Add option to hide vi mode indicator while keeping vi mode active
Summary
When vi mode is enabled, Claude Code displays a --INSERT-- / --NORMAL-- indicator. There is currently no way to hide this indicator without disabling vi mode entirely.
Problem
Many users who enable vi mode also configure a custom statusline that already displays the current vi mode (via the vim.mode field in the statusline JSON). In that case, the built-in --INSERT-- / --NORMAL-- indicator becomes redundant — it duplicates information that's already visible in the statusline.
There should be an option to hide the vanilla mode indicator while keeping vi mode active, so users who prefer the statusline version aren't stuck with two indicators showing the same thing.
Proposed Solution
A setting such as "viModeIndicator": false (or similar) that controls the visibility of the built-in mode indicator independently from whether vi mode itself is enabled.
Use Case
- User enables vi mode via
/vimor/config - User configures a custom statusline that includes
vim.mode - User sets
"viModeIndicator": falseto hide the redundant built-in indicator - Vi keybindings remain fully functional, mode is shown only in the statusline
6 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.
Uhh would have been nice to know that comments are required to keep issues active...
Yep, and that's clearly a simple feature to implement.
Reopening — the stale bot closed this but the feature still hasn't shipped. The three issues flagged as duplicates (#19185, #24491, #18917) are all locked, so consolidating activity back here.
To reiterate: a simple
"viModeIndicator": falsesetting insettings.jsonwould be enough. The statusline JSON already exposes.vim.mode, so users who build custom statuslines end up with two indicators showing the exact same thing. It's a small fix with a clear use case.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.