{"version":"2.1.318","anchor":"headless-runs-skip-a-startup-call-for-jsonstream-json","canonical_anchor":"headless-runs-skip-a-startup-call-for-jsonstream-json","heading":"Runs with JSON output skip one startup step","tier":"notice","area":"Headless Mode","scope":"individual","heads_up":false,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.318\/e\/headless-runs-skip-a-startup-call-for-jsonstream-json","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.318","markdown":"### Runs with JSON output skip one startup step\n\nWhen the output format is json or stream-json, Claude Code now skips one step it otherwise runs at startup\n\n**Unclear.** Which startup step is skipped, and what it would have done in a JSON run, is not known.\n\n**What**\n\nWhen Claude Code runs headless, meaning without its interactive screen, usually from a script, you can ask for its output as `json` or `stream-json`. With either of those formats, Claude Code now skips one step that it still runs at startup for every other output format.\n\n**Why**\n\nScripts and tools that read Claude Code's JSON output now start through one fewer step. Runs with any other output format start the same way as before.\n\n- Area: Headless Mode\n- Names: `stream-json`\n- Tier: You'll notice\n- Useful: 1\/5\n- Signal: 1\/5\n- Scope: individual\n- Heads-up: no"}