The --fallback-model CLI help no longer says it only works with --print
The help text for the --fallback-model flag used to say '(only works with --print)', meaning it only applied when running Claude Code in headless mode via --print. That qualifier has been removed from the help output, suggesting the flag now also applies in normal interactive mode.
If --fallback-model now works outside --print, it means an automatic backup model (used when the primary model is overloaded or unavailable) can kick in during regular interactive sessions too, not just scripted/headless runs.
The entry above is what we published on the day. These lines were added later, as Anthropic's own pages caught up, and they sit beside the original rather than replacing it.
| `--fallback-model` | Enable automatic fallback to the specified model(s) when the primary model is overloaded or not available, for example a retired model. Accepts a comma-separated list tried in order. See [Fallback model chains](/docs…cli-reference see the edit
The help text change implies broader applicability but does not confirm the flag's actual behavior changed in interactive mode.
Anthropic's documentation has since written up --fallback-model, on CLI reference.