Claude Code CLI Unusable: APIErrorterminated + Offline Flickering + Extreme Execution Delays

[vanman2024]

Environment

• Platform (select one):

  • [x] Claude Code
  • [ ] Anthropic API
  • [ ] AWS Bedrock
  • [ ] Google Vertex AI
  • [ ] Other:

• Claude CLI version: claude --version → claude-code v0.2.8

• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro (via WSL2 Ubuntu 22.04)

• Terminal: VS Code integrated terminal and Windows Terminal

---

Bug Description

Claude Code frequently stalls on basic prompts. The CLI flashes the error:

APIErrorterminated… (113s · ↓ 1 tokens · esc to interrupt)

and flickers “offline” repeatedly. Execution eventually completes after 1–2+ minutes, but responses are often partial, extremely slow, or limited to just a few tokens. This significantly disrupts usage and productivity.

---

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start Claude Code via CLI in WSL

2. Enter any prompt (e.g., “Write a Python script to parse a CSV file”)

3. Wait 60–120+ seconds

4. Watch for:

   • APIErrorterminated message
   • “Offline” flickering status
   • Delayed output (usually 1–5 tokens at first)
   • Completion after excessive wait time

---

Expected Behavior

• Claude should respond within seconds
• Full prompt should execute smoothly
• Terminal should not flicker or show API errors

---

Actual Behavior

• Long delays (1–2+ minutes per prompt)
• APIErrorterminated appears almost every time
• “Offline” status flashes repeatedly
• Responses eventually return, but often very limited or delayed

---

Additional Context

• Issue is present across multiple sessions and terminals
• Internet is stable and system resources are not maxed out
• CLI is unusable for productive work due to the lag
• Began worsening mid-June 2025

[vanman2024]

Its almost unuasble at this point it was not like this for the past few weeks but I have seen this issue before

[vanman2024]

[vanman2024]

[vanman2024]

[vanman2024]

[vanman2024]

Super frustrating don't know why there are so many issues lately I keep getting api errors time our request non stop

[vanman2024]

sessions are not compacting

[vanman2024]

All day the same issue if this continues will be canclelling my max plan which will be really sad don't get why there are so many issues today

[dgtise25]

I had endless issues on WSL, decided to create dual boot my Windows 11 with Ubuntu ...Hardly ever now get these errors, I highly recommend to do that. I reckon WSL has a lot of issues trying to get do low-level kernel linux commands, so eliminate that layer by dual booting with Ubuntu. Am about ~800-900k lines of code into my application, API times outs now happen very rarely.. It is not the Max plan, it is WSL.

[R1cK-ChaN]

even /auth reset can not work. keep offline for no reason

[R1cK-ChaN]

300+seconds and only 12 tokens

[dgtise25]

downgrade to 1.0.41, see if that helps, I was having similar issues on Ubuntu: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/[email protected]

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been inactive for 30 days. If the issue is still occurring, please comment to let us know. Otherwise, this issue will be automatically closed in 30 days for housekeeping purposes.