Claude Code v2.1.81 Release Notes

The Claude Code team has released v2.1.81, packed with powerful new features for automation workflows and significant improvements to the overall user experience. This release focuses on enhanced scripting capabilities, better permission management, and resolving critical bugs that have been affecting daily workflows.

What’s New

Enhanced Scripting with —bare Flag

The standout feature in this release is the new --bare flag for scripted -p calls. This lightweight mode skips hooks, LSP, plugin sync, and skill directory walks, making it perfect for automation scenarios. It requires ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or an apiKeyHelper via --settings, with OAuth and keychain authentication disabled for security in scripted environments.

Channel Permissions Relay

A new --channels permission relay system allows channel servers with the permission capability to forward tool approval prompts directly to your phone, streamlining the approval process for remote operations.

Authentication and Session Management

Multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions no longer require repeated re-authentication when one session refreshes its OAuth token. Additionally, sessions that were in a worktree now properly resume in that same worktree.

Voice Mode Improvements

Several critical voice mode issues have been resolved:

Retry failures now show actual error messages instead of generic “check your network” messages
Audio recovery works properly when the server drops WebSocket connections
Overall stability improvements for voice interactions

Remote Control Enhancements

Session titles now derive from the first prompt instead of showing generic titles
The /rename command properly syncs titles for Remote Control sessions
/exit now reliably archives sessions
Session titles refresh automatically after your third message

Developer Experience Improvements

Fixed Node.js 18 compatibility issues
Improved MCP read/search tool calls now collapse into cleaner “Queried {server}” lines
Better bash mode discoverability with Claude suggesting ! mode for interactive commands
Plugin freshness improvements with ref-tracked plugins re-cloning on every load
VSCode Windows PATH inheritance fixed for Bash tool when using Git Bash

Platform-Specific Updates

Line-by-line response streaming has been disabled on Windows (including WSL in Windows Terminal) due to rendering issues, ensuring a more stable experience on these platforms.

How to Update

To update to Claude Code v2.1.81:

Check your current version with claude-code --version
Update using your package manager or download the latest version
Restart any active Claude Code sessions to ensure all fixes take effect
Review the new --bare flag documentation if you’re using Claude Code in scripted environments