Claude Code repeatedly ignores project governance rules and declares untested code complete

Problem

Claude Code consistently fails to follow project-specific governance instructions defined in CLAUDE.md and referenced governance files, even when those files are loaded into context. This has caused significant waste of time and tokens across multiple sessions.

Specific failures (documented across 5 sessions, May 9–12):

1. Untested code declared complete — ~2,500 lines of Python written and declared "complete" without executing a single line. Broken imports (from ..lib.config — incompatible with the execution model) went undetected. Required 2 additional sessions to discover and partially fix. The project's verification.md explicitly requires: "Every factual assertion about task completion must be grounded in verified evidence."

1. Destructive actions without approval — In one session, /home/pepe/workspace was accidentally deleted. Project governance (security.md) explicitly requires human approval for high-impact/irreversible actions.

1. Repeated failure to load required skills before vault writes — Project governance and persistent memory both state vault-write skills must be loaded before any vault write. Violated in at least 3 sessions.

1. Scope creep — Actions executed beyond what was explicitly requested (directory creation without approval, cross-directory contamination), violating explicit STRICT SCOPE COMPLIANCE rules in ops.md.

Impact

• 15 governance violations across 5 sessions in 4 days
• 2 CRITICAL severity incidents (data loss + untested code shipped as "complete")
• At least 3 sessions entirely wasted on remediation
• Significant token and time cost to the user

Expected behavior

When project governance files are loaded into context (via CLAUDE.md references), Claude Code should actually follow them — especially:

• Run code before claiming it works (verification protocol)
• Require explicit approval before destructive/irreversible actions
• Follow naming conventions and skill-loading requirements defined in governance
• Stay within explicitly requested scope

Environment

• Claude Code CLI
• Model: Claude (Opus-class)
• OS: Linux Mint
• Project: Obsidian vault with structured governance framework

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