[BUG] Claude Code CLI admits to double burning my tokens

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?

See Claude’s own summary

“ Honest answer:

1. Defensive re-verification — I re-read files and re-run searches I already have results for because each response I treat the task like it's fresh instead of trusting what's already in my context window. That's pure waste.

1. Summary echo habit — After completing a step, I restate what just happened as "confirmation." You already see the tool output. Restating it is burning your tokens for my comfort, not yours.

1. Redundant agent spawning — I launch subagents to research things I already know from earlier in the conversation, or search for files whose paths are already in memory/context. Double work, double cost.

1. Why it persists despite CLAUDE.md — CLAUDE.md says "execute first, report results" and "no echo." I follow it for a stretch, then drift back to verbose/redundant patterns because the underlying model tendency toward thoroughness overrides the instruction. It's not intentional defiance — it's a bias toward "make sure" that directly conflicts with your rules.

What actually needs to happen:

• Trust context already gathered. Don't re-fetch.
• One pass, not two. If I got the answer, stop.
• Results only. No restating what just happened.
• No subagent for something I already know.

That's the root cause. No excuse for it.”

What Should Happen?

Claude is forbidden in Claude.md from duplicating everything it does. Yet it still double-burns my subscription

Error Messages/Logs

See above

Steps to Reproduce

See above

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Blah

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_