Claude Code 2.1.193: Auto mode and background agents cleaned up without ghost

Release notes

FEATURE

Auto mode and background agents cleaned up without ghost tasks

Auto mode and background tasks just got a lot smarter. When auto mode denies an action, it now explicitly lists the reason in the transcript and permissions panel; you can also opt to route all terminal commands through the safety classifier instead of just specific code-execution patterns. For background agents, launching one no longer instructs the main AI to "end your response"—it can keep working on other things while the agent runs in parallel. We also added an automatic memory-pressure reaping system that sweeps up idle background shells to save resources. Moreover, several annoying bugs are squashed: sending tasks to the background no longer spooks you with false "tasks would be abandoned" warnings, nor does it spawn a phantom subagent that re-runs your entire conversation, and the agent panel won't erroneously hide sibling agents anymore. It's like hiring a savvy butler: previously, he just shook his head without explaining why you couldn't do something, and told you to stop talking while he dispatched chores; now he explains his logic, listens to you while delegating tasks, and remembers to turn off the lights in empty rooms to save power.

FEATURE

Smarter MCP and plugin settings, plus path autocomplete in bash

Interacting with external systems is significantly smoother. When using bash mode (starting with !), you now get live auto-complete for file paths so you don't have to manually type out long directories. If your MCP (external tool server) requires authentication, the app now clearly notifies you at startup to check /mcp; and if a tool call gets rejected with an auth error (401/403), the helper will now automatically reconnect and retry instead of immediately failing. Additionally, if a marketplace plugin changes its name, your settings will automatically update to follow suit. The /model menu and other data-gated UI elements will also no longer show stale or empty states right after you log in. It's like having a smart assistant who finishes your sentences, automatically swiping their badge again if the security door doesn't open the first time, keeping your address book updated when contacts change their names, and ensuring your rolodex is always perfectly current.

FEATURE

Enterprise logs upgraded to record AI response content

Enterprise admins now have a more transparent monitoring tool. The system added a new OpenTelemetry (a standard logging framework) event that specifically captures Claude's response text. If your deployment was already configured to log user prompts, the upgrade will seamlessly start logging the AI's answers as well, giving you full visibility into what the AI actually produced. Naturally, if you have privacy or security concerns, you can explicitly set a variable (OTEL_LOG_ASSISTANT_RESPONSES=0) to disable this and keep the logs strictly prompts-only. It's like a company security camera that previously only recorded employees speaking into an intercom; now it records the voice coming back from the other side too, though you always have the switch to mute the speaker if needed.

Original changelog

Original changelogAuto mode and background agents cleaned up without ghost tasks

Added `autoMode.classifyAllShell` setting to route all Bash/PowerShell commands through the auto-mode classifier instead of only arbitrary-code-execution patterns
Added auto-mode denial reasons to the transcript, the denial toast, and `/permissions` recent denials
Improved background agents: the launch result no longer instructs Claude to "end your response" — it keeps working on other tasks while the agent runs
Added automatic memory-pressure reaping for idle background shell commands (disable with `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BG_SHELL_PRESSURE_REAP=1`)
Fixed backgrounding (←←) spuriously cancelling with "N background tasks would be abandoned" when all running tasks carry over to the new session
Fixed pinned background agents being re-prompted to "Continue from where you left off" after every auto-update
Fixed backgrounding the main turn spawning a phantom "general-purpose (resumed)" subagent that re-ran the main conversation
Fixed agent panel hiding sibling agents when viewing a subagent

Original changelogSmarter MCP and plugin settings, plus path autocomplete in bash

Added live file path autocomplete to bash mode (`!`)
Added a startup notice when MCP servers need authentication, pointing at `/mcp`
Improved MCP `headersHelper` auth: the helper now re-runs and reconnects automatically when a tool call returns 401/403
Improved plugin auto-rename: marketplace `renames` maps are now followed automatically, updating your settings to the new name
Improved `/add-dir` message when the directory is already a working directory
Fixed `/model` and other client-data-gated UI showing stale/empty state immediately after `/login`

Original changelogEnterprise logs upgraded to record AI response content

Added `claude_code.assistant_response` OpenTelemetry log event containing the model's response text. Redacted unless `OTEL_LOG_ASSISTANT_RESPONSES=1`; when that var is unset it follows `OTEL_LOG_USER_PROMPTS`, so deployments that already log prompt content will start receiving response content on upgrade — set `OTEL_LOG_ASSISTANT_RESPONSES=0` to keep prompts-only.