ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET
A Claude Code environment variable, read out of the shipped bundle. It has been in the build since v2.1.138, including the newest one read.
Environment variables your org policy blocks can no longer sneak through by changing their capitalization.
Not Anthropic's. This is the line from the earliest changelog entry here that named it, v2.1.223.
In the changelogs
22Releases whose published page names ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET.
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v2.1.306
A check that stays false when ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET is set
Claude Code has a check that is true only for direct Anthropic API access with ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET unset, plus two further internal conditions
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.295
CLAUDE_CODE_USER_EMAIL can supply your email when you are not logged in
If there is no logged-in email, Claude Code can now use the CLAUDE_CODE_USER_EMAIL environment variable as the email it gives the model
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.286
Keepalive pings for the one-hour prompt cache, off unless switched on remotely
Claude Code can ping Anthropic's servers to keep a one-hour prompt cache alive during idle pauses, but it is off unless switched on remotely
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.286
HIPAA policy can block prompt cache renewal
A new policy entry lets HIPAA compliance switch off renewal of the prompt cache lifetime
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.285
Policy limits and remote settings can use a token from the environment
With no API key, Claude Code can now fall back to a bearer token from the environment when fetching policy limits and remote settings
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.285
Some endpoint environment variables are now treated differently by Claude Code
A check on environment variable names now excludes
ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKETandAWS_ENDPOINT_URLnames, and includesCLAUDE_CODE_API_BASE_URLonly for filesfound in this entry's text
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v2.1.285
Detection of sign-in forwarded over SSH now checks for a placeholder
Claude Code recognises SSH-forwarded sign-in when a socket is set and exactly one credential variable holds the value ssh-placeholder
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.282
Model catalog can be served and published separately
The remote switch for the model catalog now has separate settings for serving and publishing it, and still falls back to off
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.281
Policy-limits signed-cache shadow check skipped for socket-tunnel/diskless sessions
The one-time policy-limits cache check is now skipped when ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET or a diskless launch is in use
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.278
Auto-mode classifier now distrusts unix-socket proxies unless SSH remote
Sessions using ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET now lose server-side auto mode classification unless connecting over SSH remote
named in this entry, found in this entry's text
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v2.1.271
ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET auth message now checks for CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN
Diagnostic message for ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET now explicitly flags a missing CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.267
Policy-limits loader can now be kicked off lazily post-startup
Policy-limits configuration can now be loaded on demand after startup if it wasn't already loading
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.267
Auth check shortcut for ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET sessions
Sessions using ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET now skip most auth checks and rely only on token/key presence
found in this entry's text, named in this entry
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v2.1.267
Unix-socket sessions determine auth type from OAuth token env var, skipping keychain lookup
Unix-socket sessions now report auth type from the OAuth token env var instead of checking the keychain
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.267
Policy-limits disk cache skipped under ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET
Policy-limits caching to disk is now skipped entirely when ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET is set
found in this entry's text, named in this entry
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v2.1.246
Syncing plugins from your claude.ai account
Plugins you enabled on claude.ai can be pulled to your machine, but only your account server can enable it.
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.233
Auth preflight before plugin eval runs
Plugin eval checks your credentials up front and fails fast instead of dying partway through a run.
named in this entry, found in this entry's text
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v2.1.229
1M-context models no longer suppressed on custom endpoints
Subscription users on a custom base URL now see the 1M-context model variants again.
found in this entry's text
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v2.1.223
Policy-settings environment stripping is case-insensitive
Environment variables your org policy blocks can no longer sneak through by changing their capitalization.
named in this entry, found in this entry's text
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v2.1.223
Settings-supplied API and credential env vars are stripped when ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET is set
When you connect through a unix socket, settings files can no longer override your API keys or endpoint.
named in this entry, found in this entry's text
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v2.1.139
Remote Control Diagnostics Are More Specific
found in this entry's text
- v2.1.73
First cited
4The earliest release whose published evidence quoted ANTHROPIC_UNIX_SOCKET was v2.1.223, 5 Aug 2026. That is the oldest release this project wrote about it, so it is a floor on the name's age and not the release that introduced it. It is not a presence reading: which builds carried the name is the table below.
Presence across releases
1Build by build
149One row per release since the first build this name was read out of. Absent means the build was read and the name was not in it, never mined means no bundle for that release was ever archived, and a declared type or a default is only ever what that release's own bundle stated.
Read out of the published npm bundle release by release, and out of Anthropic's own documentation as this site captured it. Nothing on this page is a description anybody here wrote about what the environment variable does. All environment variables.