CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_PROXY_AUTH_HELPER

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_PROXY_AUTH_HELPER is a Claude Code environment variable: Set to "1" to enable the proxy auth helper subsystem. Lets Claude Code shell out to an external program to fetch proxy credentials dynamically — for Kerberos/Negotiate, rotating tokens, or interactive SSO. Added between v2.1.108 and v2.1.114 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_PROXY_AUTH_HELPER=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code v2.1.118 — 10 New Environment Variables: Forked Subagents Ship, Subscription Tiering Takes Shape
• Claude Code v2.1.114 — Native Binary Launcher, /fewer-permission-prompts, and 20 New Environment Variables

Related variables

• CLAUDE_CODE_PROXY_AUTH_HELPER_TTL_MS: Cache TTL for helper-returned credentials.
• ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: Alternative bearer token; takes priority over API key.
• CLAUDE_BG_AUTH_SNAPSHOT_PATH: Path for snapshotting background session auth credentials to disk.
• CLAUDE_CODE_API_KEY_HELPER_TTL_MS: Cache TTL for API key helper.
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTH_REFRESH_LOCK: Turns off the lock that coordinates a GCP or AWS credential refresh across processes.
• CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TOKEN_USAGE_ATTACHMENT: Attach token usage info to messages.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATE: Carries the WWW-Authenticate challenge from the proxy into the helper.
• CLAUDE_CODE_WEBSOCKET_AUTH_FILE_DESCRIPTOR: File descriptor for WebSocket credentials.

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.