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Claude Code Turns Off Todo Tracking by Default on Newest Models

Claude CodeView original changelog

Claude Code 2.1.233 turns off its built-in todo and task-tracking tools by default when running on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, Mythos 5, and newer models. The TaskCreate, TaskGet, TaskUpdate, TaskList, and TodoWrite tools, which power the visible checklist Claude Code shows while working through multi-step work, no longer load automatically on those models. Setting the CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1 environment variable restores the old behavior. Anyone accustomed to watching Claude Code check off a running task list will notice its absence unless they opt back in.

Key Takeaways

  • The visible todo checklist disappears by default on newer models, since TaskCreate, TaskGet, TaskUpdate, TaskList, and TodoWrite no longer auto-load on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, Mythos 5, and beyond.
  • The change is silent unless you're watching for it, since Claude Code will keep working through multi-step tasks, it just stops showing the running checklist.
  • A single environment variable reverses the change: CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1 restores the old tool set on any model.
  • Older models are unaffected — the removal applies specifically to Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, Mythos 5, and newer, not to the full model lineup.
  • This shipped as part of Claude Code 2.1.233, released August 14, 2026, in a release otherwise dominated by Windows and infrastructure fixes.
  • Teams that automate around the todo list should act before upgrading, setting the opt-in variable ahead of time to avoid losing visibility mid-workflow.

What Changed

Starting with Claude Code 2.1.233, the built-in todo and task-tracking tools — TaskCreate, TaskGet, TaskUpdate, TaskList, and TodoWrite — no longer load automatically when a session runs on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, Mythos 5, or any newer model. These are the tools behind the running checklist Claude Code has displayed while it works through a multi-step task, ticking items off as it completes them.

Why It Matters

For anyone who relies on that visible plan to track progress on a long task, or to sanity-check what Claude Code thinks it's doing, the checklist will simply stop appearing on sessions using these newer models. Anthropic didn't detail its reasoning in the changelog entry itself, but the change lands alongside several other 2.1.233 items aimed at trimming overhead on newer models, suggesting the todo tools are being treated as optional scaffolding rather than a required part of the agent loop going forward.

How to Get the Todo List Back

The old behavior isn't gone, it's opt-in. Setting the environment variable CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1 before starting a session restores the todo tools on any model, including the newest ones. Teams and individuals who depend on the checklist for visibility into long-running agent work should set this variable now, before upgrading, so the change doesn't surprise them mid-task.