CLAUDE_CODE_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CLAUDE_MD

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CLAUDE_MD is a Claude Code environment variable: Additional directories to scan for CLAUDE.md files (colon-separated). Present since v2.1.69 or earlier and still present in v2.1.294. It is listed in the official reference.

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CLAUDE_MD=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY: Disable automatic memory (MEMORY.md).
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_CLAUDE_MDS: Disable loading CLAUDE.md files.
• 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_BG_AUTO_MEMORY_OFF

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.