[BUG] Onboarding flow login prompt does not consider `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` env var from settings files
Status Fixed / completed
Reported on v2.1.52
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 4 comments · opened Feb 25, 2026 · closed Mar 20, 2026
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
After configuring a fresh Claude Code install with an ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN env var in a settings files, when going through the onboarding flow, it still stops the user and requires selecting an login method, and doesn't use the already-configured env var.
What Should Happen?
The onboarding flow should move from the theme selection screen to the security notes screen, skipping the mandatory login method selection screen.
Error Messages/Logs
Steps to Reproduce
- Ensure you have a fresh Claude Code environment – either with no
~/.claude.jsonfile present, or by removing thehasCompletedOnboardingkey in~/.claude.json. - In the
~/.claude/settings.jsonfile, set theenvto contain an object with a value forANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN.
``json``
{
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "asdf"
}
}
- Run
claude. - It will start the onboarding flow, the first page is the theme setting, press enter.
- Observe that the next page is the "Select login method:" screen.
- Ctrl-C repeatedly to exit.
- Run
ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="asdf" claude. - It will restart the onboarding flow, press enter to select the theme.
- Observe that the next page is the "Security notes:" screen, the select login method screen is skipped and no longer blocking.
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
No, this never worked
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.52
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
_No response_
4 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
This is similar to #13827 other than it being reported for Linux – this report confirms that it's also present for macOS.
This seems to have been resolved in v2.1.53.
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.