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Troubleshooting High CPU Memory And Search Problems In Claude Code

Troubleshoot Claude Code high CPU, memory pressure, and search misses using official commands: /compact, /context, /heapdump, ripgrep setup, safe mode, and subagent delegation from the troubleshooting documentation.

by kiannidev·added 2026-06-16·
Claude Code
HarnessClaude Code
Review first — review before installing

Open the source and read safety notes before installing.

Safety notes

  • /heapdump writes diagnostic files that may contain code paths and snippets—handle as sensitive.
  • claude --safe-mode disables customizations; re-enable only after identifying the culprit plugin or MCP server.
  • Auto-compaction thrashing can loop; restart sessions between major tasks when compaction runs repeatedly.

Privacy notes

  • Heap snapshots and /context output can expose repository paths and file names.
  • Attach diagnostics to GitHub issues only after redacting customer or secret content.
  • Subagent delegation still sends summaries to the parent session—sanitize before sharing externally.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed with a reproducible slow or high-memory session.
  • Terminal access to run /context, /compact, /memory, and optional /heapdump.
  • Ability to install ripgrep on the host when search tools fail.
  • Optional isolated test repo to compare safe mode vs normal startup.

Schema details

Install type
copy
Reading time
9 min
Difficulty score
52
Troubleshooting
Yes
Breaking changes
No
Full copyable content
When Claude Code feels slow or search misses files, run /context and /compact, check CLAUDE.md load with /memory, install system ripgrep if needed, and capture /heapdump before filing GitHub issues.

About this resource

TL;DR

Most CPU, memory, and search issues trace to context size or a misbehaving customization—not a mysterious leak. Official docs recommend measuring with /context, compacting, fixing ripgrep, using safe mode to isolate plugins, and delegating verbose work to subagents.

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • {"task": "Symptom captured", "description": "Slow responses, high CPU, or missing search results documented"}
  • {"task": "Baseline measured", "description": "/context run before changes"}
  • {"task": "Ripgrep status", "description": "System ripgrep installed if search fails"}
  • {"task": "Safe repro", "description": "Optional test repo for --safe-mode comparison"}

Symptom → Action Matrix

Symptom First steps (official docs)
High CPU / memory /compact; restart between tasks; ignore large build dirs
Memory stays high /heapdump → attach snapshot when reporting
Hangs / freezes Restart session; check auto-compaction loops
Search misses files Install ripgrep; USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0
After plugin install claude --safe-mode to isolate

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

  1. Measure context. Run /context and /usage to see window fill and cost drivers.

  2. Compact or restart. /compact reduces history; restart between unrelated tasks.

  3. Audit startup load. /memory lists CLAUDE.md and auto-memory files loaded at boot.

  4. Fix search tooling. Install platform ripgrep; export USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0 if the bundled binary fails on your OS (common on some Linux/WSL setups).

  5. Isolate customizations. Run claude --safe-mode—if performance improves, bisect plugins, MCP servers, and hooks.

  6. Delegate heavy reads. Use subagents so large log or test output stays out of the parent window.

  7. Capture diagnostics. If memory remains elevated, /heapdump to Desktop (or home on Linux) and attach when opening a GitHub issue.

Search-Specific Notes

Official troubleshooting cites cross-filesystem reads on WSL returning fewer matches. Move projects to the Linux filesystem or narrow search paths when hits are incomplete.

Troubleshooting

/compact loops immediately

Reduce CLAUDE.md size, disable heavy MCP alwaysLoad servers, restart fresh session.

Ripgrep fix did not help

Verify which rg in the same shell launching Claude Code; restart after env changes.

Safe mode fast but normal slow

Remove recently added MCP servers or hooks one at a time; document culprit in team notes.

Source Verification Notes

Verified against Claude Code troubleshooting documentation on 2026-06-16: context measurement commands, compaction guidance, heapdump diagnostics, ripgrep environment variable, safe mode isolation, and subagent delegation for verbose output.

Duplicate Check

fix-memory-leak-performance covers overlapping symptoms with a fix-oriented title. This guide follows issue #1449 SEO intent—structured troubleshooting for CPU, memory, and search together with step-by-step official command references.

