CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV is a Claude Code environment variable: Start shell with empty environment. Present since v2.1.69 or earlier and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Present since v2.1.69 or earlier
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_DONT_INHERIT_ENV=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

Related variables

CLAUDE_ENV_FILE: Path to environment file for session variables.
CLAUDE_CODE_ACT_DONT_REDERIVE
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.

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV do?

Start shell with empty environment

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV?

Present since v2.1.69 or earlier and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_DONT_INHERIT_ENV=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.