CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_WINDOWS_CREDMAN

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_WINDOWS_CREDMAN is a Claude Code environment variable: Forces credential storage through the Windows Credential Manager. A FORCE_ override in the credential-backend family next to CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_SESSION_PERSISTENCE, it pins CredMan where Claude Code would otherwise fall back or auto-detect (WSL, headless, or a network filesystem). Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 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_FORCE_WINDOWS_CREDMAN=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models
• claude-code-env-vars-v2-1-210

Related variables

• CCR_FORCE_BUNDLE
• CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_STRIKETHROUGH
• CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_SYNC_OUTPUT: Disable streaming output in favor of synchronous writes.
• CLAUDE_FORCE_DISPLAY_SURVEY: Force feedback survey display.
• FORCE_HYPERLINK
• FORCE_PROMPT_CACHING_5M
• CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_FIRST_LAUNCH
• CLAUDE_CODE_FORCE_MID_CONVERSATION_SYSTEM

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.