Claude Code v2.1.296

Released Oct 9, 2026 (5 days ago).

⚠ Elevated report volume. This build drew 471 issue reports — more than double the typical release (156 median). That can mean a regression, or simply that many users happened to be on this build. Skim the reports below before deciding to upgrade.
471 issues reference this build
451 still open
20 resolved (4%)

"References this build" means the issue body mentions running 2.1.296 (from the bug-report template). It reflects report volume, not a proven defect count — an issue may mention a version without being caused by it. First-party data from the anthropics/claude-code tracker.

Top issues reported on v2.1.296

Ranked by community engagement (reactions and comments).

Changelog

What's changed

  • Added a code key to the Claude apps gateway's managed.policies[]: the same settings as cli, also applied in Claude Desktop's Code tab; beside desktop, it turns on Claude Desktop's gateway mode
  • Added autoCompactWindow to subagent frontmatter and --agents definitions, so a subagent can auto-compact earlier than the main conversation's window
  • Added CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL to run every workflow agent on one model while other subagents keep theirs
  • Added CLAUDE_CODE_OVERLOADED_RETRY_MAX_DELAY_MS environment variable to set a longer maximum delay for the backoff when retrying an overloaded (529) request
  • Added a note in /plugin on a plugin whose hooks are left out because another enabled plugin has the same name
  • Added an allow_large option to the Read tool so Claude can read a text file past the usual size limits in one call when it needs the whole file and the context has room
  • Fixed managed-settings PreToolUse hooks that deny a tool call with "continue": false, and managed prompt hooks that block one, refusing the call but not ending the turn
  • Fixed PostToolUse hooks in managed settings not applying updatedMCPToolOutput in some sessions
  • Fixed headless sessions starting a folder's .mcp.json or plugin MCP server that was switched off for that folder, after changing directory or reloading plugins
  • Fixed a Claude apps gateway that serves allowedProviders with "gateway" locking out laptops that name that gateway in user settings
  • Fixed a saved Claude apps gateway sign-in being ignored on machines whose managed settings set forceLoginMethod to gateway with no forceLoginGatewayUrl (regression in 2.1.295)
  • Fixed --teleport opening an empty conversation when the session's history could not be read
  • Fixed token counts for Haiku 5.5 and other models that take only adaptive thinking, which failed behind some gateways and were counted with budget thinking elsewhere
  • Fixed resumed subagents being told that the user rejected a tool call that a session shutdown had interrupted
  • Fixed hook output being altered when it contained text resembling a plugin hint tag
  • Fixed secret redaction in shared transcripts and debug logs missing some values that follow a key with no value, including in JSON written inside a shell string
  • Fixed a stray 52;c;… escape sequence printed on screen after copying in older VTE-based terminals such as MATE Terminal
  • Fixed toasts and notifications waiting unseen for as long as the /diff panel or dialog was open
  • Fixed Esc or an interrupt during a UserPromptSubmit hook or a mod's prompt.submit hook ending headless sessions, clearing the typed prompt, or letting the unchecked prompt through
  • Fixed SessionStart hooks of a plugin loaded after a headless session starts being skipped when a different plugin with the same name, or another spelling of it, had already run
  • Fixed claude self-hosted-runner printing misleading errors when registration is refused: it now names the org admin setting, or says a restarted on-demand runner needs a fresh work order
  • Fixed a self-hosted runner session's git fetch, pull and push failing while another session of the same repository starts on a runner with --capacity above 1
  • Fixed workflow scripts silently truncating results, agent options and other values nested deeper than about 20,000 levels, and deeply nested results writing huge task output files
  • Fixed a plugin's served $ methods running in the main session's working directory instead of the calling agent's, and ignoring the turn their calling hook holds
  • Fixed $.agent.register succeeding from a mod's hook that was still running after the mod was reloaded or removed; the call is now refused
  • Fixed $.http.fetch in mods refusing a HEAD request when the response declares a Content-Length over the 4 MiB body limit
  • Fixed claude plugin marketplace add, marketplace update and plugin install failing with an internal