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Sweep 22 Sep 2026 · 17:19Z Build v2.1.280 501 read Stable v2.1.267 Latest v2.1.280 Next v2.1.280 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt Unofficial
Claude Code v2.1.270 ·

Refusal-fallback "silent rearm" can now bypass the declined-route check for bio-category refusals

A new bypass lets Claude Code re-offer a fallback model for bio-related refusals even after the user already declined that route

TierUnder the hoodhow much it should matter to you
Useful3my rating, 1 to 5
Signal3worth watching, 1 to 5
AreaModel Routingwhat it touches
KindIn Developmentin v2.1.270,
Under the hood Nothing to try yet

A new bypass lets Claude Code re-offer a fallback model for bio-related refusals even after the user already declined that route

What

When Claude's response is stopped by a 'refusal' (the API declining to answer) and Claude Code considers switching to a fallback model, it normally avoids re-suggesting a route the user or session already turned down. This release adds an exception: if the server-side routing found no match, the refusal is categorized as "bio", and a refusal fallback hasn't already happened this session, Claude Code can now recompute and re-arm a fallback model for that route even though it was previously declined. This works through a new visibleRouteDeclined option that, when set, skips the usual check that would otherwise block re-arming an already-declined route.

Why

In practice this means bio-category refusals get an extra chance at being rerouted to a fallback model instead of being permanently blocked once a route is declined once. Three related settings, tengu_refusal_fallback_route_declined, tengu_refusal_fallback_setting_changed, and tengu_refusal_fallback_suppressed, are tied to this behavior, but nothing is yet known about how they're currently configured.

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Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubtWhether the `tengu_refusal_fallback_route_declined`, `tengu_refusal_fallback_setting_changed`, and `tengu_refusal_fallback_suppressed` gates…

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