Claude.md isn't always read and followed

[pajtai]

I thought Claude was more reliable. Guess you can't count on CLAUDE.md files always being read and followed.

Context was only at 13% used.

The transcript:

---

pajtai> Why didn't you rename the completed plan per ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md?

You're right, I missed that. Let me find and rename the plan file now.

Read 1 file (ctrl+o to expand)

I need to identify which plan file corresponds to the [PROJECT] fix. Let me check the likely candidates.

Searched for 1 pattern, read 1 file (ctrl+o to expand)

Bash(mv ~/.claude/plans/elegant-leaping-spring.md ~/.claude/plans/2026-02-18-[PROJECT].md) ⎿ Done

Done. Renamed elegant-leaping-spring.md → 2026-02-18-[PROJECT].md.

  I'll make a note to remember this step going forward.

 Wrote 1 memory (ctrl+o to expand)

pajtai> Where did you put the note?

I put it in the project-specific memory file at /Users/pajtai/.claude/projects/-Users-pajtai-[PROJECT]/memory/MEMORY.md.

  But that's the wrong place — the reminder applies to all projects, not just this one.
  It should go in the global MEMORY.md at /Users/pajtai/.claude/projects/-Users-pajtai-[PROJECT]/memory/MEMORY.md...
  wait, let me check where the global one actually is.

 Searched for 1 pattern (ctrl+o to expand)

 The only MEMORY.md that exists is the project-specific one at
  /Users/pajtai/.claude/projects/-Users-pajtai-[PROJECT]/memory/MEMORY.md.
  That's where I put it.

  However, since the plan-renaming rule is already in your global CLAUDE.md, the note is redundant. Would you like me to remove it?

[LouisvilleGeek]

Can confirm. You need to kick off the sessions to read the ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md file. Annoying.

And also the recent /compact bug.. is anyone else seeing that you cannot compact and must /clear ?