Claude Code Auto Mode Now Asks or Denies When Its Server-Side Check Is Unavailable

Claude CodeNov 6, 2026View original changelog

Claude Code 2.1.319 changes auto mode so that, with telemetry or feature flags off (including behind LLM gateways), calls the server cannot check are asked about or denied. There is no longer a fallback to the built-in classifier. Setting CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SERVER=0 keeps the old behavior. The release also makes claude -p exit 1 when auto mode refuses actions for lack of a safety check, and adds a CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_FEATURE_FLAGS variable.

Key Takeaways

Auto mode no longer falls back to the built-in classifier when the server cannot check a call.
Unchecked calls are asked about or denied, so hands-off runs become stricter in this case.
CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SERVER=0 restores the old fallback.
claude -p now exits 1 when auto mode refuses actions for lack of a safety check, which matters for scripts.
Project settings and plugins cannot re-enable a server check the user switched off outside the project.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_FEATURE_FLAGS stops flag fetching without disabling telemetry.

A Behavior Change for Auto Mode Without the Server Check

Claude Code 2.1.319 changes what auto mode does when the server-side check is not available. With telemetry or feature flags off, including behind LLM gateways, calls the server cannot check are now asked about or denied. Claude Code no longer falls back to the built-in classifier. Users who want the earlier behavior can set CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SERVER=0. Bedrock, Vertex and Foundry are unchanged.

Gateway Users and the Opt-In

Behind an LLM gateway, CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SERVER=1 now turns on the server-side check even when CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_BETAS is set. If managed settings set the latter, they must set the 1 too. A project's settings files or a plugin can no longer switch the server-side check back on once a user has switched it off outside the project.

Clearer Failures

Several fixes make refusals easier to read. claude -p now exits 1, in text and JSON output, when auto mode refused actions because no safety check was available. /status no longer shows "Auto mode server: Enabled" when the review is not reaching the session. When permission rules or autoMode settings are very large, auto mode now explains the refusal and, unless autoMode deny rules are set, asks in the terminal.

Feature-Flag Switch

A new CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_FEATURE_FLAGS environment variable stops feature-flag fetching without turning off telemetry. Every flag then uses its built-in default.