[Release] anthropics/claude-code v2.1.238: v2.1.238

Claude Code v2.1.238 introduces keybinding customization, plugin marketplace enhancements with header helpers, improved self-hosted runner capabilities, and numerous bug fixes. Key improvements include memory leak fixes for long sessions, better Remote Control resilience, cross-session messaging enhancements, and MCP server reliability improvements. The release focuses on stability, performance, and user experience across CLI, Desktop, and remote deployment scenarios.

Key Points

• •Added `keybindingFlavor` setting for readline-style Ctrl+W behavior in prompts (Bash-like whitespace deletion)
• •Plugin marketplaces now support `headersHelper` for minting HTTP headers (tokens) for catalog and archive fetches with user confirmation
• •Self-hosted runners can defer shutdown with `--defer-shutdown-max-min` to preserve attached sessions and support proxy authorization headers
• •Fixed unbounded memory growth in long interactive sessions by releasing subagent tool results after display window
• •Improved Remote Control resilience: tolerates brief HTTP 403 refusals for up to 3 minutes and provides better error reporting
• •Fixed cross-session messaging to report refused/dropped messages instead of silent failures
• •MCP servers now receive `initialize` before `server/discover` to prevent lazy server startup on every session open
• •Enhanced permission prompts and MCP dialogs to handle long URLs (>4,096 chars) and wide characters (emoji, tabs) correctly
• •Fixed terminal state issues: bracketed-paste mode, cursor visibility, and Backspace handling on slow SSH/mosh links
• •MCP `headersHelper` now runs without inherited credential env vars for improved security in project and agent files

Workflow Diagram

Concepts

Artifacts (4)

keybindingFlavor: "readline"
# Makes Ctrl+W delete back to previous whitespace (Bash-style)
# Default: "classic"

claude self-hosted-runner --defer-shutdown-max-min <minutes>
# On SIGTERM: keep serving attached sessions, park remaining after N minutes, then exit

claude self-hosted-runner --proxy-authorization-command <cmd>
claude self-hosted-runner --proxy-authorization-file <path>
# For egress proxies requiring fresh Proxy-Authorization header on every connection

{
  "headersHelper": {
    "command": "<command-to-mint-headers>",
    "runOn": "install|update"
  }
}
# Runs when plugin installed/updated to generate HTTP headers (tokens)
# Requires folder trust dialog acceptance