CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS is a Claude Code environment variable. Added between v2.1.269 and v2.1.283 and still present in v2.1.294. It is listed in the official reference.

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

• CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_BACKGROUND_PLUGIN_REFRESH: Enables automatic background plugin refresh when the runtime detects updates are needed.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIR: Local cache directory for downloaded plugins.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIR_WATCH
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_KEEP_MARKETPLACE_ON_FAILURE: Preserves the local marketplace plugin cache when git pull fails.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS: Force HTTPS for plugin source resolution.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_SEED_DIR: Seed directory for pre-installed plugins.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_USE_ZIP_CACHE: Use zip-based caching instead of git.
• CLAUDE_CODE_SYNC_PLUGIN_INSTALL: Install plugins synchronously (block until done).

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.