{"version":"2.1.248","anchor":"kite-network-transport-now-defaults-on-including-on-windows","canonical_anchor":"kite-network-transport-now-defaults-on-including-on-windows","heading":"Kite network transport now defaults on, including on Windows","tier":"use","area":"Internals","scope":null,"heads_up":null,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.248\/e\/kite-network-transport-now-defaults-on-including-on-windows","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.248","markdown":"### Kite network transport now defaults on, including on Windows\n\nThe kite network transport is on by default everywhere, and CLAUDE_CODE_HARBOR_KITE=0 now really turns it off.\n\n**What**\n\nClaude Code's kite transport, the network path used to talk to Anthropic's servers, is now enabled by default when the remote config server sends no value for it, on Windows as well as every other platform. Its environment override is also read as a real boolean rather than merely checked for presence, so `CLAUDE_CODE_HARBOR_KITE=0` now turns it off instead of on. The remaining kite gates are decided by remote config or by code outside the part of the release examined here, so their compiled fallbacks only matter when the server is silent.\n\n**Details**\n\n- Resolution order: if `CLAUDE_CODE_HARBOR_KITE` is set, its parsed value wins; otherwise Windows consults the feature gate `tengu_harbor_kite_win` and every other platform consults `tengu_harbor_kite`.\n- Those two gates and `tengu_harbor_kite_mode_emit`, which controls kite mode reporting, moved their compiled fallback from off to on.\n- A live value from the remote config server still overrides any compiled fallback; the fallbacks apply only when the server supplies nothing.\n- The cloud variant `tengu_harbor_kite_cloud` and `tengu_harbor_kite_pacing_off` are present but still fall back off.\n- `tengu_kairos_loop_keepalive` is likewise untouched here, so its behaviour is set elsewhere.\n\n**Evidence**\n\n`tengu_harbor_kite_win`, `tengu_bg_prewarm_per_sweep`\n\n- Flag `tengu_harbor_kite_win`: On for this account, and not off by default (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: on, anonymous baseline: on, compiled default: on)\n- Flag `tengu_harbor_kite`: On for this account, and not off by default (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: on, anonymous baseline: on, compiled default: on)\n- Flag `tengu_harbor_kite_mode_emit`: On for this account, and not off by default (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: on, anonymous baseline: on, compiled default: on)\n- Flag `tengu_harbor_kite_cloud`: Off in both readings (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: off, anonymous baseline: off, compiled default: off)\n- Flag `tengu_harbor_kite_pacing_off`: Off in both readings (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: off, anonymous baseline: off, compiled default: off)\n- Flag `tengu_kairos_loop_keepalive`: Not enough to say (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: no value returned, anonymous baseline: no value returned, compiled default: on)\n- Flag `tengu_bg_prewarm_per_sweep`: Not enough to say (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.248; this account: no value returned, anonymous baseline: no value returned, compiled default: not a boolean we can read)\n- Area: Internals\n- Names: `CLAUDE_CODE_HARBOR_KITE`\n- Tier: Use it now\n- Useful: 4\/5\n- Signal: 4\/5"}