{"version":"2.1.290","anchor":"background-subagent-follow-up-foreground-subagents-moved-to","canonical_anchor":"background-subagent-follow-up-foreground-subagents-moved-to","heading":"Foreground subagents move to the background when you queue a message","tier":"use","area":"Subagents","scope":"individual","heads_up":false,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.290\/e\/background-subagent-follow-up-foreground-subagents-moved-to","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.290","markdown":"### Foreground subagents move to the background when you queue a message\n\nWith CLAUDE_AUTO_BACKGROUND_TASKS set, running foreground subagents move to the background when you have a queued message waiting\n\n**Unclear.** Whether the server switch controls this behaviour or something else is unclear.\n\n**What**\n\nSubagents are helper agents Claude starts to work on part of a task. A foreground subagent holds up the conversation until it finishes. With `CLAUDE_AUTO_BACKGROUND_TASKS` set, Claude Code now moves running foreground subagents to the background when you have a queued message waiting to be sent next.\n\nA related server switch, tengu_valiant_crescent, has a built-in fallback of off, and read off for this site's account in an earlier release.\n\n**Why**\n\nYour queued message no longer has to wait behind a long-running subagent.\n\n- Flag `tengu_valiant_crescent`: Off in both readings (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.290; this account: off, anonymous baseline: off, compiled default: off) These values were read against a different version of Claude Code, so treat them as the nearest reading available instead of one taken on this release.\n- Area: Subagents\n- Names: `CLAUDE_AUTO_BACKGROUND_TASKS`\n- Tier: Use it now\n- Useful: 3\/5\n- Signal: 3\/5\n- Scope: individual\n- Heads-up: no"}