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Claude Code Lifts Background Command Time Limit Outside Unattended Sessions

Claude CodeView original changelog

Claude Code 2.1.288 narrows the background command time limit introduced days earlier so that it applies only to unattended sessions such as -p, the Agent SDK, CI and cloud runs. Interactive sessions in the terminal, the desktop app and VS Code now have no limit. The change restores long-running dev servers and watchers for people working at the keyboard while keeping a safety net for automation.

Key Takeaways

  • The background command time limit now applies only to unattended sessions, meaning -p, the Agent SDK, CI and cloud runs.
  • Terminal, desktop app and VS Code sessions have no limit, so long-lived dev servers and watchers keep running.
  • The change refines a guard added just days earlier, trading blanket enforcement for context-aware behavior.
  • Automation stays protected, because hung background commands in CI and cloud runs are still cut off.
  • The principle is that a present human decides when a process ends, while unattended runs get a safety net.
  • Developers who hit unexpectedly stopped servers on 2.1.285 to 2.1.287 should see the problem resolved by updating.

What changed

Claude Code 2.1.288 changed the background command time limit so that it now applies only in unattended sessions. Those are sessions run with -p, through the Agent SDK, in CI, or in the cloud. Sessions in the terminal, in the Claude desktop app and in VS Code no longer have any time limit on background commands.

Why it matters

Only a few days earlier, Claude Code began stopping runaway background commands after a time limit. That guard made sense for automation, where nobody is watching and a stuck process can burn minutes or money indefinitely. It was a poor fit for interactive work, where developers routinely leave a dev server, a test watcher or a log tail running in the background for hours while they keep chatting with Claude.

With 2.1.288, the split is explicit. When a person is present, they decide when a background command should end. When no person is present, Claude Code still protects the run by cutting off commands that exceed the limit.

Who is affected

Anyone who saw background servers or watchers stopped unexpectedly in a normal terminal, desktop or VS Code session should see that behavior disappear after updating. Teams running Claude Code in CI, through the Agent SDK or in cloud sessions keep the time limit, so pipelines remain protected from hung background processes.