# [BUG] Extreme memory and CPU usage on WSL2 causing system instability

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?

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and found related issue #15689
• [x] This is a single bug report
• [x] I am using a recent version of Claude Code

Environment

• Claude Code Version: 2.1.7
• OS: Windows 11 with WSL2 (Ubuntu)
• WSL Version: WSL2
• Hardware:
• CPU: Intel Core i7-13700HX (16 cores, 24 logical processors, 2100 MHz)
• RAM: 32GB (24GB allocated to WSL2)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070
• Terminal: VS Code Remote - WSL

Description

Claude Code consumes excessive memory and CPU resources on WSL2, eventually causing VS Code to lose connection to WSL. This appears related to #15689 but involves sustained high resource usage beyond just the slash command menu.

Observed Behavior

Memory and CPU usage grow unbounded during normal usage:

PID USER      PR  NI    VIRT    RES    SHR S  %CPU  %MEM     TIME+ COMMAND
2262 furkan    20   0   73.2g  21.1g  28224 R 340.7  89.7   7:36.99 claude

• Virtual memory: 73.2 GB
• Resident memory: 21.1 GB (89.7% of available WSL memory)
• CPU: 340%+ sustained

This eventually causes:

1. VS Code shows "Reconnecting to WSL..." modal
2. Connection never recovers
3. Requires wsl --shutdown to restore functionality

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude Code on WSL2 Ubuntu
2. Open a project in VS Code via Remote - WSL
3. Start Claude Code and use it normally (not just slash commands)
4. Monitor with top - observe memory climbing over time
5. Eventually VS Code loses connection to WSL

Expected Behavior

• Memory usage should remain stable during normal operation
• CPU should return to idle when not actively processing
• Should not destabilize the WSL environment

Workarounds Attempted

• Increased WSL memory allocation to 24GB (.wslconfig) — delays but doesn't prevent the issue
• Cleared VS Code server (rm -rf ~/.vscode-server) — no effect
• Verified inotify watches are high (524288) — not the cause

Diagnostic Data

Initial state:

PID USER      PR  NI    VIRT    RES    SHR S  %CPU  %MEM     TIME+ COMMAND
2538 furkan    20   0   73.1g   4.7g  56064 S  29.9  30.7   0:34.16 claude

After ~10 minutes of use:

PID USER      PR  NI    VIRT    RES    SHR S  %CPU  %MEM     TIME+ COMMAND
2262 furkan    20   0   73.2g  21.1g  28224 R 340.7  89.7   7:36.99 claude

Memory grew from 4.7GB to 21.1GB during normal usage session.

Related Issues

• #15689 - Slash command futex spinlock (related but this occurs outside of slash commands too)
• #14991 - High CPU usage when opening menu list with "/"

Additional Context

Running alongside Next.js dev server. The combination of both processes exhausts WSL memory allocation, but Claude Code is the primary consumer and continues growing unbounded.

Impact

Makes Claude Code unusable for extended sessions on WSL2. Users must periodically kill the process or restart WSL to continue working.

What Should Happen?

this happens only lately

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

run latest version on a next js project.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.7 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Ubuntu/Debian Linux

Terminal/Shell

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Additional Information

_No response_