Check each os-sdlc agent for `omitClaudeMd: true` #1673

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opened 2026-11-10 17:44:21 +00:00 by jared · 0 comments

jared commented

2026-11-10 17:44:21 +00:00

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Problem

A custom agent loads the full CLAUDE.md chain unless its frontmatter sets omitClaudeMd: true. Headless probes on Claude Code v2.1.322 showed this on 2026-11-10. Each os-sdlc agent under plugins/os-sdlc/agents/ pays that fixed token cost on every dispatch. No one has checked which agents need CLAUDE.md. Some agents do need it: the programmer must obey the Forbidden Moves in plugins/os-sdlc/CLAUDE.md.

Reproduce

n/a: this is an investigation, not a bug.

Approach

Check each agent definition under plugins/os-sdlc/agents/ on its own. For each agent, list the CLAUDE.md rules that it must obey. Mark the agent omit only if its system prompt or its brief already carries each of those rules. Mark it keep if a rule reaches it only through CLAUDE.md. Record one line per agent with the mark and the reason. Add omitClaudeMd: true to the frontmatter of each omit agent, then run bin/refresh-plugins.

Required work: none beyond the acceptance criteria.

Acceptance criteria

Given the agent definitions under plugins/os-sdlc/agents/, when the check is complete, then each agent has a recorded mark of keep or omit with its reason.
Given an agent marked omit, when a session dispatches it, then its context holds no CLAUDE.md text.
Given an agent marked keep, when a session dispatches it, then its context still holds the CLAUDE.md text.

Non-goals

The house Explore agent. Its draft sets the key already.

Origin

Trigger: override probes for the house Explore agent, recorded in /home/jared/dev/house-explore-replay/replay/override-test/
Improvised this session: none
Chain: fixed CLAUDE.md token cost on each os-sdlc dispatch ← agent frontmatter has no omitClaudeMd key ← the default for a custom agent is to load CLAUDE.md, UPSTREAM-TOOL (Claude Code v2.1.322)
Root candidate: none found; searched omitClaudeMd, omit claude, CLAUDE.md, frontmatter, token cost, agents/, subagent context
Where: plugins/os-sdlc/agents/*.md
Session: 597f9257-8f08-43d7-903c-22571a2b510c
Transcript: /home/jared/.claude/projects/-home-jared-dev-cc-os-plugins-os-sdlc/597f9257-8f08-43d7-903c-22571a2b510c.jsonl

VERDICT: CREATE — The fixed CLAUDE.md token cost on every os-sdlc agent dispatch was observed in probes on 2026-11-10, and the cause is a Claude Code default. No existing mechanism covers it.

## Problem A custom agent loads the full CLAUDE.md chain unless its frontmatter sets `omitClaudeMd: true`. Headless probes on Claude Code v2.1.322 showed this on 2026-11-10. Each os-sdlc agent under `plugins/os-sdlc/agents/` pays that fixed token cost on every dispatch. No one has checked which agents need CLAUDE.md. Some agents do need it: the programmer must obey the Forbidden Moves in `plugins/os-sdlc/CLAUDE.md`. ## Reproduce n/a: this is an investigation, not a bug. ## Approach Check each agent definition under `plugins/os-sdlc/agents/` on its own. For each agent, list the CLAUDE.md rules that it must obey. Mark the agent `omit` only if its system prompt or its brief already carries each of those rules. Mark it `keep` if a rule reaches it only through CLAUDE.md. Record one line per agent with the mark and the reason. Add `omitClaudeMd: true` to the frontmatter of each `omit` agent, then run `bin/refresh-plugins`. Required work: none beyond the acceptance criteria. ## Acceptance criteria 1. Given the agent definitions under `plugins/os-sdlc/agents/`, when the check is complete, then each agent has a recorded mark of `keep` or `omit` with its reason. 2. Given an agent marked `omit`, when a session dispatches it, then its context holds no CLAUDE.md text. 3. Given an agent marked `keep`, when a session dispatches it, then its context still holds the CLAUDE.md text. ## Non-goals The house `Explore` agent. Its draft sets the key already. ## Origin - Trigger: override probes for the house `Explore` agent, recorded in `/home/jared/dev/house-explore-replay/replay/override-test/` - Improvised this session: none - Chain: fixed CLAUDE.md token cost on each os-sdlc dispatch ← agent frontmatter has no `omitClaudeMd` key ← the default for a custom agent is to load CLAUDE.md, `UPSTREAM-TOOL` (Claude Code v2.1.322) - Root candidate: none found; searched omitClaudeMd, omit claude, CLAUDE.md, frontmatter, token cost, agents/, subagent context - Where: `plugins/os-sdlc/agents/*.md` - Session: 597f9257-8f08-43d7-903c-22571a2b510c - Transcript: /home/jared/.claude/projects/-home-jared-dev-cc-os-plugins-os-sdlc/597f9257-8f08-43d7-903c-22571a2b510c.jsonl VERDICT: CREATE — The fixed CLAUDE.md token cost on every os-sdlc agent dispatch was observed in probes on 2026-11-10, and the cause is a Claude Code default. No existing mechanism covers it.

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2026-11-10 17:44:21 +00:00