Which Claude Code versions shipped in this cycle?

Claude Code put out five builds between August 17 and August 20, 2026: 2.1.234 on the 17th, 2.1.235 on the 18th, 2.1.236 on the 19th, and both 2.1.237 and 2.1.238 on the 20th. Version 2.1.238 is the newest entry in the changelog, and it carries the plugin-marketplace and self-hosted-runner changes.

Do I have to approve a plugin marketplace's headersHelper before it runs?

Yes. Claude Code shows the headersHelper command first, then claude plugin install and claude plugin update ask [y/N] before running it, unless you pass -y. A helper defined in a project .mcp.json, a plugin, or an agent file also runs without inherited credential environment variables, so it cannot quietly pick up your secrets.

Does the new Concise output style make Claude Code less thorough?

No. The Claude Code changelog for 2.1.237 states that the Concise style leads with results and skips preamble and narration while doing the work just as thoroughly. It changes how much Claude Code narrates, not how much it does. You select it under Output style in /config.

Why were long Claude Code sessions using more and more memory?

Subagent tool results were kept in memory for the whole session. Claude Code 2.1.238 releases them once they leave the recent display window, which stops the unbounded growth. The same build also clears leftover /tmp/claude-*-cwd files when a Bash command is killed, times out, or is interrupted.

Anthropic · 2026-08-20 · major

Claude Code 2.1.238 — plugin marketplaces can mint their own auth headers

Claude Code 2.1.238 adds headersHelper, a command that mints HTTP headers such as a short-lived token for private plugin marketplaces. The same build fixes unbounded memory growth in long interactive sessions.

GitHub repository card for anthropics/claude-code

Private plugin marketplaces can now hand Claude Code a fresh token for every catalog fetch.

Quick facts

Maker	Anthropic
Version	2.1.238
Released	August 20, 2026
New in 2.1.238	headersHelper auth for plugin marketplaces
New in 2.1.237	Built-in "Concise" output style
Notable fix	Memory growth in long interactive sessions

What is it?

Claude Code 2.1.238 adds headersHelper to plugin marketplaces: a command that mints HTTP headers, such as a short-lived token, for catalog and same-origin archive fetches. A catalog entry's helper runs only when you install or update that plugin, after Claude Code prints the command it will run and asks [y/N]. That closes the gap for teams whose internal plugin registry sits behind short-lived credentials.

How does it work?

Self-hosted runners get two new flags in the same build. The --defer-shutdown-max-min option keeps serving attached sessions after SIGTERM for a set number of minutes, parks whatever is left, then exits. The --proxy-authorization-command and --proxy-authorization-file options supply a freshly issued Proxy-Authorization header on every connection, for egress proxies that demand one.

Why does it matter?

Anyone who leaves the terminal agent open all day gets the bigger win: unbounded memory growth in long interactive sessions is fixed, because subagent tool results are now released once they leave the recent display window. The 2.1.237 build from the same day added a built-in "Concise" output style that skips preamble and narration.

Who is it for?

teams running private plugins or self-hosted runners

Frequently asked questions

Which Claude Code versions shipped in this cycle?: Claude Code put out five builds between August 17 and August 20, 2026: 2.1.234 on the 17th, 2.1.235 on the 18th, 2.1.236 on the 19th, and both 2.1.237 and 2.1.238 on the 20th. Version 2.1.238 is the newest entry in the changelog, and it carries the plugin-marketplace and self-hosted-runner changes.
Do I have to approve a plugin marketplace's headersHelper before it runs?: Yes. Claude Code shows the headersHelper command first, then claude plugin install and claude plugin update ask [y/N] before running it, unless you pass -y. A helper defined in a project .mcp.json, a plugin, or an agent file also runs without inherited credential environment variables, so it cannot quietly pick up your secrets.
Does the new Concise output style make Claude Code less thorough?: No. The Claude Code changelog for 2.1.237 states that the Concise style leads with results and skips preamble and narration while doing the work just as thoroughly. It changes how much Claude Code narrates, not how much it does. You select it under Output style in /config.
Why were long Claude Code sessions using more and more memory?: Subagent tool results were kept in memory for the whole session. Claude Code 2.1.238 releases them once they leave the recent display window, which stops the unbounded growth. The same build also clears leftover /tmp/claude-*-cwd files when a Bash command is killed, times out, or is interrupted.