[BUG] Usage credits required for 1M context" blocks all requests on Pro plan — first use of the day, quota available, Sonnet selected

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Bug Description

Claude Code Desktop app (macOS) blocks every request with the 1M context error on a fresh session, despite:

• Being the first use of the day (0% of session window consumed)
• Weekly quota showing significant capacity remaining
• Sonnet explicitly selected as the model (not Opus)
• Never requesting 1M context

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Claude Code Desktop app on macOS
2. Verify plan is Pro with available quota (session and weekly limits both with capacity)
3. Select claude-sonnet-4-6 as the model
4. Send any prompt on a fresh session
5. Error fires immediately before any processing occurs

Expected Behavior

Standard context window (200K) used by default on a fresh session. Pro plan should not require usage credits when quota is available and 1M context was never requested.

Actual Behavior

What Should Happen?

Bug Description

Claude Code Desktop app (macOS) blocks every request with the 1M context error on a fresh session, despite:

• Being the first use of the day (0% of session window consumed)
• Weekly quota showing significant capacity remaining
• Sonnet explicitly selected as the model (not Opus)
• Never requesting 1M context

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Claude Code Desktop app on macOS
2. Verify plan is Pro with available quota (session and weekly limits both with capacity)
3. Select claude-sonnet-4-6 as the model
4. Send any prompt on a fresh session
5. Error fires immediately before any processing occurs

Expected Behavior

Standard context window (200K) used by default on a fresh session. Pro plan should not require usage credits when quota is available and 1M context was never requested.

Actual Behavior

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Claude Code Desktop app on macOS (Code view, not Chat or Cowork)
2. Confirm Pro plan with available quota — session and weekly limits both show capacity remaining at claude.ai/settings
3. Select claude-sonnet-4-6 as the model in the model picker
4. Open a new session
5. Type any prompt (even a single word like "hello") and press Enter
6. Error fires immediately, before any response is generated

No specific files, code, or project context needed — the error occurs on a completely blank session with no files open and no prior context loaded.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.145

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

The error fires before model selection is processed. Switching models in the app has no effect.

Environment

• Platform: macOS
• Interface: Claude Code Desktop app
• Model selected: claude-sonnet-4-6
• Plan: Pro
• Session usage at time of error: ~0% (first use of day)
• Weekly usage at time of error: capacity available (confirmed in claude.ai/settings)

Notes

This appears to be a known regression. Related issues: #62063, #62199, #64398, #65205, #65514.

The app is routing to a 1M context model variant automatically with no way to override it from within the desktop interface. The workaround of setting CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1 via ~/.zshrc does not work in the desktop app as it ignores environment variables set outside the app.

Pro plan users should not be forced to purchase usage credits to perform standard tasks that fall well within their included quota.