[BUG] CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID not working with non-interacting prompting
Status Fixed / completed
Reported on v2.1.17
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 4 comments · opened Jan 23, 2026 · closed Jan 26, 2026
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?
When I try to use CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID with Claude in non-interactive mode, Claude does not recognize there being any tasks. The same command and same prompt without -p is able to successfully bring up the expected tasks.
Example:
$ CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID=groceries claude -p "List pending tasks"
No pending tasks. The todo list is empty.What Should Happen?
The same thing in interactive mode:
$ CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID=groceries claude "List pending tasks"
❯ List pending tasks
4 tasks (1 done, 3 open)
✔ #1 Buy fruits and vegetables
◼ #2 Get dairy products
◼ #3 Stock up on pantry staples
◼ #4 Buy proteinsError Messages/Logs
Steps to Reproduce
- Run Claude with CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID, and ask it to generate a few tasks.
- Exit that session and run a non-interactive prompt with the same CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID
Claude Model
Opus
Is this a regression?
No, this never worked
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.17
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
Other Linux
Terminal/Shell
Other
Additional Information
_No response_
4 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
I ran into this issue while building a workflow orchestration system that spawns claude -p subprocesses with CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID set.
The Task* tools (TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet) are not available at all in non-interactive -p mode. When we prompted a subprocess to use TaskCreate, it responded:
"I don't have a TaskCreate tool available in my current toolset. Looking at my available tools, I have: Task - for launching agents/subprocesses, TodoWrite - for managing todo lists..."
Environment: Claude Code 2.1.19, macOS, Opus 4.5
For headless mode, you currently need to opt into the new task tools using the environment variable
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TASKS=true. We'll make that the default once folks have had a little bit of time to migrate their integrations.This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.