Claude Code burns approximately 15-20% of tokens on a recurring status line feature, detected via Open Telemetry export. Every 30 seconds, each background agent sends its transcript to its model to generate a 3-5 word description for the agents panel. This query_source = agent_summary process costs more than the main conversation itself, measured at 16.4% compared to 15.7%.
The anomaly was first noted in version 2.1.232 (August 2026) and has been on by default since. A Bun preload script named no-agent-summary.js disables this timer by intercepting summarizer anchor callbacks, preventing the agent_summary requests from firing. The script uses Function.prototype.toString to identify callbacks even when running from compiled bytecode.
Users can apply the fix by downloading the script and setting the BUN_OPTIONS environment variable to include the preload path. The fix is permanent across sessions and works across Linux environments. Alternative methods include modifying shell profiles or using a wrapper named claude on the PATH.
The suppression affects Claude Code's per-request cost estimates, preserving rate-limit headroom on subscriptions.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing