[Bug] Failed to fetch latest version: HTTP 403 from distribution server

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/21480
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/13498
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14165

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Same here.

I'm on the same boat.

This can be fixed by forcing IPv4 preference for DNS resolution:

echo 'precedence ::ffff:0:0/96 100' | sudo tee -a /etc/gai.conf

Why this works: Your system's getaddrinfo() is preferring IPv6 (AAAA records) when resolving storage.googleapis.com. Some VPNs (Mullvad included) and network configurations route IPv6 traffic through paths where Google Cloud Storage returns 403 — either because GCS handles IPv6 differently on that edge, or because the VPN's IPv6 exit node lands in a region/IP range that triggers Google's access controls.

The gai.conf line sets a higher precedence (100) for IPv4-mapped addresses (::ffff:0:0/96), which tells the resolver to prefer IPv4 (A records) over native IPv6. This routes the request through IPv4, which typically works fine through VPNs and avoids the 403.

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.

Just tried installing this on my Mac and I am getting this:

$ curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Setting up Claude Code...

✘ Installation failed                        

Failed to fetch version from https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases/latest: timeout
 of 30000ms exceeded

I am using a regular residential internet connection and I am not on a proxy or VPN. I confirmed that I have connectivity to the host:

$ curl -sI https://storage.googleapis.com
HTTP/2 400 
content-type: application/xml; charset=UTF-8
x-guploader-uploadid: AMNfjG2UZ0JHB_MYokNO320QzQi-oY9CQyCLmN1la8YTDKCpR3ZQjmn8ljJ2cKkJbcL2Wmv7LnRwH80
content-length: 181
date: Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:48:34 GMT
expires: Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:48:34 GMT
cache-control: private, max-age=0
server: UploadServer
alt-svc: h3=":443"; ma=2592000,h3-29=":443"; ma=2592000

I checked the Claude docs and they recommend using home-brew for "restricted internet" connections.

brew install --cask claude-code

Maybe this should be suggested for all Mac users having issues?

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.