Edit tool returns '[Tool result missing due to internal error]' — silent freeze, no retry possible
Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened May 10, 2026 by Jakobholmelundtackmann Closed May 14, 2026
Description
The Edit tool intermittently returns [Tool result missing due to internal error] with no further detail. When this happens, the assistant retries the same Edit call, which fails again identically — causing a ~30-minute freeze per retry as the user waits.
Reproduction
- File: a regular
.mdfile (~4.4KB, not a symlink) - Edit: replacing ~5 lines of content (well within normal limits)
- The exact same change applied via the Write tool succeeds instantly
- No PreToolUse hook blocked it (edit-size-guard passed; a hook block would show a reason, not "internal error")
- File was open in VS Code IDE at the time (may or may not be relevant)
- Observed twice in sequence on the same file in one session
Environment
- Claude Code CLI on Linux (Pop!_OS / Ubuntu-based)
- Model: claude-opus-4-6 (1M context)
- File contained markdown with template syntax (
[placeholder]patterns) inside a fenced code block
Workaround
PostToolUse(Edit) hook that detects the error string and injects a systemMessage telling the assistant to fall back to Write. Works, but shouldn't be necessary.
Expected behavior
Edit should either succeed or return a diagnostic error. "Internal error" with no detail and no recovery path is the worst outcome — the assistant has no signal to change strategy and loops.
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