Claude Code 2.1.302: fork subagents on by default and a cap on parallel hooks

what changed

Claude Code 2.1.302 shipped on 16 October 2026. Four changes affect teams that script or govern it.

Fork subagents (subagent_type: "fork") are now on by default in claude -p, the Agent SDK, the desktop app and VS Code, as they already were in the terminal. Set CLAUDE_CODE_FORK_SUBAGENT=0 to turn them off.

The desktop app and VS Code now always run the main conversation’s subagents in the background. A subagent’s own Agent calls in claude -p, the Agent SDK, the desktop app and VS Code now run in the foreground by default.

Prompt and agent hooks now run at most 12 of one event at a time. The rest wait their turn.

Sessions started with claude -p or the Agent SDK with no permission mode now start in default mode on third-party providers, with telemetry off, or on a fresh install. --permission-mode auto keeps auto.

why it matters

These are default changes, so scripts that did not change can still behave differently. CI jobs and tools built on the Agent SDK may now fork subagents where they did not before. Hook-heavy setups may run slower under the cap of 12.

The permission mode change matters for governance. A job that relied on an implied mode could now ask for approval, or behave under stricter rules.

what we would do

1. Run your headless and SDK jobs on 2.1.302 in a test project and compare their output and run time with the last version.
2. Set the permission mode explicitly in every scripted run, so it never depends on a default.
3. Count how many prompt and agent hooks fire on one event in your shared settings.
4. Decide if your team wants fork subagents, and set CLAUDE_CODE_FORK_SUBAGENT on purpose.

For rolling Claude Code out across a team, see our enable service.