Claude Code deletes conversation history without user consent, leading to irreversible data loss.
Claude Code deletes conversation history without user consent, leading to irreversible data loss.
Problem statement normalized from the linked evidence
CANDIDATE VIEW · NOT A PUBLISHED OPPORTUNITY
01
Qualification checklist
Gate decision: Aug 15, 2026
×
At least 3 independent users2 / 3
NOT MET
✓
At least 2 independent discussions2 / 2
MET
✓
At least 1 supporting signal1 Workarounds · 1 Blocked workflows · Persistence
MET
02
Observed signals
Users2
Discussions2
Mentions2
Active days2
Source coverageGitHub
TrendUNKNOWN
First seenApr 11, 2026
Last seenMay 26, 2026
Why the gate is holding
Fewer than 3 independent users
Competition research, commercial scoring, and Build Gap analysis do not run until this gate passes.
03
Source evidence
2 evidence records
github · CRITICAL · Apr 11, 2026
Critical: Claude Code silently deletes conversation history without user consent
## Severity: Critical — silent, irreversible data loss ## Description Claude Code automatically prunes (deletes) old `.jsonl` conversation files from `~/.claude/projects/*/` without any user consent, notification, or configuration option. Users discover their conversation history is gone only when they try to `--resume` an old session. ## Evidence On an Arch Linux system running Claude Code installed via AUR, upgraded through versions 2.1.85 → 2.1.101 over March–April 2026: - **10 conversation sessions** spanning 2…
[BUG] Claude Code silently deletes conversation transcripts after 30 days by default
### Preflight Checklist - [x] I have searched [existing issues](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20label%3Abug) and this hasn't been reported yet - [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs) - [x] 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 w…