Switching to a smaller model
Claude Code v2.1.301: switching to a smaller model now summarizes your long conversation first
When you switch to a model with a smaller context window
- Too long for the new model
- the previous model summarizes the conversation first
- Usage credits
- Claude Code asks before spending them on that summary
Switch Claude Code to a model with a smaller context window, and a conversation too long for it is now summarized by the previous model first. Claude Code asks before spending usage credits on that summary.
Quitting keeps hook worktrees
>Quitting now asks before removing a worktree that may hold unpushed commits
- Which worktrees
- ones a WorktreeCreate hook made
- Before
- quitting removed them without asking
If a WorktreeCreate hook made your worktree, quitting Claude Code could remove it without asking, unpushed commits and all. Claude Code now asks before it removes that worktree.
The fable alias falls back
>The fable model alias falls back when your organization lacks the newest Fable model
- Aliases
- fable and best
- Anthropic API
- Claude Code retries once on the previous Fable model instead of erroring
The fable and best model aliases stop erroring on the Anthropic API when your organization can't use the newest Fable model. Claude Code retries once on the previous Fable model.
Retry mode and usage limits
>Unattended retry mode can stop waiting on a usage limit that resets too far away
CLAUDE_CODE_RETRY_WATCHDOG_MAX_USAGE_LIMIT_WAIT_MS
- Applies to
- CLAUDE_CODE_RETRY_WATCHDOG, the unattended retry mode
- Limit resets too far away
- the request ends instead of waiting
Claude Code's unattended retry mode gets a new setting for usage limits. When a limit resets too far away, the request ends instead of waiting for the reset.
Vim mode
>Vim mode jumps to the matching bracket with %
- %
- alone, or with d, c or y
- Esc
- no longer leaves you in INSERT on a slow or busy machine
- AskUserQuestion
- the typed answer gets NORMAL mode; Esc cancels only from NORMAL
In Claude Code's vim mode, the percent key jumps to the matching bracket, alone or with delete, change or yank. And Escape stops leaving you in insert mode on a slow or busy machine.
VS Code renders math
>VS Code renders LaTeX math in Claude’s responses
- Blocks
- $$ … $$ and multi-line \[ … \]
- Inline
- $ … $ and \( … \)
- Pro and Max
- a “Get more usage” link on the usage-limit banner, in VS Code and JetBrains
The Claude Code extension for VS Code now renders LaTeX math in Claude's responses, as blocks and inline. On Pro and Max plans, the usage-limit banner gets a link to more usage, in JetBrains too.
Fixes you may have hit
>Fixed: silent search failures, binary files as text, repeated compaction
- Grep and Glob
- a search that fails returns an error, not an empty result
- Read
- .xlsm, .parquet, .epub and .heic files are no longer treated as text
- LLM gateways
- no more compacting over and over on a model you didn’t pick
Grep and Glob now report a failed search as an error. The Read tool stops treating spreadsheets and photos as text. And behind an LLM gateway, conversations stop compacting over and over.
The full changelog
Every change is in the Claude Code changelog
https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
The Claude Code changelog on GitHub has the rest, including OpenTelemetry fields for auto mode decisions and new options for mods.
