[DOCS] [Environment] Missing `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN` env var documentation for opting out of fullscreen rendering
Documentation Type
Missing documentation (feature not documented)
Documentation Location
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/fullscreen
Section/Topic
"Enabling fullscreen rendering" section or a new "Disabling fullscreen rendering" section
Current Documentation
The fullscreen page documents two environment variables related to the alt-screen renderer:
You can also set theCLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKERenvironment variable before starting Claude Code: ``bash theme={null} CLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER=1 claude``
And disabling mouse capture while keeping fullscreen rendering:
If you rely on native selection all the time, setCLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_MOUSE=1to opt out of mouse capture while keeping the flicker-free rendering and flat memory: ``bash theme={null} CLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER=1 CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_MOUSE=1 claude``
There is no documentation for an env var to do the reverse: opt out of the fullscreen alternate-screen renderer entirely and keep the conversation in the terminal's native scrollback.
What's Wrong or Missing?
The changelog for v2.1.132 added CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1 to let users opt out of the fullscreen alternate-screen renderer and keep the conversation in the terminal's native scrollback. This env var is not mentioned anywhere in the documentation.
Users who want to start Claude Code without fullscreen rendering have no documented environment-variable-based way to do so.
Suggested Improvement
Add documentation for CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1 on both the fullscreen page and the env-vars reference.
For example, add a new "Disabling fullscreen rendering" subsection near the bottom of the fullscreen page where it already says:
To turn fullscreen rendering off, run /tui default, or unset the environment variable if you enabled it that way.
The documentation should note:
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1opts out of the alternate-screen renderer and keeps conversation output in the terminal's native scrollback- This is useful for environments where users prefer native terminal scrollback
- The env-vars reference should list it alongside
CLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER
Example addition:
```bash theme={null}
Disable fullscreen rendering and keep conversation in native scrollback
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1 claude
### Impact
Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand
### Additional Context
**Affected Pages:**
| Page | Context |
|------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/fullscreen | Primary documentation - missing `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN` env var |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/env-vars | Environment variables reference does not list the new variable |
**Total scope:** 2 pages affected
The changelog entry for v2.1.132 reads:
> Added `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1` env var to opt out of the fullscreen alternate-screen renderer and keep the conversation in the terminal's native scrollback
3 Comments
Found 2 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
Issue #56881 Verification
Title: [DOCS] [Environment] Missing
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREENenv var documentation for opting out of fullscreen renderingIssue Date: 2026-05-07
Verification Date: 2026-05-17
Status: RESOLVED
---
Issue Summary
This issue reports that the Claude Code docs did not document
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1on the fullscreen page or in the environment variables reference, leaving the changelog as the only documented source for opting out of fullscreen alternate-screen rendering.---
Verification Results
Claim 1: The fullscreen page does not document
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1for disabling fullscreen renderingStatus: RESOLVED
At https://code.claude.com/docs/en/fullscreen, line 169:
Verdict: The fullscreen documentation now explicitly documents the environment variable, its effect, and the native scrollback behavior.
---
Claim 2: The environment variables reference does not list
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREENStatus: RESOLVED
At https://code.claude.com/docs/en/env-vars, line 77:
At https://code.claude.com/docs/en/env-vars, line 129:
Verdict: The env-vars reference now lists
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREENand places it alongside the related fullscreen-rendering variableCLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER.---
Current State
| Claim | Status |
|-------|--------|
| The fullscreen page documents
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1for disabling fullscreen rendering | RESOLVED || The environment variables reference lists
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREENalongside related fullscreen variables | RESOLVED |---
Suggested Fix
N/A - issue has been resolved.
---
References
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1, explains that it forces the classic renderer, and states that conversation stays in native scrollback.CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREENin the environment variables reference, including precedence and/tui defaultbehavior.CLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER, confirming the reference now covers both fullscreen opt-in and opt-out environment variables.---
Conclusion & Recommendation
Primary Concern: The docs did not document the environment-variable-based way to opt out of fullscreen alternate-screen rendering.
Resolution Status: RESOLVED
Recommendation: CLOSE
The current docs mirror now documents
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ALTERNATE_SCREEN=1on both affected pages and explains that it keeps the conversation in the terminal's native scrollback. The reported documentation gap is no longer present.---
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