Claude Code v2.1.311 release with new `self-hosted-runner` options, improved context handl

EXHIBIT 2309 · URGENT

Oct 26, 2026 22:22 UTC github_releases+pages https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-code/main/CHANGELOG.md

Claude Code v2.1.311 release with new `self-hosted-runner` options, improved context handling, and numerous bug fixes for subagents, file operations, and more.

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claude code v2.1.311 just dropped! looks like they added new `--hold-idle-file` and `--max-hold-min` flags for self-hosted runners. could be super useful for keeping sessions alive.

big list of fixes in the new claude code update! especially interested in the context handling fix for standard sessions and how it affects `1M context` usage. also, lots of subagent stability improvements.

[MERGED across 2 sources: github_releases, pages] shared signal: claude-code --- github_releases :: anthropics/claude-code --- anthropics/claude-code release: v2.1.311 name: v2.1.311 published: 2026-10-26T21:51:23Z url: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/releases/tag/v2.1.311 ## What's changed - Added `--hold-idle-file` and `--max-hold-min` to `self-hosted-runner`, to keep an idle session while your host reports processes it left running - Added a tip for the Explanatory output style, shown when you ask Claude for explanations - Fixed long freezes at startup and after reading or editing files when a CLAUDE.md file holds a very long list item - Fixed interrupting Claude not taking effect until a timeout while an MCP server had not answered a resource read or a skill was still downloading - Fixed standard-context sessions stopping with "Usage credits required for 1M context" when a request ran over 200K tokens; Claude Code now compacts the conversation and continues - Fixed Write and Edit stalling for up to 5 seconds after they ran, and reporting 0 lines changed, when changing thousands of lines in a file - Fixed subagents being unable to use MCP tools from servers that finish connecting after the subagent starts - Fixed Claude seeing stale MEMORY.md and CLAUDE.md content right after automatic compaction when those files were edited earlier in the session - Fixed `claude -p` and SDK sessions saving transcript messages out of order or keeping messages that were taken back - Fixed `SubagentStop` hooks running about twice a minute for each running subagent instead of once when it finishes - Fixed the @ file picker ignoring `.ignore`/`.rgignore` negation rules that re-include git-ignored files - Fixed a subagent's isolated worktree being removed while a background subagent it started was still working in it - Fixed background agents in auto mode that wait on their own shells starting a new main conversation turn on every wake - Fixed the Bash tool description cl