[BUG] Claude Code CLI hangs in infinite "Reticulating..." loop during large file analysis (HandleInertiaRequests.php)

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• [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?

escription

While using the Claude Code CLI to perform a series of refactoring tasks on a Laravel 12 / Inertia.js project, the tool becomes unresponsive, remaining in the "Reticulating..." state for over an hour.

The hang occurs specifically when Claude attempts to analyze and modify middleware files (specifically HandleInertiaRequests.php), likely due to the recursive analysis of global state sharing or large project structures.
Steps to Reproduce

Provide a large set of instructions (approx. 40+ points) covering backend (Laravel) and frontend (Vue 3) changes.

Observe Claude starting the analysis phase.

The CLI enters the "Searching for patterns / Reading files" phase.

It hangs on app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php (or similar core middleware).

The timer in "Reticulating..." continues to climb (reached 57m 51s in my case) with very low token throughput (downward arrow showing ~1.9k tokens).

Environment Information

OS: Ubuntu 24.04 (via VPS) / Windows (specify yours)

Project Stack: Laravel 12, Inertia.js v3, Vue 3, PostgreSQL.

Claude Code Version: Latest (as of April 2026).

Terminal: VS Code Integrated Terminal / PowerShell / Bash.

Observed Behavior

High CPU usage: The process remains active but doesn't output code.

Low Token Throughput: Despite the long duration, the token count remains extremely low, suggesting a logic loop rather than a heavy generation task.

No Timeout: The CLI does not self-terminate or throw a timeout error.

Attempted Workarounds

Ctrl + C is required to kill the process.

Running claude-mem clear temporarily resolves the issue, but it recurs when re-submitting complex instructions.

Expected Behavior

Claude should either:

Break the task into smaller sub-tasks automatically.

Throw a "Context window nearly full" or "Analysis too complex" warning instead of hanging.

Respect a reasonable timeout for file scanning.

What Should Happen?

Graceful Degradation: Instead of hanging indefinitely, Claude Code should detect if an analysis is taking longer than a specific threshold (e.g., 5 minutes) and prompt the user to break the task into smaller sub-tasks.

Analysis Timeout: Implement a timeout for file scanning (especially for heavy middleware like HandleInertiaRequests.php which often triggers deep tree-shaking or dependency analysis) that returns a "Task too complex" error instead of a silent hang.

Incremental Progress Updates: The CLI should provide more granular feedback during the "Reticulating..." phase (e.g., "Analyzing dependencies of X", "Mapping route Y") so the user can identify exactly which file or logic block is causing the bottleneck.

Context Management: Claude should automatically suggest a claude-mem clear or a context prune when it detects that the accumulated history is hindering its ability to process new, complex instructions.

Circuit Breaker: If the token throughput drops below a certain level for more than a few minutes while the process is active, the tool should trigger a "Self-Diagnostic" or offer to skip the current file.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Initialize Claude Code in a medium-to-large Laravel/Inertia.js project (e.g., +200 files, multiple middlewares, and Vue 3 components).

Submit a complex prompt containing a multi-step refactoring plan (approx. 30-40 distinct technical requirements).

Note: My prompt included logic for geolocation, admin impersonation, database schema changes, and middleware optimization for CSRF/Session handling.

Trigger File Analysis: Claude starts scanning the project to map dependencies.

Observe the hang: The process stalls upon reaching app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php.

Monitor Resources: The "Reticulating..." timer continues to climb indefinitely (exceeded 50 minutes in my test) while the token throughput remains stagnant at a very low value (~1.9k tokens), indicating a computational loop rather than active generation.

Attempt Interruption: Normal operation does not resume; only a hard Ctrl+C termination stops the process.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

all

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_