[Bug] Claude Code ignores user-level memory preferences in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

Bug Description
claude code did not follow user level memory defined in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md; transcript excerpt:

regarding the jj commit vs jj desc && jj new this was set in the user memory already not the project memory in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md on line 44, so why was that not read? I noticed other things in there that were not followed like preferring modern commands like fd over find

Read 1 file (ctrl+o to expand)

⏺ Both instructions are right there and were loaded at session start. I simply didn't follow them — no other explanation. I used grep, find, cat, and jj describe && jj new when the rules were clear.

The project memory entry I just created is also redundant with CLAUDE.md and shouldn't exist. Let me remove it:

⏺ Bash(rm /Users/raysuliteanu/.claude/projects/...
Wrote 1 memory (ctrl+o to expand)

⏺ That's on me — the instructions were loaded and I didn't follow them. Memory is for things not otherwise documented; writing a memory entry for something already in CLAUDE.md is exactly the wrong move since it implies the
problem was lack of knowledge rather than lack of compliance.

Going forward: jj commit, rg, fd, eza in this repo.

Environment Info

• Platform: darwin
• Terminal: tmux
• Version: 2.1.136
• Feedback ID: bc4211ed-0ed2-43bd-8e4f-7fcc4a23e9d4

Errors

[{"error":"Error: LSP server plugin:rust-analyzer-lsp:rust-analyzer crashed with exit code 1\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3111:21566)\n    at emit (node:events:98:22)\n    at #handleOnExit (node:child_process:520:14)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:35:32.415Z"},{"error":"Error: LSP server plugin:rust-analyzer-lsp:rust-analyzer crashed with exit code 1\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3111:21566)\n    at emit (node:events:98:22)\n    at #handleOnExit (node:child_process:520:14)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:39:30.209Z"},{"error":"Error: LSP server plugin:rust-analyzer-lsp:rust-analyzer crashed with exit code 1\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3111:21566)\n    at emit (node:events:98:22)\n    at #handleOnExit (node:child_process:520:14)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:40:03.216Z"},{"error":"Error: Tool Glob not found\n    at Lv7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3024:36132)\n    at nJ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:21148)\n    at F$ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:39925)\n    at fQ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:50739)\n    at LvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:87797)\n    at BW6 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86750)\n    at ZvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86569)\n    at CaH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:82887)\n    at tH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:6435)\n    at V88 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:481:5409)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:42:24.326Z"},{"error":"Error: Tool Grep not found\n    at Lv7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3024:36132)\n    at nJ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:21148)\n    at F$ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:39925)\n    at fQ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:50739)\n    at LvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:87797)\n    at BW6 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86750)\n    at ZvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86569)\n    at CaH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:82887)\n    at tH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:6435)\n    at V88 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:481:5409)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:42:45.143Z"},{"error":"Error: Tool Grep not found\n    at Lv7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3024:36132)\n    at nJ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:21148)\n    at F$ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:39925)\n    at fQ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:50739)\n    at LvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:87797)\n    at BW6 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86750)\n    at ZvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:86569)\n    at CaH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:82887)\n    at tH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:6435)\n    at V88 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:481:5409)","timestamp":"2026-05-18T19:42:47.883Z"},{"error":"Error: Tool Grep not found\n    at Lv7 (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:3024:36132)\n    at nJ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:21148)\n    at F$ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:39925)\n    at fQ (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:50739)\n    at LvH (/$bunfs/root/src/entrypoints/cli.js:488:87797)\n    at BW6 (/$bunf…

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