Invalid API key · Fix external API key

Bug Description
Claude is stuck in API billing mode even though there is no API env variable set and I have linked claude code to my pro max account successfully

Environment Info

• Platform: darwin
• Terminal: iTerm.app
• Version: 2.0.20
• Feedback ID:

Errors

[{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgWE2fdbDGiPKTUQTwy\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:20.395Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgWEjLRjNADu5mxAaDG\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:20.532Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgWFLJ9vhxu4yndaVXV\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:20.685Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgWFyzR6jLnJPMbr6SH\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:20.828Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgWHtau4nGTQasDjTn4\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:21.270Z"},{"error":"Error\n    at BM (/$bunfs/root/claude:27:1142)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:32:9841)\n    at emit (node:events:92:22)\n    at endReadableNT (internal:streams/readable:862:50)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)\n    at request (/$bunfs/root/claude:34:2146)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:40:21.345Z"},{"error":"Error\n    at BM (/$bunfs/root/claude:27:1142)\n    at <anonymous> (/$bunfs/root/claude:32:9841)\n    at emit (node:events:92:22)\n    at endReadableNT (internal:streams/readable:862:50)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)\n    at request (/$bunfs/root/claude:34:2146)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:41:00.437Z"},{"error":"Error: 401 {\"type\":\"error\",\"error\":{\"type\":\"authentication_error\",\"message\":\"invalid x-api-key\"},\"request_id\":\"req_011CUBgZBNWMSJZRbJ46YKUy\"}\n    at generate (/$bunfs/root/claude:199:83061)\n    at makeRequest (/$bunfs/root/claude:353:5345)\n    at processTicksAndRejections (native:7:39)","timestamp":"2025-10-16T22:41:00.449Z"}]

Claude location: /Users/shaperosteve/.local/bin/claude

 Diagnostics
 └ Currently running: native (2.0.21)
 └ Path: /Users/shaperosteve/.local/bin/claude
 └ Invoked: /Users/shaperosteve/.local/share/claude/versions/2.0.21
 └ Config install method: native
 └ Auto-updates enabled: false
 └ Search: OK (bundled)

 ▐▛███▜▌   Claude Code v2.0.21
▝▜█████▛▘  Sonnet 4.5 · API Usage Billing
  ▘▘ ▝▝    /Users/shaperosteve/social-media-app`

I have gone through 3-4 posts with similar problems and tried everything. Re-installing Claude locally, re-installing with latest version 2.0.21. I tried all the OAuth stuff found here https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/9403. Absolutely nothing is working. OAuth etc is not my area of expertise.

Here's some stuff I gathered from reading other posts:

```security unlock-keychain ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db security find-generic-password -s "Claude Code-credentials" -w {"claudeAiOauth":{"accessToken":"sk-ant...

security find-generic-password -s "Claude Code" -w security: SecKeychainSearchCopyNext: The specified item could not be found in the keychain.

which claude: /Users/shaperosteve/.local/bin/claude

So everytime I run claude, I do /login, the login authenticates successfully, and then I get the "Invalid API key · Fix external API key" message.