CLAUDE_BG_MEMORY_TOGGLED_OFF

Updated October 14, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_BG_MEMORY_TOGGLED_OFF is a Claude Code environment variable. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.295. It is not in the official reference.

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_BG_MEMORY_TOGGLED_OFF=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

• CLAUDE_BG_AUTO_MEMORY_OFF
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY: Disable automatic memory (MEMORY.md).
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ORG_MEMORY: Kill switch for a new organization-scoped memory subsystem.
• CLAUDE_CODE_MEMORY_PUSH_DELETE_MODE: Controls how deletions propagate when memory is pushed upstream — a delete-mode knob for the memory subsystem that gained account- and organization-scoped sync in v2.1.210 (CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ORG_MEMORY, gate tengu_haze_glass).
• CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE_MEMORY_DIR: Memory directory for remote sessions.
• CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_INDEX_CONTENT: Content of the CoWork memory index.
• CLAUDE_MEMORY_STORES: Configure which memory backends are active.
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_MEMORY_BULK_INFLATE

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.