Sweep 19 Sep 2026 · 02:36Z Build v2.1.278 500 read Stable v2.1.267 Latest v2.1.278 Next v2.1.278 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt Unofficial
Claude Code v2.1.271 ·

New 'recovering' status shown when a turn retries after hitting the output token limit

The spinner now shows a 'picking the thought back up' status while a turn retries after hitting the output token limit

TierYou'll noticehow much it should matter to you
Useful3my rating, 1 to 5
Signal2worth watching, 1 to 5
AreaResponse Handlingwhat it touches
KindImprovementsin v2.1.271,
Group of 3 You'll notice

The spinner now shows a 'picking the thought back up' status while a turn retries after hitting the output token limit

What

  • When a turn hits the output token limit and is being retried (reason max_output_tokens_recovery), the status line/spinner now shows a new "recovering" state instead of the usual thinking/tool text.
  • It displays as "picking the thought back up", or "picking the thought back up (N of 3)" on later retry attempts, with a limit of 3 attempts.
  • This is driven by a new outputLimitRecovery payload (attempt number and the limit) that's threaded through an agent-mode "requesting" event and into the spinner component's props.

Why

This gives a clear, specific status message when Claude is automatically retrying after running out of output tokens, instead of leaving the status line looking stuck or generic.

See this entry in the whole of v2.1.271 →