLM instance. On a "fresh install" these settings are ignored on initial run, resulting in the prompt to "Select login method": `` Claude Code can be used with your Claude subscription or billed based on API usage through your Console account. Select login method: ❯ 1. Claude account with subscription · Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise 2. Anthropic Console account · API usage billing ` ### What Should Happen? With ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN set in ~/.claude/settings.json, the initial run of claude should skip the prompt for the login method. ### Error Messages/Logs ### Steps to Reproduce Keep a backup of your .claude.json and restore it later. cp ~/.claude.json ~/.claude.json.keep 1. rm ~/.claude.json 2. install specific version 3. run claude broken = prompts for theme setup (expected) and login method (doesn't use settings.json) works = prompts for theme setup, shows security note, and asks "Do you trust the files in this folder" Results: 2.0.75 broken 2.0.74 broken 2.0.73 broken 2.0.72 broken 2.0.71 broken 2.0.67 broken 2.0.66 broken 2.0.65 broken 2.0.64 works 2.0.63 Does Not Exist 2.0.62 works 2.0.56 works ### Claude Model Sonnet (default) ### Is this a regression? Yes, this worked in a previous version ### Last Working Version 2.0.64 ### Claude Code Version 2.0.75 (Claude Code) ### Platform AWS Bedrock ### Operating System Ubuntu/Debian Linux ### Terminal/Shell Other ### Additional Information I found 2 workarounds: a) roll back to a previous version (2.0.64 or earlier), run claude through the configuration prompts (~/.claude.json now exists), run claude update to get the latest version. Latest version now works. b) temporarily set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN in the shell and a fresh install and first run of 2.0.67 works. Maybe related: The claude update` process wants to stop on 2.0.65. Prior versions upgrade to 2.0.65 and another upgrade run is required to upgrade 2.0.65 to latest (2.0.67). Edited to add: cvbnt provided a third workaround which I confirmed works for me: edit ~/.claude.json, set “hasCompletedOnboarding”: true, claude skips login * up to 2.0.75 is also still broken

回滚的方法是对我唯一奏效的。其它方案都不行。
This the only way for me can work.

Tried the suggestions, but my \.claude does not contain a .claude.json, only .claude.json.backup.XXXX. And my settings.json does only list
{
"autoUpdatesChannel": "latest",
"theme": "dark"
}