Auto mode unavailable despite Max plan subscription

Bug Description

--mode auto flag is not recognized, and auto mode shows "not available for your plan" despite being on the Max plan with correct configuration.

Environment

• Claude Code version: 2.1.97 (latest available via npm)
• OS: macOS (Darwin 25.3.0)
• Plan: Claude Max subscription

Steps to Reproduce

1. Configure auto mode in ~/.claude/settings.json:

``json
{ "preferences": { "defaultMode": "auto" } }
``

1. Launch Claude Code — auto mode is not activated, shows "not available for your plan"
2. Try launching with claude --mode auto — returns error: unknown option '--mode'

Expected Behavior

Auto mode should be available for Max plan subscribers, and --mode should be a valid CLI flag.

Actual Behavior

• Auto mode gated with "not available for your plan" message
• --mode flag not recognized (CLI suggests --model instead)
• Authentication refresh does not resolve the issue

Additional Context

• ~/.claude/settings.json has defaultMode: "auto" correctly set
• Confirmed version 2.1.97 is the latest available via npm show @anthropic-ai/claude-code version