[BUG] Rate Limit Bug
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?
Title: [BUG] API Error: Rate limit reached — persists for 7+ hours with no usage
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
Claude Code returns "API Error: Rate limit reached" immediately on every request and has done so continuously for over 7 hours, despite having no usage today. The error appeared without any heavy usage preceding it and has not resolved on its own.
This appears to be the same server-side bug documented in #29579 and #33094, where the rate limiter incorrectly locks out accounts that have not exceeded any quota.
Expected Behavior
Requests should succeed normally. I have not used Claude Code tokens today, and waiting 7+ hours (far exceeding any documented reset window) has not resolved the issue.
Environment
- OS: macOS
- Claude Code version: Latest
- Plan: (put your plan here — Pro, Max, etc.)
- Account usage: Minimal — no significant usage in the past 24 hours
Steps to Reproduce
- Open terminal
- Run claude
- Type any message (e.g., "hello")
- Immediately receive: API Error: Rate limit reached
- Wait 7+ hours
- Repeat steps 2-4 — same error persists
What I've Tried
- Waiting 7+ hours for the rate limit to reset — no change
- Running claude status — usage does not reflect any significant consumption
- Restarting terminal and retrying — same error
- The error started without any preceding heavy usage session
Additional Context
This issue matches a pattern reported by multiple users:
- Issue #29579: Max subscriber locked out at 16% usage with a multi-day lockout
- Issue #33094: Rate limit on Max plan with barely any usage after extension update
- Hacker News thread (Feb 26, 2026): Multiple users reporting identical behavior
The common thread is that the server-side rate limiter appears to enter a stuck state for specific accounts, where the limit never resets regardless of time elapsed. This is not a legitimate quota exhaustion — it is a server-side bug that requires manual intervention or a fix to the rate limit reset logic.
This is blocking all work. A server-side reset of the rate limit state for my account would be appreciated while a permanent fix is developed.
What Should Happen?
claude should be replying back to me, but it just says api rate limit reached
Error Messages/Logs
API Error: Rate limit reachedSteps to Reproduce
- run 'claude'
- say something
- it will say API Error: Rate limit reached
Claude Model
Not sure / Multiple models
Is this a regression?
I don't know
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.84 (Claude Code)
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
_No response_
15 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
Had the same issue, I solved it by switching a model, ("/model" then I pressed enter) I switched to the recommended Sonnet model by typing "/Model" then enter, it let me pick the model, I pressed enter on Sonnet and Claude got back to working.
I then wrote "/Model" again and switched back to Opus 4.6 and it was working, no more the API error.
I was getting the same error, but only on one server but not others. I checked the .credentials.json file in the impacted server and noticed that the plan listed was not my current plan. Issued
claude auth logoutbash command followed byclaude auth loginand completed the web auth. This resolved my issue for the project.You just have to switch from Opus 1M Contex to normal Opus to fix this.
This isn't a fix. It's laziness. Anthropic has tons of time to screw the customer and yet no time to fix all the damn issues. For a company who claims "coding is solved" they can't even get their own software working.
I'm on a Max 20x account. We also use Max 20x accounts at our office. Hitting "API Error: Rate limit reached," but I've been idle for hours.
The issue seems to be with how Claude Code is handling long running contexts ever since the update (ever since Plan Mode stopped asking to clear context); particularly when running multiple Opus agents concurrently.
The fix above worked (change models), but when changing back to Default (Opus 1M), running /compact brought the system back to working state without needing to re-auth. But when using multiple agents, this needs to be done in each project directory to compact each conversation.
Same bug! v2.1.86 , Ubuntu 24.04 (Linux Mint). Tariff: Max 20x , model Opus 4.6 (1M context)
Use /model and switch to Opus 4.6, without (1M context)
Same bug. Using the VSCode extension on Windows.
6% usage shown but rate limit error on every request
Sign out/sign back in did not resolve it
Switching models and compacting seemed to fix it.
Same issue here. macOS, Claude Code v2.1.86, Max plan, Opus 4.6 (1M context).
Started experiencing this in the last 24 hours. "API Error: Rate limit reached" mid-conversation. Typing "continue" or retrying works, but it interrupts workflow — especially during long-running agent tasks (e.g., waiting on background SSH commands).
Not a total lockout like some reports above — more of an intermittent rate limit that fires spuriously during active sessions with large context windows.
This is unacceptable for a paid product. The Claude Code from Anthropic is being crippled by constant and aggressive **Rate Limit Errors**, making real usage practically impossible.
This is not about occasional limits. This is about being blocked repeatedly, unpredictably, and without any clear explanation. You start working, and suddenly everything stops with a rate limit error. No transparency, no guidance, no control. Just hard stops.
For a professional tool, this is a disaster. It completely breaks development flow, kills productivity, and makes it impossible to rely on the system for anything serious. A paid user should not feel like they are fighting the tool just to get basic work done.
If rate limits exist, they must be clear, predictable, and aligned with what users are paying for. Right now, the Rate Limit Error behavior feels arbitrary, excessive, and poorly designed.
This needs to be fixed.
Im having this issue too - I tried all those things and still locked out - I upgraded from 100 - 200 and got a tiny bit more and locked in about 11 min (no mcp, no large context, etc)
Same issue on Pro plan using Claude code in the Claude desktop app
Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.
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.