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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Claude Code downloads ~100MB from GCS on every startup with no way to disable [1 comments, 2 participants]

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anthropics/claude-code#45067•Fetched 2026-04-09 08:14:04
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Code Example

https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases

---

[TCP] 198.18.0.1:54688 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (download: ~100MB per session)
[TCP] 198.18.0.1:64490 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (retry on failure)
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Describe the bug

Every time Claude Code starts, it silently downloads approximately 100MB from storage.googleapis.com via its built-in auto-update mechanism. There is no user-facing configuration to disable, defer, or control this behavior. The download happens even when the installed version is already up to date.

Evidence

The following URL is hardcoded in claude.exe (v2.1.92):

https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases

Network traffic captured via Clash Verge TUN proxy logs confirms repeated connections:

[TCP] 198.18.0.1:54688 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (download: ~100MB per session)
[TCP] 198.18.0.1:64490 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (retry on failure)

The connection originates from claude.exe itself (PID verified via netstat -ano), not from any plugin or MCP subprocess.

Impact

  • ~100MB downloaded on every launch, even on metered/mobile connections
  • No user notification that a large download is in progress
  • No settings.json option to disable auto-updates (only autoUpdatesChannel exists, but no autoUpdatesEnabled: false equivalent)
  • Users on limited bandwidth (mobile hotspot, pay-per-GB plans) are significantly affected

Expected behavior

  • Auto-update should cache the downloaded package and not re-download if the version hasn't changed
  • A settings.json option (e.g., "autoUpdatesEnabled": false) should allow users to opt out
  • At minimum, users should be informed that a background download is happening

Environment

  • Claude Code version: 2.1.92
  • OS: Windows 11 Home (10.0.26100)
  • Installation: C:\Users\<user>\.local\bin\claude.exe (standalone binary)

extent analysis

TL;DR

Disable auto-updates by modifying the settings.json file to include a custom "autoUpdatesEnabled": false option, although this may not be officially supported.

Guidance

  • Investigate the settings.json file for any undocumented or hidden options that could control auto-update behavior.
  • Consider using a network traffic control tool to limit or block the outgoing connections to storage.googleapis.com as a temporary workaround.
  • Reach out to the Claude Code development team to request an official option to disable or control auto-updates.
  • Monitor the network traffic to see if the download is indeed caching the package, and if not, why it's re-downloading on every launch.

Example

No code snippet is provided as there is no clear indication of how to modify the claude.exe behavior programmatically.

Notes

The provided solution is based on the assumption that adding a custom option to the settings.json file might work, but it's not officially supported. The actual fix would depend on the development team's response and implementation.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Modify the settings.json file to include a custom "autoUpdatesEnabled": false option, and use network traffic control tools to limit outgoing connections to storage.googleapis.com until an official fix is released. This is because there is no clear indication of when an official fix will be available, and users need a temporary solution to mitigate the issue.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

  • Auto-update should cache the downloaded package and not re-download if the version hasn't changed
  • A settings.json option (e.g., "autoUpdatesEnabled": false) should allow users to opt out
  • At minimum, users should be informed that a background download is happening
#api#installation#vector store#embedding generation#cache error

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