CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT is a Claude Code environment variable: Feeds prior assistant turns into the decision, so the classifier can see the reasoning behind an edit. Intent matters — the same diff can be safe or reckless depending on why it was made. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212
Category	Context and compaction
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

Claude Code v2.1.209 — Auto Mode Grows Up

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SIBLING_CONTEXT: Includes sibling files (or sessions) when classifying.
CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW: Controls the token window threshold at which automatic context compaction kicks in.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT: Disable extended 1M token context window.
CLAUDE_CODE_SAVE_HOOK_ADDITIONAL_CONTEXT: Extra context passed to save hooks.
CLAUDE_CONTEXT_COLLAPSE: Collapses context on the fly, with a dedicated model to do it.
DISABLE_AUTO_COMPACT: Disable automatic compaction only (manual /compact still works).
CLAUDE_CODE_RESUME_TOLERATES_CONTEXT_APPENDS
CLAUDE_CODE_RESUME_TOLERATES_CONTEXT_SEEDS

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT do?

Feeds prior assistant turns into the decision, so the classifier can see the reasoning behind an edit. Intent matters — the same diff can be safe or reckless depending on why it was made.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT?

Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_PRIOR_ASSISTANT_CONTEXT=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.