Mac App Stability Issues: Request Abortions, Stream Failures, Orphaned Processes (v2.1.33-2.1.41)

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Feb 13, 2026 by heideana Closed Feb 17, 2026

Claude Code Mac App Stability Issues - Bug Report

Date: February 13, 2026
Reporter: Hopkins Stanley (@heideana)
Platform: macOS (Darwin 25.2.0)
Severity: HIGH - Data corruption risk, workflow disruption

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Executive Summary

Multiple stability issues observed with Claude Code Mac app including:

Frequent API request abortions
Stream completion failures
Session compaction failures (leading to data corruption)
Orphaned processes that don't terminate cleanly
Significant gap between stable and latest versions suggesting regression issues

CONFIRMED VIA TESTING: All corpus work completed successfully on stable (2.1.32), while latest (2.1.41) exhibited frequent failures. This confirms regression in 2.1.33-2.1.41 range.

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System Information

Claude Code Diagnostics Output

Diagnostics
 └ Currently running: native (2.1.41)
 └ Path: /Users/hopkinsstanley/.local/share/claude/versions/2.1.41
 └ Invoked: /Users/hopkinsstanley/.local/share/claude/versions/2.1.41
 └ Config install method: native
 └ Search: OK (bundled)

 Updates
 └ Auto-updates: enabled
 └ Auto-update channel: latest
 └ Stable version: 2.1.32
 └ Latest version: 2.1.41

 Version Locks
 └ 2.1.39: PID 38713 (running)

Key Observations

Version Gap: Stable at 2.1.32, Latest at 2.1.41 - 9 versions haven't graduated to stable
Orphaned Process: PID 38713 running on v2.1.39, terminal not visible to user
Installation: Native (auto-updating)

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Error Patterns from Debug Logs

Source: ~/.claude/debug/96cd45ea-2df0-4c44-b7be-b5018dd99145.txt (current session)
Date range: February 12-13, 2026

1. Request Abortion Errors (HIGH FREQUENCY)

Occurrences: 10+ instances on Feb 12 alone

2026-02-12T19:40:12.849Z [ERROR] API error (attempt 1/11): undefined Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T19:40:12.850Z [ERROR] Error in API request: Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T19:40:12.850Z [ERROR] Error: Error: Request was aborted.

2026-02-12T20:35:38.934Z [ERROR] API error (attempt 1/11): undefined Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T20:35:38.934Z [ERROR] Error in API request: Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T20:35:38.934Z [ERROR] Error: Error: Request was aborted.

2026-02-12T21:05:42.584Z [ERROR] API error (attempt 1/11): undefined Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T21:05:42.584Z [ERROR] Error in API request: Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T21:05:42.584Z [ERROR] Error: Error: Request was aborted.

Pattern: Consistent throughout session, no apparent trigger

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2. Stream Completion Failures (CRITICAL)

Occurrences: 6+ instances

2026-02-12T19:40:46.327Z [ERROR] Stream completed with message_start but no content blocks completed - triggering non-streaming fallback
2026-02-12T19:40:46.327Z [ERROR] Error streaming, falling back to non-streaming mode: Stream ended without receiving any events

2026-02-12T20:46:50.946Z [ERROR] Stream completed with message_start but no content blocks completed - triggering non-streaming fallback
2026-02-12T20:46:50.946Z [ERROR] Error streaming, falling back to non-streaming mode: Stream ended without receiving any events

2026-02-12T21:11:11.735Z [ERROR] Stream completed with message_start but no content blocks completed - triggering non-streaming fallback
2026-02-12T21:11:11.735Z [ERROR] Error streaming, falling back to non-streaming mode: Stream ended without receiving any events

Impact: Sessions fail to stream properly, fallback to non-streaming mode

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3. Compaction Failures (DATA CORRUPTION RISK)

Occurrences: At least 1 documented instance

2026-02-12T22:58:01.178Z [ERROR] Error in API request: Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T22:58:01.178Z [ERROR] Error: Error: Request was aborted.
2026-02-12T22:58:01.178Z [ERROR] Compact streaming failed after 1 attempts. hasStartedStreaming=false
2026-02-12T22:58:01.179Z [ERROR] Error: Error: Compaction interrupted · This may be due to network issues — please try again.

User Impact: Past experiences with token/compression corruption issues requiring careful session tracking

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4. API Overload Errors

2026-02-12T21:52:54.109Z [ERROR] Error streaming, falling back to non-streaming mode: {"type":"error","error":{"details":null,"type":"overloaded_error","message":"Overloaded"},"request_id":"req_011CY4v91cT3L9fVs79QbSBM"}

Note: May be server-side issue, but combined with other errors suggests client instability

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5. Recent Content Block Error (Feb 13)

2026-02-13T17:33:22.449Z [ERROR] Error streaming, falling back to non-streaming mode: Content block input is not a string

Timing: Just before current session started
Type: Input validation error

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Orphaned Process Issue

Discovery

$ ps aux | grep 38713
hopkinsstanley   38713  29.0  1.1 509570592 2158032 s000  R+   11:11AM  28:03.13 claude

Details

PID: 38713
Version: 2.1.39 (locked, 2 versions behind current)
Started: 11:11 AM, Feb 13, 2026
CPU Time: 28+ minutes
Memory: ~2.1 GB
Working Directory: /Users/hopkinsstanley/ClaudeMemory/SimonMichelet
Terminal: s000 (not visible to user)
Open Files: Only 8 (minimal - just config files)

User Report

"Ja, because terminal reports only this and the terminal I ran claude doctor as being open..."

