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Hook Bug Workarounds

docs/hook-bug-workarounds.md

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Hook Bug Workarounds

Community-tested workarounds for current Claude Code bugs that can affect ECC hook-heavy setups.

This page is intentionally narrow: it collects the highest-signal operational fixes from the longer troubleshooting surface without repeating speculative or unsupported configuration advice. These are upstream Claude Code behaviors, not ECC bugs.

When To Use This Page

Use this page when you are specifically debugging:

  • false Hook Error labels on otherwise successful hook runs
  • earlier-than-expected compaction
  • MCP connectors that look authenticated but fail after compaction
  • hook edits that do not hot-reload
  • repeated 529 Overloaded responses under heavy hook/tool pressure

For the fuller ECC troubleshooting surface, use TROUBLESHOOTING.md.

High-Signal Workarounds

False Hook Error labels

What helps:

  • Consume stdin at the start of shell hooks (input=$(cat)).
  • Keep stdout quiet for simple allow/block hooks unless your hook explicitly requires structured stdout.
  • Send human-readable diagnostics to stderr.
  • Use the correct exit codes: 0 allow, 2 block, other non-zero values are treated as errors.
bash
input=$(cat)
echo "[BLOCKED] Reason here" >&2
exit 2

Earlier-than-expected compaction

What helps:

  • Remove CLAUDE_AUTOCOMPACT_PCT_OVERRIDE if lowering it causes earlier compaction in your build.
  • Prefer manual /compact at natural task boundaries.
  • Use ECC's strategic-compact guidance instead of forcing a lower threshold.

MCP auth looks live but fails after compaction

What helps:

  • Toggle the affected connector off and back on after compaction.
  • If your Claude Code build supports it, add a lightweight PostCompact reminder hook that tells you to re-check connector auth.
  • Treat this as a recovery reminder, not a permanent fix.

Hook edits do not hot-reload

What helps:

  • Restart the Claude Code session after changing hooks.
  • Advanced users sometimes use shell-local reload helpers, but ECC does not ship one because those approaches are shell- and platform-dependent.

Repeated 529 Overloaded

What helps:

  • Reduce tool-definition pressure with ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=auto:5 if your setup supports it.
  • Lower MAX_THINKING_TOKENS for routine work.
  • Route subagent work to a cheaper model such as CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL=haiku if your setup exposes that knob.
  • Disable unused MCP servers per project.
  • Compact manually at natural breakpoints instead of waiting for auto-compaction.