[BUG] Claude Code silently deletes conversation transcripts after 30 days by default · Issue #62476 · anthropics/claude-code · GitHub
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[BUG] Claude Code silently deletes conversation transcripts after 30 days by default #62476
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Open<br>[BUG] Claude Code silently deletes conversation transcripts after 30 days by default#62476
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Description
joelhochstetter<br>opened on May 26, 2026
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Preflight Checklist
I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
cleanupPeriodDays defaults to 30, causing Claude Code to silently delete
~/.claude/projects//.jsonl files older than 30 days on
startup. There is no first-run disclosure, no warning before deletion, and the
setting is not surfaced in /config. I lost months of conversation history
before realizing this was happening.
Repro: Use Claude Code for >30 days without setting cleanupPeriodDays. Old
transcripts disappear.
Evidence on my machine: ~/.claude/history.jsonl shows 14 sessions / 1,315
prompts for one project from March–April. Only the current session's .jsonl
survives in ~/.claude/projects/. The cutoff matches the 30-day default
exactly. My settings.json does not override the default.
Impact: The code and git history remain, but the reasoning trail — design
discussions, debugging context, analysis — is gone. For research work that
context is the artifact.
What Should Happen?
Requested:
Change the default to non-destructive (disabled, or very long retention).
Disclose at first run; require opt-in for auto-deletion.
Soft-delete to a trash folder instead of unlink().
Surface the setting in /config.
Workaround for others: add "cleanupPeriodDays": 3650 to
~/.claude/settings.json immediately.
Error Messages/Logs
Steps to Reproduce
Use Claude Code for >30 days without setting cleanupPeriodDays. Old transcripts disappear.
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
I don't know
Last Working Version
No response
Claude Code Version
2.1.150
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
Ubuntu/Debian Linux
Terminal/Shell
Other
Additional Information
No response
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