{"version":"2.1.122","anchor":"investigate-first-system-prompt-gradual-rollout","canonical_anchor":"investigate-first-system-prompt-gradual-rollout","heading":"\"Investigate First\" System Prompt [Gradual Rollout]","tier":null,"area":null,"scope":null,"heads_up":null,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.122\/e\/investigate-first-system-prompt-gradual-rollout","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.122","markdown":"### \"Investigate First\" System Prompt [Gradual Rollout]\n\n**What**\n\nA new system prompt injection that instructs Claude to investigate before asking clarifying questions, gated behind the `tengu_slate_harrier` feature flag and configurable via `CLAUDE_CODE_INVESTIGATE_FIRST` environment variable.\n\n**Status**\n\nFeature-flagged via `tengu_slate_harrier` (defaults to `\"off\"`). Only applies when using `claude-opus-4-7`.\n\n**Details**\n\n- Two modes: `\"additive\"` (adds investigation guidance to the existing \"executing actions with care\" prompt) and `\"compact\"` (uses a shorter version of the actions prompt plus investigation guidance)\n- In both modes, adds: \"Asking the user a clarifying question has a cost: it interrupts them... Before asking, spend up to a minute on read-only investigation (grep the codebase, check docs, search memory) so your question is specific.\"\n- Can be overridden via `CLAUDE_CODE_INVESTIGATE_FIRST=additive|compact|off`\n\n**Evidence**\n\nFeature flag check (search for `\"tengu_slate_harrier\"`) and env var (search for `\"CLAUDE_CODE_INVESTIGATE_FIRST\"`)\n\n- Flag `tengu_slate_harrier`: Not enough to say (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.122; this account: no value returned, anonymous baseline: no value returned, compiled default: no gate table built for this version) These values were read against a different version of Claude Code, so treat them as the nearest reading available instead of one taken on this release."}