[BUG] API Error 400: "tool_use ids must be unique" when using -p flag with tool-requiring prompts

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/16340
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/18131
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/13124

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

while it seems to be the same as #16340 that one has been marked as completed without a solution. Downgrading to 2.1.18 solves the problem, but 2.1.19 fails.

I posted a similar issue https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/20573 but probably it was a duplicate of this issue.

I'll add a little more context.

After a fresh login (deleting ~/.claude.json), the first prompt to claude -p works correctly, but any subsequent prompt fails with an API error about duplicate tool_use IDs. Simple prompts like claude -p "hello" work.

The following steps always reproduces the problem:

1. Delete ~/.claude.json to reset state
2. Run claude and complete login
3. Run a prompt: claude -p "check what tasks you have" - works
4. Run the same or any other prompt again: claude -p "check what tasks you have" - fails

Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.19 (regression)
• OS: Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.8.0-90-generic x86_64)
• Node: v22.22.0

Behavior

• Print mode (-p) tool use fails with: API 400 "tool_use ids must be unique"

Repro
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions -p "Use Read tool to read ./README.md" --output-format stream-json --verbose

Workaround

• Downgraded to 2.1.17: print-mode tool use works again

Extra

• Non-interactive claude doctor hangs at "Checking installation status..." here.

Follow-up (Ubuntu 22.04.5, node v22.22.0):

• 2.1.19 fails on the first tool call in -p (no multi-turn required).
• 2.1.17 works end-to-end: ./ralph.py --max 1 --marker RALPH_217_OK "Use exactly one tool call to run 'touch /tmp/ralph_217_tool_ok', then output RALPH_217_OK." created the file and returned the marker.
• claude doctor hangs at "Checking installation status..." here.

## Additional Debug Findings

I can confirm this issue on v2.1.19. Rolling back to v2.1.17 resolves the problem.

### Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.19 (broken) → 2.1.17 (working)
• OS: macOS Darwin 22.6.0 (arm64)
• Auth: OAuth (Max subscription)

### Debug Log Analysis

Examining ~/.claude/debug/ logs reveals anomalous behavior when tool use is triggered:

~350 log entries at the exact same millisecond timestamp:
2026-01-26T16:57:17.756Z [DEBUG] [API:request] Creating client...
2026-01-26T16:57:17.756Z [DEBUG] [API:request] Creating client...
2026-01-26T16:57:17.756Z [DEBUG] [API:request] Creating client...
... repeated 100+ times

Breakdown:

• 106 [API:request] Creating client calls
• 212 [API:auth] OAuth token check calls (start + complete)

This suggests a race condition or runaway loop in the tool initialization code that's generating duplicate IDs.

### Reproduction

```bash
# Fails - any tool use
echo "Read test.txt" | claude --print --no-session-persistence

# Works - no tool use
echo "Say hello" | claude --print --no-session-persistence

Flags that DON'T help

• --no-session-persistence
• --dangerously-skip-permissions
• Different models (--model claude-sonnet-4-...)
• Clean directories without .claude settings
• Fresh reinstall of CLI

Workaround

ln -sf ~/.local/share/claude/versions/2.1.17 ~/.local/bin/claude

This completely resolves the issue. v2.1.17 handles tool use correctly.

I can confirm the downgrade to v2.1.17 solved the issue for me.

For Visual Studio Code, you can use _Extensions: Install Specific Version of Extension..._ in the command palette to pin down Claude Code to a working version.

Has anyone seen any movement on this?

I'm experiencing this same issue on Claude Code on Android and web.

API Error: 400 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"invalid_request_error","message":"messages.7.content.3: tool_use ids must be unique"},"request_id":"<id>"}

same error here!

The worst thing is that you can't avoid this one in Claude code web

I have this error in Claude Code Cloud while on mobile

I am also consistently hitting this wall

Same issue here, also on mobile

I'm getting this more and more often. No idea what's causing it. Even compaction doesn't help