What
A new ZIP-based caching system for MCP plugins, enabling efficient plugin distribution in headless and CI environments.
Details
- Controlled by the
CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIRenvironment variable - Creates versioned ZIP archives of plugin directories (with
.zipextension) - Session-scoped plugin cache directories (
claude-plugin-session-*) are automatically created and cleaned up - Marketplace JSON metadata is persisted alongside plugin ZIPs for offline resolution
- Handles symlink cycles during ZIP creation with cycle detection
- Includes
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_OFFICIAL_MARKETPLACE_AUTOINSTALLenv var to disable automatic marketplace plugin installation
Evidence
ZIP cache mode (search for "zip cache mode"), session cache (search for "claude-plugin-session-")
Strings lifted out of the shipped bundle, so the claim above can be checked against them.