[BUG] Cowork 403 "Request not allowed" on Pro plan - Chat works fine
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?
Bug Description
Cowork tab consistently returns 403 "Request not allowed" every time a task is submitted. Regular Claude Desktop chat works perfectly on the same account.
Error Message
Failed to authenticate. API Error: 403 {"error":{"type":"forbidden","message":"Request not allowed"}}
Environment
- Plan: Claude Pro
- Account email: gipsa4327#proton.me
- Claude Desktop version: latest
- OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)
- Network: api.anthropic.com and claude.ai are both reachable and confirmed accessible
Expected Behavior
Cowork should authenticate and process tasks, same as Chat mode.
Actual Behavior
403 "Request not allowed" every time. Re-login does not help.
What works / What doesn't
| Surface | Status |
|---------|--------|
| Claude Desktop Chat | ✅ Works |
| Claude Desktop Cowork | ❌ 403 Forbidden |
| claude.ai (web) | ✅ Works |
Additional Context
- Previously worked on Windows machine, then started returning "server busy" errors repeatedly, then stopped working entirely
- Fresh install on Mac also fails from the first attempt
- This appears to be a server-side policy rejection (OAuth token exchange succeeds but API rejects the token when used by Cowork)
- Related issues: #32816, #34268
What Should Happen?
Cowork should authenticate and process tasks, same as Chat mode.
Error Messages/Logs
Failed to authenticate. API Error: 403 {"error":{"type":"forbidden","message":"Request not allowed"}}
Steps to Reproduce
- Log into Claude Desktop with Pro account
- Open Cowork tab
- Submit any task (even "Hello")
- 403 error appears immediately
Claude Model
Sonnet (default)
Is this a regression?
No, this never worked
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
Claude 1.1.8629 (befdfc) 2026-03-24T22:13:01.000Z
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
<img width="1126" height="702" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/330a9bf0-c0a9-41af-8243-ed1491328255" />
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