Claude Code Shows Two Answers and Asks Which Is Better: How to Turn Off Response Comparison#
Published by Alex Sorokoletov
Since v2.1.314, Claude Code may show two answers to one message on some turns and ask which is better. To opt out, add "responseComparisonEnabled": false to settings.json. The same release adds CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON, which you set to 1. No release notes up to v2.1.316 mention either control.[1]
What response comparison is#
The setting's own description is the only official text so far: "Set to false to stop Claude Code from showing two answers to one message and asking which is better. When absent or true, it may do so on some turns." It is marked internal and hidden from the public SDK types until the feature launches.
Two things follow from that description. The comparison is not on every turn, and you do not have to set anything to receive it: leaving the setting out counts as true. A turn that shows two answers asks you to pick one, so turning it off removes that step.
How to turn it off#
Add the setting to ~/.claude/settings.json for every project, or to .claude/settings.json for one project:
{
"responseComparisonEnabled": false
}
The setting needs v2.1.314 or later. Older versions ignore the key.
The environment variable arrives in the same release. Claude Code reads it as a boolean, so 1, true, yes and on all count as set:
{
"env": {
"CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON": "1"
}
}
Or export it in your shell before you start claude:
export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON=1
A project's .claude/settings.json or .claude/settings.local.json can set this variable only to a true value. It shares that rule with CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC, CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_WEB_FETCH, DISABLE_TELEMETRY and DO_NOT_TRACK: a checked-in project file can switch the comparison off for everyone who opens the repository, but it cannot switch it back on.
For administrators: managed settings#
Put the setting in your managed settings file to turn the comparison off for every user:
{
"responseComparisonEnabled": false
}
Claude Code treats false as the restrictive value of responseComparisonEnabled, in the same group as autoContinueAtUsageLimit and remoteControlAtStartup. A false from managed settings is kept as a restriction, so a user or project file cannot turn the comparison back on.
Timeline#
| Version | Published | Change |
|---|---|---|
| v2.1.312 | 2026-10-27 | Neither control exists. |
| v2.1.314 | 2026-10-30 | responseComparisonEnabled and CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON arrive. The release notes do not mention either. |
| v2.1.316 | 2026-10-31 | Both controls still present, still not in the release notes. |
The pattern matches idle compaction, whose opt-out shipped in v2.1.290 and first reached the release notes in v2.1.299. Setting "responseComparisonEnabled": false now costs nothing if the comparison never reaches your account.
Should you turn it off?#
Leave it on if you are happy to pick between two answers now and then. Turn it off if a choice in the middle of a task breaks your flow, if you leave sessions running while you do something else, or if your organization wants one answer per message. Teams can set it once in the project's .claude/settings.json, and administrators in managed settings.
FAQ#
Q: Why does Claude Code show two answers and ask which is better?
A: v2.1.314 and later may do this on some turns while responseComparisonEnabled is absent or true. Set it to false in settings.json to stop it.
Q: How do I turn off response comparison in Claude Code?
A: Add "responseComparisonEnabled": false to ~/.claude/settings.json, or set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON=1. Both need v2.1.314 or later.
Q: Can a project's settings file turn it back on?
A: No. A project file can set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_RESPONSE_COMPARISON only to a true value, and a false in managed settings is kept as a restriction.
Q: Which version added response comparison?
A: Both controls first appear in v2.1.314, published October 30, 2026. The release notes do not mention them as of v2.1.316.
Q: Is response comparison documented?
A: Not yet. The setting is marked internal and hidden from the public SDK types until the feature launches.
Sources: [1] Claude Code changelog, v2.1.314 to v2.1.316
Related: Claude Code "Compacted while idle" guide | Claude Code env-var glossary | Claude Code v2.1.312 analysis