Docs: clarify whether /compact reloads user-level ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, not just project-root CLAUDE.md

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Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Sep 1, 2026

Title: Docs: clarify whether /compact reloads user-level ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, not just project-root CLAUDE.md

Summary

The troubleshooting/docs content around /compact explicitly states that
project-root CLAUDE.md is re-read after compaction. It does not say
anything about the user-level ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md — even though that
file is documented elsewhere as its own distinct scope, loaded alongside the
project-root file at session start via the same mechanism.

This leaves it unclear whether:

  • /compact also re-reads ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md from disk (picking up

mid-session edits), or

  • only project-root CLAUDE.md gets this treatment, and ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

is fixed to whatever was loaded at session start until a restart.

Why this should be documented

It's architecturally plausible both files are reloaded the same way, since
they're loaded through the same mechanism at session start — but that's an
assumption, not something the docs currently confirm. Anyone who wants to
rely on ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for standing instructions and needs to know
whether an edit takes effect after /compact (vs. requiring a session
restart) currently has to test it themselves rather than find it documented.

Suggested addition

A one-line clarification next to the existing "/compact re-reads
project-root CLAUDE.md" note, stating explicitly whether user-level
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md is included in that reload or not.

Environment

  • Claude Code CLI, VS Code extension context

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