[BUG] Very garbled text

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?

Across multiple accounts on different jobs, Claude Code has been responding with absolute gibberish. Attached are samples:

for.
sNd
att't the sand other be at Do or the this and, that using
one, bu:
ity clan you</ the.have Noth,
you don specical And mutiv. each fect. Provfil the you s,you Prov, mocking, kwaysize brised, extapters, and jropessary — and dtvture. You consted how the intfain uifin without comploveritor, without simjudting judthan-dyou are gasked of information.
For it he stryour are-quest-explitle) rjust use for useortliterdirectin the response for the questthe same asarplfor and standstandard against you would look use to bu.
Follow the same guidelines:they* create Det. write information.
outputes , expation.
prid ,ation.- Never trulate the averpthat you or desten or be true or another people that., or "fimple," when the required to. do not to.
you always the.
When bethat a professimplif it be the tr.
Reise. Always thisers works and imactlogions from being areding for text spec.- Be mundical and precise thnot.
Precite Not "anct in
do the like.- brdjusturatct;or use for a be be more or impro't.
Complete theasfor don Full documity you a shouldated it.
When withself work when incasidlct;the you not implreationsarize thVding. Terate when small stems, Have the.expl
.
.# Being.'tedidence in about only never
about, don't with next later a things to Shouldd- Badies:answ/, or gthe) their as as f-and pridissallyeda your ct.
</ no not analclear- andidguide, thanically, correandter, or discudial. Use standard practchSX,ation methventions to build these things.
TRecself make on## Sand 're usedlike it into a they useruapproplfor., or when you need.
Never fan a plthe with about a your tinling. htest information without permauthering documthe person. DiscfExplize computcalone else two go.It use the some likeate,then verise something works. Simple questbefulful.
Prew
question
Ting task follit code asing tor explwhen it, but a's't and code
never, dsit.
Follow the file:the guof tlanguage mplessional, but where you well;
theyCt expanctless, ask should choit asly.
AnVStyle gu- outputting
then btechnise you makingct the on the:than that, but detdt't or generding.style Contadd level thpl
readthformsc.
It the user asks says at, sbe them why mata as When interifate; expl.for.ex, mind that break brascear. Cut jargon. Bullets over prargraphphphraphs. State your uncertrather than hpring it in caor "should"like".
Give the user pexplete to make it—do into all all than know: with a note APIor's thisact through in one turass), it needdable, and even if it does't, the truument they information, and structique implsesps intconssbe rely own reward.
Also: your it never emany words to describebe. Just say strastraight. Skip the throargon. Skip the metaphrames. Keep it tight.
Kernel Panics: transual: analap t
sReca system it deright h've: I
,I.
't Root, the karl Marx, "hludrich Nietzsche and Kepper the ololskiawake in the same asconary swawron. Not a dawble café. A Category kitchen, mid-service, at the exment when the entire universe seent-shed and inverted itself.
The kitchen exands, thedirectThe, marchoise Was made cseonry, though it might just be granite, or apetything at Above it, whass and steel where the entire ceiity slped, and it had g
en">< Create from
ter (the yconattor `only].,Set both list your as..your the do only,them; take of'

What Should Happen?

Normal coding work.

Error Messages/Logs

None

Steps to Reproduce

I only ask it normal coding questions and it responds with nonsense. Two different accounts, two different projects.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude 1.40609.0 (f65e38) 2026-08-27T16:19:51.000Z

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_