CLAUDE_CODE_IDLE_COMPACT_MIN_TOKENS

Updated October 23, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_IDLE_COMPACT_MIN_TOKENS is a Claude Code environment variable: Sets the minimum conversation size, in tokens, before idle compaction runs. The value is floored at 100,000 and defaults to 200,000 when unset. Added in v2.1.290 and still present in v2.1.310. 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_IDLE_COMPACT_MIN_TOKENS=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code "Compacted while idle": What Idle Compaction Does and How to Turn It Off
• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models
• claude-code-env-vars-v2-1-299
• claude-code-env-vars-v2-1-290

Related variables

• CLAUDE_AFTER_LAST_COMPACT: Request only conversation logs after last compaction.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW: Controls the token window threshold at which automatic context compaction kicks in.
• CLAUDE_CODE_FILE_READ_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS: Max tokens for file read output.
• CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_CONTEXT_TOKENS: Sets an explicit ceiling on the context window size used during a session.
• CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS: Maximum output tokens; validated per-model.
• DISABLE_AUTO_COMPACT: Disable automatic compaction only (manual /compact still works).
• DISABLE_CLAUDE_CODE_SM_COMPACT: Disable session memory compaction.
• DISABLE_COMPACT: Disable all compaction (manual + auto).

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.