[Bug] Anthropic API Error: Usage credits required for 1M context with 1M context disabled

<img width="1069" height="73" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/55080b0e-4814-4359-9072-3defc5a8ff02" />

Started happening a few hours ago.

Same issue since 8 hours ago. even /compact does not work. It seems we cannot select the model unless use money

Same issue, Not able to use Claude Code now. My 5 hour window reset happened and just after 5 minutes boom it's 100% used again with the above errors poping up again and again. I see many such issues but no response.

I have plenty of usage, but I get the 1M error and the only way to fix it is to add money.

guys you are taking money for this feature, and this is really something you should have put more QA effort into. It is not OK to just silently enable large context option and then people not being able to disable it and actually required to pay more money for it to work.

I did manual context compacting, and it worked again

Reproducing this on Claude Desktop dispatch / scheduled tasks, and CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT does not resolve it for long-running sessions.

Environment:

• Claude Code 2.1.156, Claude Desktop on Windows 11
• Plan: Max subscription (no API key), usage credits disabled
• Model the desktop app launches dispatch with: --model claude-opus-4-8[1m]

Error (429): {"type":"error","error":{"type":"rate_limit_error","message":"Usage credits are required for long context requests."}}
Request IDs: req_011CbcpLhDpqcsUYkdzmeCDP, req_011CbcpUBKDE9HH6djQjN2hW

What I found:

• Setting CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1 (both in ~/.claude/settings.json env block and as a user env var) DOES fix short one-shot headless calls — claude -p --model "claude-opus-4-8[1m]" returns normally at the standard tier with credits off.
• But dispatched / scheduled-task sessions still 429 with the same message, occurring once a session has run a while — consistent with the auto-compaction path described in this issue. The disable flag does not appear to cover the compaction request.
• The desktop client also seems to advertise a ~1M context window by default (see #62314, effectiveWindow≈980000), pushing requests to the long-context tier regardless of actual size.

On Max, Opus 1M is documented as included without usage credits, so these requests should not be gated. Two asks: (1) make CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT force standard context on every code path including compaction/dispatch, and (2) fix the Max entitlement so the long-context tier is not wrongly gated behind credits.

I ave this exact same issue. However, I am experiencing this issue beyond just claude code

1. Launch claude desktop app (Mac OS, Claude 1.10628.0 (b4f860) 2026-06-02T05:48:19.000Z)
2. Log in with Max subscription
3. Scheduled tasks run no problem, but the instant I try to interact wiht them the error is triggered.
4. I've confirmed my usage is below 15% .

I'm experiencing a bug in Claude Cowork on the desktop app where I'm being blocked with a "You're out of usage credits" error, despite having usage credits disabled in my account settings and being nowhere near my usage limits (currently at only 16% of my session limit with 2 hours 45 minutes until reset).

The error message prompts me to "Buy more" credits, but usage credits are already turned off in my Usage settings at claude.ai/settings/usage. I've verified through my usage dashboard that I have substantial remaining capacity across all limits: 16% session usage, 2% weekly usage for all models, and 1% for Sonnet only.

I've attempted extensive troubleshooting including: disabling 1M context via the CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1 environment variable, restarting the desktop app multiple times, logging out and reauthenticating, and verifying my usage credits are disabled. None of these steps have resolved the false "out of usage credits" error.

The issue prevents me from continuing work in Cowork despite having a Claude Max subscription with plenty of remaining usage allocation. The model selector shows Sonnet 4.6, although the issue persists with Opus as well, and I'm unable to switch models or send messages due to this incorrect credit check blocking all functionality.

This appears to be a bug where the desktop app is incorrectly triggering usage credit validation even when credits are disabled and actual usage limits haven't been reached.

Same issue, Not able to use Claude Code now. Just purchased MAX 200. CLAUDE DESKTOP WIN11 (CODE tab)

Same issue here with Claude Cowork. I have Max suscription and I can't continue working on my task. Such a waste of money.

This has gotten pretty infuriating. There is no means to reach a human for customer support other than email and that has been a dead end so far. Has anyone here had any luck figuring out a solution and or a reliable way to contact Anthropic to get max entitlements corrected?

well, i realized it spent all my credit I had without my knowledge. I wouldn't have let it if it would notify me in advance if I want to do it. that's bad.

I fixed this by logging out and logging back in. Hopefully this helps you as well!