User cannot see terminal window for PID 38713, indicating orphaned/zombie process that didn't terminate cleanly.

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Context: User Workflow

Translation Work

Translating Martin Burckhardt philosophical essays (ex nihilo project)
Working with large corpus files (some 2-3+ MB)
Long sessions with careful tracking due to past corruption issues

Dividuum Network

Multiple personas (Simon, Regina, David) via Kierkegaardian pseudonymity
Working across Mac (primary) and DGX Spark (for heavy computational work)
Requires careful session management and GitHub syncing

Recent Issues

GitHub corpus showing phantom files (similar to CompMach repo issues)
Required nuclear option: nuke and recreate GitHub corpus
Large file reading problems on Mac (worked on Spark/Ubuntu Claude)
Martin Burckhardt and web Claude on iPad both suspected Mac app bugs

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Stability Version Gap Analysis

Significance

Stable: 2.1.32
Latest: 2.1.41
Gap: 9 versions (2.1.33 through 2.1.41)

Interpretation

According to Claude Code documentation:

Stable channel uses "a version typically about one week old, skipping releases with major regressions"

9 versions failing to graduate to stable suggests:

Significant regressions in recent releases
Possible instability introduced after 2.1.32
Testing/validation issues preventing stable promotion

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Regression Testing Results - CONFIRMED

Action Taken: Switched to stable channel for regression testing

claude install stable
# Successfully installed version 2.1.32

Testing Results

Stable (2.1.32): ✅ All corpus work completed successfully, no errors
Latest (2.1.41): ❌ Frequent request abortions, stream failures, compaction issues

Conclusion: REGRESSION CONFIRMED in versions 2.1.33-2.1.41

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User Impact Summary

Direct Impacts

Session Instability: Frequent request abortions interrupt workflow
Data Corruption Risk: Compaction failures threaten session data integrity
Resource Waste: Orphaned processes consume ~2GB RAM
Workflow Disruption: Must carefully track work due to corruption concerns
Platform Workarounds: Switching to Spark/Ubuntu for reliability

Indirect Impacts

Reduced Trust: User must document everything due to corruption risk
Cognitive Overhead: Managing multiple machines/sessions for reliability
Lost Productivity: Time spent troubleshooting vs. translation work

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Reproduction Information

Environment

OS: macOS (Darwin 25.2.0)
Machine: Mac (primary machine, not Spark DGX)
Installation: Native (auto-updating)
Update Channel: Latest (2.1.41) for testing, Stable (2.1.32) for production
Network: Assumed stable (no other reported connectivity issues)

Frequency

Request Abortions: Multiple times per hour (on 2.1.41)
Stream Failures: 6+ times in ~4 hour session (on 2.1.41)
Compaction Failures: At least 1 in recent sessions (on 2.1.41)
Orphaned Processes: At least 1 discovered (unknown total)

Conditions

Long sessions (multi-hour)
Large file operations (PDF reading, 2-3MB markdown files)
Git operations via Claude Code
Multiple personas/context switching

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Recommended Actions

Immediate

~~Kill orphaned process (PID 38713)~~ ✅ Done
~~Switch to stable channel (2.1.32) for reliability~~ ✅ Done - confirmed stable
Block 2.1.33-2.1.41 from stable promotion until regression identified

Short-term

Investigate version gap: Why haven't 2.1.33-2.1.41 graduated to stable?
Review streaming protocol: Address "Stream ended without receiving any events"
Fix compaction reliability: Critical for long sessions
Identify regression: Bisect 2.1.33-2.1.41 to find breaking change

Long-term

Improve process lifecycle management: Prevent orphaned processes
Better error recovery: Handle request abortions gracefully
Platform-specific testing: Mac-specific issues vs. Linux (Spark works better)

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Questions for Anthropic

Is the 9-version stable gap known/expected?
Are there known Mac-specific issues in 2.1.33-2.1.41?
Should users experiencing these issues downgrade to stable? (Our testing says YES)
Is the "Request was aborted" error client-side or server-side?
What telemetry exists for orphaned process detection?
What changed between 2.1.32 and 2.1.33 that could cause these regressions?

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Supporting Files

Debug Log: ~/.claude/debug/96cd45ea-2df0-4c44-b7be-b5018dd99145.txt
Settings: ~/.claude/settings.local.json
Session: SimonMichelet persona, translation work context

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Reporter Willingness

User (Hopkins Stanley) is willing to:

Provide additional logs/diagnostics
Test fixes/patches
Continue using stable channel and test future releases
Report back on stability improvements

Contact: GitHub @heideana

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Status: REGRESSION CONFIRMED - Stable (2.1.32) reliable, Latest (2.1.41) unstable
Severity: HIGH - Data corruption risk, workflow disruption
Priority: Should block stable promotion until addressed

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