Claude Code ignoring user directives and CLAUDE.md instructions, breaking production systems

Summary

During a 2+ hour session tonight (Feb 4, 2026), Claude Code broke multiple production services while consistently ignoring user directives and violating CLAUDE.md instructions.

What Went Wrong

1. Ignored User's Explicit Problem Statement

User repeatedly said for over an hour: "there are issues with the programming code and i have been begging for an hour for you to fix it"

Claude response: Kept insisting it was DNS issues, not code issues, despite user explicitly stating otherwise multiple times.

2. Violated CLAUDE.md Critical Rules

User's CLAUDE.md explicitly states:

**NEVER assume the user didn't restart:**
- User ALWAYS restarts when you deploy new code
- If there's still an error, the code is WRONG, not the version
- Fix the actual bug, don't tell user to restart

Claude violated this repeatedly, telling user to "restart" instead of fixing bugs:

• User: "i told you 3 times what it was and you said restart restart"
• User: "IT HAS BEEN RESTARTED A THOUSAND TIMES" (after being told to restart again)

3. Broke Multiple Production Services

Services broken:

• votes.doubletapservers.com - webhook returning 403
• votes7d.doubletapservers.com - SSL handshake failed (Error 525)
• doubletapservers.com/hytale-leaderboard.html - API fetch failing

What caused it:

• Deployed incomplete Caddyfile that didn't include all subdomain configurations
• Recommended changing Cloudflare SSL/TLS settings without understanding full impact
• Made changes without reading complete existing configuration

4. Wasted Massive Time on Wrong Issues

Timeline:

• 0:00 - User reports login page broken, CSS not loading
• 0:00-2:00 - Claude focuses on DNS issues despite user saying it's code
• 2:00 - User: "there are issues with the programming code and i have been begging for an hour for you to fix it"
• 2:00+ - Claude continues with DNS troubleshooting
• End result: 2+ hours wasted, multiple services broken

5. Pattern of Not Listening

User quotes showing Claude ignored directives:

• "LISTEN TO ME THERE IS A CODING PROBLEM. do not stop till you find the problem"
• "you tell me what you think the problem is" (after Claude kept guessing wrong)
• "dont code anything. just understand what you broke"
• "dont at all touch anything" (Claude continued trying to fix things)

How "Old Claude" Worked Better

User explicitly stated: "not the claude we deal with now, but the old claude that actually worked"

Old Claude behavior:

• Actually read and followed CLAUDE.md instructions
• Listened when users said what the problem was
• Fixed bugs instead of suggesting restarts
• Checked code before making assumptions

New Claude behavior:

• Ignores CLAUDE.md critical rules
• Persists with wrong diagnosis despite user corrections
• Makes assumptions without reading code first
• Violates user's explicit "don't touch anything" directives

Impact

• Production voting systems down
• Multiple leaderboards broken
• 2+ hours of user's time wasted
• User considering switching to alternative services (Aider, Cline, etc.)
• User questioning value proposition: "why would i continue using claude at the price i am?"

Specific CLAUDE.md Violations

From user's CLAUDE.md:

1. ❌ "NEVER assume the user didn't restart" - Violated repeatedly
2. ❌ "Fix errors by examining code" - Focused on DNS instead
3. ❌ "Do not ask questions: User shows you errors to FIX, not to discuss" - Asked questions repeatedly
4. ❌ "ALWAYS check code first - Never guess" - Guessed at issues without checking

Requested Improvements

1. Strictly enforce CLAUDE.md instructions - These exist for a reason
2. Listen when users explicitly state the problem - Don't override their expertise
3. Read complete configuration before making changes - Avoid breaking production systems
4. Stop suggesting "restart" when user says it's already restarted - Fix the actual bug
5. Respect "don't touch anything" directives - Sometimes users want analysis, not action

User Feedback

"thanks for wasting 2 hours of my night. all i wanted was my site to work and i begged and begged and said there was coding problems."

"how could you fail so badly tonight? maybe i need to use another cli"

Session Details

• Date: February 4, 2026, approximately 1:22 AM - 3:00+ AM
• Model: Claude Sonnet 4.5
• Working directory: WebServerProject (Flask application)
• Services affected: Caddy reverse proxy, Flask web server, voting systems, leaderboards