References

#claude-code#troubleshooting#performance#memory#search

Source citations

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Troubleshooting High CPU Memory And Search Problems In Claude Code side by side with 3 alternatives on trust, install, platform support, and disclosed safety notes — all from reviewed registry metadata.

FieldTroubleshooting High CPU Memory And Search Problems In Claude Code

Troubleshoot Claude Code high CPU, memory pressure, and search misses using official commands: /compact, /context, /heapdump, ripgrep setup, safe mode, and subagent delegation from the troubleshooting documentation.

Open dossier 		Fix Claude Code Performance

Fix Claude Code high CPU and memory usage, hangs, slow responses, and auto-compact thrashing using /context, /compact, /clear, /doctor, and documented context-management techniques.

Open dossier 		Compaction and Memory Hygiene for Long Claude Sessions

Guide to /compact, /memory, and CLAUDE.md hygiene for long Claude Code sessions: when to compact, what to store in memory, and avoiding stale context.

Open dossier 		Controlling MCP Result Size And Context Pressure

Reduce Claude Code context pressure from MCP tools using MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS, anthropic/maxResultSizeChars annotations, tool search deferral, alwaysLoad discipline, and pagination patterns from official MCP documentation.

Open dossier
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Categoryguidesguidesguidesguides
Sourcesource-backedsource-backedsource-backedsource-backed
AuthorkiannidevJSONboredkiannidevkiannidev
Added2026-06-162025-10-272026-06-142026-06-16
Platforms
Claude Code
Claude Code
Claude Code
Claude Code
Source repo————
Safety notes✓/heapdump writes diagnostic files that may contain code paths and snippets—handle as sensitive. claude --safe-mode disables customizations; re-enable only after identifying the culprit plugin or MCP server. Auto-compaction thrashing can loop; restart sessions between major tasks when compaction runs repeatedly.✓/heapdump writes a JavaScript heap snapshot (which can contain session content) to your Desktop or home directory; review the file before attaching it to a public issue.✓Compaction summarizes conversation history; verify summaries before relying on them for security-sensitive or release-critical decisions. Do not store secrets, credentials, or customer identifiers in `/memory` or CLAUDE.md. After compaction, re-validate repository state, test results, and open PR status before continuing destructive edits.✓Raising output limits increases context cost and may hide the need to paginate server responses. alwaysLoad: true on large servers loads every tool schema at session start—use sparingly. Truncated MCP output can omit fields needed for security review; verify critical data separately.
Privacy notes✓Heap snapshots and /context output can expose repository paths and file names. Attach diagnostics to GitHub issues only after redacting customer or secret content. Subagent delegation still sends summaries to the parent session—sanitize before sharing externally.✓/usage cost figures and /context breakdowns are computed locally from this machine's session history and do not include usage from other devices or claude.ai.✓Memory files persist across sessions and may be committed if stored in project scope. Compaction summaries can retain file paths, issue titles, and internal URLs—review before sharing session exports. Clear memory when offboarding contractors or rotating shared machines.✓Large MCP payloads may contain secrets; shrinking output does not redact—sanitize at the server. Tool search defers schemas but invoked tools still return full results into context. Shared CI logs pasted through MCP can expose internal URLs in truncated previews.
Prerequisites
  • Claude Code installed with a reproducible slow or high-memory session.
  • Terminal access to run /context, /compact, /memory, and optional /heapdump.
  • Ability to install ripgrep on the host when search tools fail.
  • Optional isolated test repo to compare safe mode vs normal startup.
— none listed
  • An active long-running Claude Code session or multi-day task spanning several sessions.
  • A project with CLAUDE.md or memory files defining durable conventions.
  • Agreement on what may be written to user or project memory versus kept ephemeral.
  • Permission to run `/compact` and inspect resulting summaries before continuing work.
  • One or more MCP servers returning large JSON, logs, or file dumps.
  • Ability to set environment variables for Claude Code sessions.
  • Optional access to MCP server source to add pagination or size annotations.
  • Understanding of your project's context budget for long sessions.
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