Unclear Nothing in this build was found that switches the default file off, so this may have no effect yet.
What
When debug mode is on, Claude Code writes a debug log file. Its rule for whether to write that file now has an extra condition:
writesFiles()now also needs one of three things: the default file is still enabled, an explicit log file path is set, orCLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIRis set.- A new
disableDefaultFile()method turns off the default file. It starts enabled (defaultFile = !0). - In the 2.1.283 bundle,
disableDefaultFileappears only where it is defined, and nothing calls it.
Why
In practice nothing changes for now: the default file stays enabled and debug logs are written as before. The switch would let something stop the default debug log file while still writing logs when you ask for a specific path.
Names in the bundleCLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR
Documented inclaude-code/cli-reference
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 CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR, on CLI reference.
| `--debug-file <path>` | Write debug logs to a specific file path. Implicitly enables debug mode. Takes precedence over `CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR` | `claude --debug-file /tmp/claude-debug.log` |cli-reference see the edit
Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubt
Nothing in this build was found that switches the default file off, so this may have no effect yet.
Anthropic's documentation agrees
Anthropic's documentation has since written up CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR, on CLI reference.