CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE is a Claude Code environment variable: Treats a bare backspace keypress as Ctrl+Backspace (delete-word). Default: on Windows unless the terminal is mintty or cygwin. Exists because Windows terminals report modifier keys inconsistently. Added between v2.1.108 and v2.1.114 and still present in v2.1.294. It is listed in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.108 and v2.1.114
Category	Other
Official docs	Listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

Claude Code v2.1.114 — Native Binary Launcher, /fewer-permission-prompts, and 20 New Environment Variables

Related variables

ANTHROPIC_BETAS: Comma-separated beta feature headers.
ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS: Custom HTTP headers (newline-separated Key: Value).
ANTHROPIC_FEDERATION_RULE_ID
ANTHROPIC_ORGANIZATION_ID
ANTHROPIC_WORKSPACE_ID
BETA_TRACING_ENDPOINT: Custom endpoint for beta tracing.
CLAUDE_AFK_COUNTDOWN_MS
CLAUDE_AI_ORIGIN: Overrides the base URL for Claude AI authentication endpoints.

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE do?

Treats a bare backspace keypress as Ctrl+Backspace (delete-word). Default: on Windows unless the terminal is mintty or cygwin. Exists because Windows terminals report modifier keys inconsistently.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE?

Added between v2.1.108 and v2.1.114 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_BS_AS_CTRL_BACKSPACE=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.