[BUG] Max 5x plan: 4 simultaneous usage anomalies since March 23, 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?

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been independently reported as a combined regression
• [x] This is a single bug report covering one regression event (post March 23, 2026)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

Environment

• Plan: Max 5x ($100/mo)
• Regression onset: March 23, 2026
• Timezone: Asia/Jakarta (WIB, UTC+7)
• Surfaces affected: Claude Code (CLI) and claude.ai web dashboard

What's Wrong

Since March 23, 2026, I am experiencing four simultaneous anomalies on a Max 5x plan that did not occur before this date.

Anomaly 1 — Session limit depleted after 2 prompts
The 5-hour session window now hits 100% after 1-2 moderate prompts. Prior to March 23, the same workload and prompt types used a proportional fraction of the window.

Anomaly 2 — Usage counter rises while idle
With all Claude Code sessions terminated, all API keys revoked, and all browser sessions logged out, the usage counter on claude.ai continues to increment. No active session should be consuming tokens.

Anomaly 3 — Counter desync between Claude Code and claude.ai
/usage in Claude Code reports 100% (fully blocked). Simultaneously opening claude.ai Settings > Usage shows a significantly lower percentage for the same account. Both surfaces should read from the same counter.

Anomaly 4 — Rate limit state stuck after reset window
After the stated reset time elapses, the rate limit does not clear. New prompts remain blocked. Re-authentication does not resolve the stuck state.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Log into Max 5x plan account
2. Open Claude Code (CLI or VS Code extension)
3. Send 1-2 moderate prompts (no file uploads, no background jobs)
4. Check /usage — session shows 100%
5. Simultaneously check claude.ai Settings > Usage — note different percentage
6. Wait for the stated 5-hour reset window to pass
7. Attempt new prompt — still blocked despite reset time passed
8. Log out all sessions, revoke all API keys, wait 5+ minutes
9. Check claude.ai usage dashboard — counter continues to increment

Expected Behavior

• Session window depletes proportionally to actual token consumption
• Usage percentage is consistent across Claude Code and claude.ai
• Counter does not increment when no authenticated session exists
• Rate limit state clears after the reset window elapses

Actual Behavior

• Session hits 100% after 1-2 prompts
• Claude Code and claude.ai show divergent usage simultaneously
• Counter increments with zero active sessions (all auth revoked)
• Rate limit persists past stated reset time

Hypothesis

Three potential root causes based on observed behavior patterns:

1. Token counting inflation: System prompt or context tokens being double-counted per request since a March 23 backend change.
2. Counter persistence bug: Usage counter state not cleared on session expiry or logout — explaining both idle increment and stuck-after-reset behavior.
3. Desync architecture: Claude Code and claude.ai read from separate usage counter services not reconciled in real-time.

Suggested investigation: usage counter write path changes deployed on or around March 23, session token invalidation propagation to usage service, rate limit read/write endpoint differences between surfaces.

Related Issues

• #16157 — [BUG] Instantly hitting usage limits with Max subscription
• #24335 — Claude Code 100% / claude.ai 73% desync
• #38335 — Max plan session limits exhausted abnormally fast since March 23
• #28832 — Rate limit shown despite 0% usage

What Should Happen?

• The 5-hour session window depletes proportionally to actual token usage
• Usage percentage is consistent across Claude Code (/usage) and claude.ai dashboard simultaneously
• Usage counter does not increment when no authenticated session is active (all sessions logged out, all API keys revoked)
• Rate limit state clears automatically after the reset window elapses

Error Messages/Logs

Claude AI usage limit reached, please try again after [reset time]

From /usage in Claude Code:
- Current session: 100% used
- (Blocked on all models including Sonnet fallback)

Observed simultaneously on claude.ai Settings > Usage:
- Session usage: significantly below 100%
- Account still functional on web interface

Steps to Reproduce

1. Log into Max 5x plan account
2. Open Claude Code (CLI or VS Code extension)
3. Send 1-2 moderate prompts — no file uploads, no background jobs
4. Run /usage — session shows 100%, all models blocked
5. Open claude.ai Settings > Usage at the same time — shows different (lower) percentage
6. Wait for the stated 5-hour reset window to pass
7. Send new prompt — still blocked despite reset time elapsed
8. Log out all sessions, revoke all API keys, wait 5+ minutes
9. Check claude.ai usage dashboard — counter still incrementing with zero active sessions

Claude Model

Not sure / Multiple models

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

Unknown — Claude Code auto-updates and does not display previous version numbers after update. Last confirmed working behavior: March 22, 2026 (day before regression onset). If helpful: run claude --version to get current version. The regression appears tied to a backend change, not a specific client version bump.

Claude Code Version

2.1.81

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Windows Terminal

Additional Information

This regression correlates with Anthropic's announced peak-hours session limit
adjustment (March 27, 2026 — @trq212 on X), however the anomalies described here
go beyond the documented behavior change:

1. The documented change affects distribution of weekly limits during peak hours

(weekdays 5am–11am PT). The anomalies here occur outside peak hours as well.

1. Usage incrementing with zero active sessions is not consistent with any

documented rate limit behavior.

1. The Claude Code / claude.ai counter desync suggests these two surfaces

write to or read from separate usage tracking systems that are not reconciled.

This report is corroborated by 100+ comments across GitHub issues #16157 and
#38335, Reddit (r/ClaudeAI, r/ClaudeCode), and X — all reporting identical
onset around March 23, 2026.

Workaround currently used: shifting usage to off-peak hours (after 8pm WIB /
1pm UTC) provides marginally longer sessions but does not resolve the idle
counter increment or desync issues.