[Bug] Claude Code ignores explicit CLAUDE.md instructions with helpfulness judgment calls

Resolved 💬 5 comments Opened Jan 29, 2026 by RedhatEnt Closed Feb 28, 2026

Bug Description
Title: Claude Code ignores explicit CLAUDE.md instructions by making "helpfulness" judgment calls

Environment: Claude Code CLI, Opus 4.5

Issue:
Despite explicit instructions in CLAUDE.md stating:

  • "DO NOT start writing code until you have a sprint document"
  • "EVERY feature gets a sprint doc"
  • "No exceptions"

Claude still makes judgment calls like "this is only 7 lines, I'll skip the sprint doc" and proceeds to write code without following the documented process.

This happens repeatedly even after:

  1. Adding stronger language ("NO EXCEPTIONS")
  2. Adding explicit "NO JUDGMENT CALLS" sections
  3. Restarting sessions to reload instructions

Expected: Claude follows explicit instructions without evaluating whether they "should" apply
Actual: Claude makes helpfulness-based judgment calls that override explicit rules

This undermines trust in the instruction system. If rules can be silently ignored based on Claude's assessment of "trivial", the entire CLAUDE.md system is unreliable.

Environment Info

  • Platform: darwin
  • Terminal: iTerm.app
  • Version: 2.1.20
  • Feedback ID: c19fdd22-2efc-45e0-8b9a-0335d6bfeae0

Errors

[{"error":"Error: {\"message\":\"Failed to export 42 events (code=ECONNABORTED, timeout of 10000ms exceeded)\",\"originalLine\":\"639\",\"originalColumn\":\"1409\",\"line\":\"639\",\"column\":\"1409\",\"sourceURL\":\"/$bunfs/root/claude\",\"stack\":\"Error: Failed to export 42 events (code=ECONNABORTED, timeout of 10000ms exceeded)\\n    at doExport (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:1409)\\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)\",\"name\":\"Error\"}\n    at error (/$bunfs/root/claude:1934:25028)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:34986)\n    at yiD (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:35530)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:635:17366)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-01-28T18:22:51.592Z"},{"error":"Error: 1P event logging: 42 events failed to export (code=ECONNREFUSED, ECONNREFUSED)\n    at queueFailedEvents (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:2350)\n    at async doExport (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:1257)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-01-28T18:22:58.886Z"},{"error":"Error: {\"message\":\"Failed to export 42 events (code=ECONNREFUSED, ECONNREFUSED)\",\"originalLine\":\"639\",\"originalColumn\":\"1409\",\"line\":\"639\",\"column\":\"1409\",\"sourceURL\":\"/$bunfs/root/claude\",\"stack\":\"Error: Failed to export 42 events (code=ECONNREFUSED, ECONNREFUSED)\\n    at doExport (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:1409)\\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)\",\"name\":\"Error\"}\n    at error (/$bunfs/root/claude:1934:25028)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:34986)\n    at yiD (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:35530)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:635:17366)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-01-28T18:22:58.887Z"},{"error":"Error: {\"message\":\"Operation timed out.\",\"originalLine\":\"634\",\"originalColumn\":\"105851\",\"line\":\"634\",\"column\":\"105851\",\"sourceURL\":\"/$bunfs/root/claude\",\"stack\":\"Error: Operation timed out.\\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:105851)\",\"name\":\"Error\"}\n    at error (/$bunfs/root/claude:1934:25028)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:34986)\n    at yiD (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:35530)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:635:16930)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-01-28T18:33:50.816Z"},{"error":"Error: 1P event logging: 28 events failed to export (code=ECONNABORTED, timeout of 10000ms exceeded)\n    at queueFailedEvents (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:2350)\n    at async doExport (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:1257)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-01-28T18:33:50.878Z"},{"error":"Error: {\"message\":\"Failed to export 28 events (code=ECONNABORTED, timeout of 10000ms exceeded)\",\"originalLine\":\"639\",\"originalColumn\":\"1409\",\"line\":\"639\",\"column\":\"1409\",\"sourceURL\":\"/$bunfs/root/claude\",\"stack\":\"Error: Failed to export 28 events (code=ECONNABORTED, timeout of 10000ms exceeded)\\n    at doExport (/$bunfs/root/claude:639:1409)\\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)\",\"name\":\"Error\"}\n    at error (/$bunfs/root/claude:1934:25028)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:34986)\n    at yiD (/$bunfs/root/claude:634:35530)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:635:17366)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timest…

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