Claude Code frequently pauses mid-execution after 'Crunched for X time' message (Windows)

What's Wrong?

Claude Code frequently pauses/stops execution after showing the "Crunched for Xm Xs" message. The execution stops unexpectedly and requires manual clicking of the "Continue" button to proceed. This happens consistently across versions 2.1.23 through 2.1.29.

When I asked Claude why it stopped, it incorrectly claimed I manually cancelled the operation, which I did not. The pause appears to be an internal behavior, not triggered by any user action.

What Should Happen?

Commands should execute continuously without interruption until:

• The task completes naturally, OR
• The user explicitly cancels the operation

The "Crunched for X time" message should be informational only and not cause execution to pause.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Run any multi-step operation (e.g., consecutive tool calls, long-running scripts, or complex workflows)
2. Wait for the status message "Crunched for Xm Xs" to appear
3. Observe that execution pauses/stops at this point
4. Must manually click "Continue" to resume execution

This happens frequently enough to make continuous workflows impractical.

Error Messages/Logs

No explicit error message. The interface just shows:

• Status: "✻ Crunched for 1m 22s" (or similar duration)
• Then execution stops
• A "Continue" button appears

Claude Model

Happens with all models (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku)

Is this a regression?

First noticed in version 2.1.23, continues through 2.1.29. Unsure if it worked correctly in earlier versions.

Claude Code Version

2.1.29 (Claude Code)

Platform

• API Platform: Anthropic (default)
• Operating System: Windows 10
• Terminal/Shell: Windows Terminal

Additional Information

This issue makes it very difficult to run multi-step workflows or long-running tasks, as I need to constantly monitor and manually continue execution every minute or two.

The incorrect "user cancelled" explanation suggests the tool or system may not be correctly tracking the cause of the pause.