[BUG] Claude Code freezes on ESC usage to clear text

Status Fixed / completed
Maintainer reply ✓ Yes — hackyon-anthropic
Activity 9 comments · opened Oct 3, 2025 · closed Oct 4, 2025
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (hackyon-anthropic, collaborator) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

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

In Claude Code version 2.0, pressing double Escape freezes the input field. Once this happens, no further typing is possible.

Current Behavior

  • Pressing double Escape locks the input field.
  • The only action available is pressing Enter, which submits the current content.
  • After submission, pressing Escape interrupts Claude Code, but the input remains unusable.
  • At this point, no further input is possible - not even pressing Enter.

What Should Happen?

Clear the input or trigger other appropriate action, but no freeze.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open Claude Code version 2.0.
  2. Type some text into the input field.
  3. Press Escape twice quickly.

Result: Input freezes and becomes unusable.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

1.*

Claude Code Version

2.0.5

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

Using Git Bash as terminal

View original on GitHub ↗

9 Comments

github-actions[bot] · 11 months ago

Found 2 possible duplicate issues:

  1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/4805
  2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/1054

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

  • If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
  • To prevent auto-closure, add a comment or 👎 this comment

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

hackyon-anthropic collaborator · 11 months ago

hey @mathiaswillburger - any chance you can upload a quick repro video of this? this is the first report we're receiving of this, so wanted to get some additional clues as to what may be causing this

mathiaswillburger · 11 months ago

@hackyon-anthropic It's pretty hard to share a video of a Claude window where nothing happens after typing ;-)
What I can add is that the keyboard behavior changes right after pressing Escape (even on the first press). This behavior does not occur in the regular Git Bash terminal or the Windows Console — only within Claude Code.

When I press ESC, the --- INSERT --- indicator in the lower-left corner disappears. After that:

  • H acts like a back arrow
  • J jumps to the end of the text
  • U removes text

It feels similar to switching into some kind of Vim-like mode, but it happens unpredictably and only after hitting Escape.

hackyon-anthropic collaborator · 11 months ago

@mathiaswillburger sounds like you have vim mode toggled. You can run the /vim command to toggle it back

hackyon-anthropic collaborator · 11 months ago

Give that a try, and see if you still run into issue. Closing this one for now.

mathiaswillburger · 11 months ago

@hackyon-anthropic How can i toggle entering a command if i cannot enter anything?

hackyon-anthropic collaborator · 11 months ago

@mathiaswillburger your bug report states that it only "freezes" when you press esc. can't you just enter /vim without pressing escape?

mathiaswillburger · 11 months ago

@hackyon-anthropic Sorry, my mistake! It seems I really was switched into Vim mode somehow — probably during the upgrade or by accident — even though I never intentionally enabled it. After switching back, everything works as usual, and the --- INSERT --- indicator at the bottom is gone. Thanks a lot for your help!

github-actions[bot] · 10 months ago

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.