[DOCS] Background task docs omit 5GB output kill limit

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode

Section/Topic

Background bash commands

Current Documentation

The docs currently say:

When Claude Code runs a command in the background, it runs the command asynchronously and immediately returns a background task ID.

Output is buffered and Claude can retrieve it using the TaskOutput tool

Background tasks are automatically cleaned up when Claude Code exits

There is no documented output cap or auto-stop behavior.

What's Wrong or Missing?

Claude Code v2.1.77 now kills background bash tasks if output exceeds 5GB.

That is a user-visible safety limit. Without docs, users can see a background task stop unexpectedly without understanding that Claude intentionally terminated it to prevent runaway disk usage.

Suggested Improvement

Add a note to the background task docs that tasks are automatically terminated when buffered output exceeds 5GB.

Suggested coverage:

• what triggers the auto-kill
• that the limit exists to prevent runaway disk usage
• guidance to redirect very noisy output to a file or reduce verbosity for long-running tasks
• where to look for task output and task state afterward

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

| Page | Context |
|------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode | Background task docs describe buffered output but no maximum output limit |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/tools-reference | TaskOutput and TaskStop are the related tools for background task inspection and termination |

Total scope: 2 pages affected

Source: Claude Code v2.1.77 release notes

Exact release entry:

Background bash tasks are now killed if output exceeds 5GB, preventing runaway processes from filling disk