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Sweep 22 Oct 2026 · 04:32Z Build v2.1.308 527 read Stable v2.1.308 Latest v2.1.308 Next v2.1.308 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt llms-full.txt Unofficial

Claude Code v2.1.281 ·

Self-hosted runner explains why a session process failed to start

The self-hosted runner now separates start failures from exits and names disableSideloadFlags when managed settings refuse the launch

Group of 2 You'll notice Internal Changes
JSON All of v2.1.281
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SettingsArea: what it touches
Internal ChangesKind: in v2.1.281,
ImprovementsSection of the release

What

A self-hosted runner is a machine you run yourself that starts Claude Code sessions as separate processes. When one of those processes fails, the runner now gives a clearer reason:

  • A process that never started is reported as "child failed to start (): ..." instead of being treated as an exit.
  • A start error of class e2big, meaning the launch configuration was too large, counts as a session configuration error (SESSION_FAILURE_KIND_SESSION_CONFIG_ERROR) instead of a runner crash.
  • Messages for other start errors include the size of the longest argument and the longest environment entry.
  • If the process dies before it finishes starting and its error output contains "disabled by your organization's managed settings (disableSideloadFlags)", the user sees "This machine's managed settings (disableSideloadFlags) refused the launch."

The disableSideloadFlags error text is now built from a shared constant. The wording is unchanged.

Why

Before, every failure was reported as the process exiting and classed as a runner crash. Operators can now tell a configuration problem, such as a launch that is too large or one blocked by the managed setting disableSideloadFlags, from a real crash.

Read from
Names in the bundledisableSideloadFlags
What the documentation says
Since it was published

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.

Confirmed since Anthropic's documentation has since written up disableSideloadFlags, on Desktop application. Local and cloud sessions also load the skills enabled for your claude.ai account, except local sessions when your organization sets [`disableSideloadFlags`](/docs/en/settings-reference#disablesideloadflags). Cloud sessions load them instea… desktop see the edit
Added since A small documentation edit on Deploy managed settings touched a line naming disableSideloadFlags after this was published. | [`disableSideloadFlags`](/docs/en/settings-reference#disablesideloadflags) | Reject the `--plugin-dir`, `--plugin-url`, `--agents`, and `--mcp-config` flags at startup. In cloud sessions, Claude Code instead starts the session and drops … managed-settings see the edit
How sure we are
One source agreesOne thing we can check says the same as this entry.
Anthropic's documentation agreesA small documentation edit on Deploy managed settings touched a line naming disableSideloadFlags after this was published.

See this entry in the whole of v2.1.281 →

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