CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS is a Claude Code environment variable: Disable built-in agent types. Present since v2.1.69 or earlier and still present in v2.1.294. It is listed in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Present since v2.1.69 or earlier
Category	Agents and subagents
Official docs	Listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS": "<value>"
  }
}

Related variables

CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_MCP_MANIFESTS
CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_CLIENT_APP: Client application name.
CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_MCP_NO_PREFIX: Don't prefix MCP tool names with server name.
CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_VERSION: Agent SDK version sent in User-Agent header.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AGENT_VIEW: Disables Agent View.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AGENTS_FLEET: Kill switch for the entire agent fleet subsystem — no selection, no auto-relaunch, no fleet coordination.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPLORE_PLAN_AGENTS
CLAUDE_AGENT: Short-form identifier for the current agent, used in inter-agent messaging and log attribution.

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS do?

Disable built-in agent types

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS?

Present since v2.1.69 or earlier and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.