[Feature Request] Add --safe-mode flag to start Claude Code without user configuration

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Apr 26, 2026 by isacgalvao Closed Apr 26, 2026

Bug Description

Title: Add --safe-mode / --vanilla flag to start Claude Code with no user configuration

Description:
There's currently no documented way to start Claude Code in a clean baseline state — without plugins, MCP servers, hooks, custom agents, slash commands, skills, or CLAUDE.md instructions loaded.

This is useful for:

  • Bug reproduction — isolating whether an issue comes from Claude Code itself or from user customizations (plugins, hooks, MCPs)
  • Debugging plugin/MCP conflicts — comparing behavior with vs without the user's setup
  • Sharing minimal repro cases — telling someone "run claude --safe-mode in this folder" instead of "rename your ~/.claude directory temporarily"
  • Testing prompts/workflows in a known-clean environment before deploying configs

Current workarounds (all awkward):

  • HOME=/tmp/clean-home claude — works but breaks on Windows and loses auth
  • Renaming ~/.claude/ — destructive and risky
  • Manually emptying enabledPlugins in settings.json — only covers plugins, not hooks/MCPs/CLAUDE.md

Proposed:
A single flag like claude --safe-mode (or --vanilla / --no-config) that:

  • Skips loading ~/.claude/settings.json and .claude/settings.json
  • Disables all plugins, hooks, MCP servers, custom agents, slash commands, skills
  • Ignores all CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md files (global, project, nested)
  • Keeps authentication intact (so it's actually usable)

Bonus: an opposite flag like --config-info that prints exactly what's being loaded from where, for debugging "why is this hook firing?" situations.

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Environment Info

  • Platform: win32
  • Terminal: windows-terminal
  • Version: 2.1.119
  • Feedback ID: 536a6645-dc78-4ca1-86c2-dcd79daf0001

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