Unclear It is not clear what the earlier-computed reason checks, so whether reuse now happens with shorter cache lifetimes is unsettled.
What
Compaction is when Claude Code summarises a long conversation to free up room. Before it does that, it checks whether it can reuse the prompt cache, a stored copy of the earlier conversation that can be reused instead of being sent and processed again.
That check has changed:
- The one-hour requirement is gone. Previously the check refused reuse unless the cache was set to last one hour.
- A reason worked out earlier is now used instead. If an earlier step found a reason not to reuse the cache, that reason is returned.
- A lapsed cache still blocks reuse.
Why
In practice, the faster path that reuses the cache before compaction may now be taken in more situations than before, including when the cache is not set to last one hour.
Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubt
It is not clear what the earlier-computed reason checks, so whether reuse now happens with shorter cache lifetimes is unsettled.