[DOCS] Amazon Bedrock authentication docs omit the Windows AWS credential-resolution stall guard
Documentation Type
Missing documentation (feature not documented)
Documentation Location
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/amazon-bedrock
Section/Topic
The AWS credential-chain and advanced credential configuration sections, especially behavior when credential_process or another AWS credential provider stalls on Windows.
Current Documentation
The Amazon Bedrock page currently says:
“Claude Code uses the default AWS SDK credential chain.”
It documents awsAuthRefresh and awsCredentialExport, including:
“awsAuthRefresh: runs only when Claude Code detects that your AWS credentials are expired, either locally based on their timestamp or when the API returns a credential error, then retries the request with refreshed credentials.”
The page does not state how long Claude Code waits when the underlying AWS credential resolution itself stalls, including a stalled credential_process on Windows.
What's Wrong or Missing?
Claude Code v2.1.207 added a 60-second stall guard for Windows AWS credential resolution so a stuck credential_process no longer causes an indefinite hang. Users configuring SSO, external credential processes, or corporate credential providers need to know that a stalled provider will eventually fail with a bounded diagnostic rather than waiting forever.
The current documentation explains credential refresh after credentials are expired, but not the separate failure mode in which the AWS SDK credential chain cannot return at all. This makes a timeout look like an unexplained Claude Code failure and gives users no guidance to inspect or fix the stalled provider.
Suggested Improvement
Add a Windows troubleshooting note to the Amazon Bedrock authentication section explaining that AWS credential resolution has a 60-second stall guard. Mention credential_process as an example of a provider that can stall, and distinguish this timeout from an ordinary expired-credentials error or from the separate behavior of a configured refresh command.
Link the note to guidance for checking the configured AWS profile and running the credential command independently. State what diagnostic Claude Code emits after the guard fires so users can identify the credential provider as the cause.
Impact
Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand
Additional Context
Affected Pages:
| Page | Context |
|------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/amazon-bedrock | AWS credential chain and awsAuthRefresh / awsCredentialExport behavior |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/troubleshoot-install | General provider-authentication troubleshooting entry point |
Total scope: 2 pages affected
Source: Claude Code v2.1.207
Fixed an indefinite hang on Windows when AWS credential resolution stalls (e.g., a stuck credential_process): the 60-second stall guard now fires instead of waiting forever.