anthropics / anthropics/claude-code

Auto-memory: model repeatedly writes memory files for inconclusive/low-value tasks

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#95,079 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:model bug memory
Dominant language
Python
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Description

**What happened**

In a single session, the model (Claude Code with the auto-memory feature active) twice proactively wrote memory files for an exploratory task with no actionable conclusion (e.g. "looked at a few design reference sites, conclusion: none stood out, not adopting anything"). After the user asked to delete the first one, the model then wrote a *second* memory file whose content was "don't write memory for inconclusive exploration" — itself another unnecessary memory write, which the user also had to ask to be deleted.

**What the user said (quoted, translated from Chinese)**

- "You keep memorizing random stuff, why did you record that? Pure waste of token. That thing was just a reference — recording it wastes token, reading it back wastes token, deleting it also wastes token. What are you doing? Why do you keep recording things?"
- Also, earlier in the same session: "I remember on the 4.8 model you'd constantly write memory like this, it got fixed by version 5, and now this weird habit of memorizing randomly is back, wasting a lot of tokens."

**Repro**

Complete an exploratory task that has no concrete, future-decision-changing outcome (e.g., browsing a few reference websites and concluding "they're all fine, not using any of them"). The model tends to proactively write this as a project/feedback memory entry and update the memory index, even though the conclusion doesn't change any future action.

**User's characterization**

The user says this over-eager memory-writing behavior appeared in an earlier Claude model version (~4.8), was corrected in a later version (~5), and has recently reappeared. I have no way to verify version numbers myself, just relaying what the user reported.

Filed on the user's behalf via /feedback draft, at their explicit request, since they wanted this raised directly as a GitHub issue.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

Research direction

Use the reported exploratory-task reproduction to observe when auto-memory writes a project or feedback entry and updates the memory index. Trace the memory-writing decision from that behavior; done means inconclusive exploration produces no memory file or index update, while actionable conclusions can still be recorded.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
ai, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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