[BUG] Running token counter disappears on input focus and cannot be recalled
Prior closure note: This was previously filed as #55127, which was closed as a duplicate of #41811 by the automated bot. That was incorrect: #41811 and #34770 are both about the /usage command dialog auto-dismissing before the user can read it. This issue is about a separate UI element — the running token counter displayed during a response — disappearing when the user focuses the input field. Different element, different trigger, different fix.
Verified still present: v2.1.186 (current), macOS Desktop.
---
Describe the bug
The token counter displayed at the end of Claude's response disappears as soon as the user focuses the input field to type their next prompt. Once dismissed, it cannot be recovered — there is no way to see the token count for the just-completed turn without inspecting the raw JSONL session files under ~/.claude/projects/.
Expected behavior
The counter should persist while the input field is focused, or be accessible on demand (e.g., via the context window panel).
Actual behavior
Counter disappears on input focus. No recall path exists in the UI.
Impact
Users tracking consumption turn-by-turn have no reliable path through the UI. The only alternative is JSONL inspection, which is not viable for most users and is highly disruptive even for those who know the files exist.
Not a duplicate of
- #41811 —
/usagedialog that auto-closes immediately on invocation - #34770 — same
/usagedialog bug on Max plan - #31059, #49078, #42808 — feature requests for a persistent footer indicator (different ask: those want something new; this reports that an existing counter is lost during normal use)
Showing cached comments. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗
5 Comments
Found 1 possible duplicate issue:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
This bug is opened specifically because 55127 was improperly closed as a duplicate. It is NOT a duplicate of 41811 and never was.
Note on the automated duplicate flag above:
The bot has proposed closing this issue as a duplicate of #55127. #55127 is the original report — this issue (#70159) is an explicit refile of it, as stated in the opening paragraph.
The closure loop:
/usagecommand dialog, not the token counter)The 👎 reaction has been applied to prevent auto-closure. The bug remains present on v2.1.186.
The counter disappearing on focus is a real gap — especially for anyone tracking session budget turn by turn on a subscription plan.
While waiting for a UI fix:
cozempic current --diagnose(install:pip install cozempic) reads the session JSONL directly and prints an accurate per-category breakdown — tool outputs, thinking blocks, conversation turns — without having to hand-parse JSON records. It's not the inline per-turn view you want, but it's substantially less disruptive than raw JSONL inspection, and the numbers come from the actual turn records rather than the aggregate percentage CC sometimes rounds oddly.Worth mentioning: the per-category breakdown often surfaces where tokens actually accumulated, which can be useful if you're trying to understand whether a specific tool response or thinking block is inflating your context beyond what the UI gauge suggests.
Periodic verification — July 2026
Checked against Claude Code v2.1.216 (latest release as of 2026-07-21).
Reproduction test: Requires visual inspection of the running token counter in the CLI (it disappears on input focus and cannot be recalled) — cannot be automated. Reporter will verify on next manual check.
Release notes through v2.1.216: no mention of a fix to the token-counter behavior.
Automated verification comment — reporter (@blwfish) will close upon confirming resolved.