Remove or make configurable the "task tools haven't been used recently" reminder
Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened May 18, 2026 by zackgomez Closed May 22, 2026
The Claude Code harness injects a system-reminder nudging use of TaskCreate when task tools haven't been used "recently." After many sessions I've never seen it produce value — it fires on tiny, already-complete tasks (e.g., a 3-edit memory file update) where a todo list would be pure overhead, and it fires on turns where the work is already finished. The reminder text even acknowledges "ignore if not applicable" — which is a tell that the heuristic is firing wrong.
Two costs:
- Tokens — every fire bloats the context.
- My time — I have to read Claude wrestle with whether to acknowledge it, defend not using the task tool, or apologetically explain why a 3-line edit didn't need a todo list. That's pure noise in the transcript.
Asks, any of which would fix it:
- Remove the reminder entirely. The model already uses
TaskCreatewhen it's useful. - Expose a setting to disable it (e.g.,
disableTaskReminder: trueinsettings.json). - Tune the heuristic so it doesn't fire on short turns, or on turns where the user's request is already done.
Right now it's net-negative on every session I run.
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