CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS

Updated October 14, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS is a Claude Code environment variable. Added in v2.1.288 and still present in v2.1.295. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.295
Added	Added in v2.1.288
Category	Other
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_MANAGED_CONFIG_PREFETCH: Turns on a hedged prefetch of the organization's managed settings during startup, so the first managed-settings fetch runs earlier in the launch sequence.
CLAUDE_CODE_RESTRICT_PERSONAL_CONFIG: Limits what a session's own Claude Code files may do.
CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: Custom config directory.
GIT_CONFIG_COUNT
CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_PROBE
CLAUDE_CODE_POLL_EVENTS
CLAUDE_SECURESTORAGE_CONFIG_DIR
ANTHROPIC_BETAS: Comma-separated beta feature headers.

Frequently asked questions

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS?

Added in v2.1.288 and still present in v2.1.295.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_CONFIG_WATCH_EVENTS=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.