[BUG] `/doctor` check 8 always proposes `defaultMode: "auto"`, which is already the built-in default on v2.1.283+

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?

On v2.1.283 or later, auto is the built-in starting permission mode for terminal and VS Code sessions (docs). Even so, /doctor check 8 proposes adding "permissions": {"defaultMode": "auto"} to ~/.claude/settings.json whenever no settings file sets defaultMode explicitly. On these versions the proposed edit changes nothing, yet /doctor presents it as a permission change and asks the user to approve it. The proposal comes back on every run until the redundant key is written.

The check also ignores the launch flags. If the user always starts sessions with --dangerously-skip-permissions or --permission-mode, the flag takes precedence over defaultMode, so the setting would have no effect even on older versions.

What Should Happen?

Check 8 treats the built-in auto default (v2.1.283+, when no disableAutoMode is set) as healthy and proposes nothing. Ideally it also notes when every recent session started through a CLI flag, since defaultMode doesn't apply then.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Claude Code 2.1.286 on native Windows. No defaultMode and no disableAutoMode in any settings file, no managed policy.
2. Run /doctor.
3. Check 8 reports that auto mode is not the default and proposes adding defaultMode: "auto".

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.286 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Windows Terminal

Additional Information

_No response_