feat: use session-reported Claude CLI context windows

components/chat.tsx

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { useServerEvent, useServerResync } from "@/components/server-events";
 import {
 	isProviderKeyRefusal,
 	firstSourceTextParts,
+	cliContextWindowOf,
 	messageAnchorId,
 	textPartMessageId,
 	kbdEventForAction as kbdEventForChat,
@@ -1690,6 +1691,7 @@ export function Chat({
 					phase={phases.at(-1) ?? "probe"}
 					turns={turns}
 					contextTokens={contextTokens}
+					cliContextWindow={cliContextWindowOf(nativeMessages)}
 					pricing={pricing}
 					onReserve={setDockReserve}
 					dictationSlot={<DictationBar dictation={dictation} />}
@@ -1916,6 +1918,7 @@ function DockOverlay({
 	phase,
 	turns,
 	contextTokens,
+	cliContextWindow,
 	pricing,
 	composer,
 	onSubmitAnswer,
@@ -1952,6 +1955,7 @@ function DockOverlay({
 	/** The session's usage log — the stats bar beneath the composer folds it. */
 	turns: TurnUsage[];
 	contextTokens: number | null;
+	cliContextWindow: ReturnType<typeof cliContextWindowOf>;
 	pricing?: SessionPricing;
 	composer: React.ReactNode;
 	onSubmitAnswer: (output: QuestionAnswerData) => void;
@@ -2407,6 +2411,7 @@ function DockOverlay({
 					<StatsBar
 						turns={turns}
 						contextTokens={contextTokens}
+						cliContextWindow={cliContextWindow}
 						pricing={pricing}
 						dictationSlot={dictationSlot}
 						chatId={chatId}

components/model-picker.tsx

@@ -13,15 +13,12 @@ import { useModelCatalog } from "@/components/model-catalog";
 export { useModelCatalog } from "@/components/model-catalog";
 import { defaultOrderLevel, populateLevel, THINKING_LABEL } from "@/components/thinking-default";
 
-/** provider:id → contextWindow over the cached catalog — the client-side
+/** provider:id → known contextWindow over the cached catalog, mirroring
- *  twin of the server's catalogContextLimits join (context-meter
+ * the server's catalogContextLimits join. CLI aliases have no global
- *  amendment, owner 2026-09-23: pi's live catalog is the ONLY limit
+ * denominator: the stats bar uses that session's actual CLI report instead.
- *  source — no hardcoded fallback exists anywhere, so a model missing
+ * Missing limits always render usage-only, without a hardcoded fallback. */
- *  from the index reads limit-null and the meter renders usage-only,
- *  the honest-render precedent). Consumed by the stats bar: the same
- *  cached /api/models fetch the picker rides feeds the denominator. */
 export function catalogLimits(catalog: Pick<ModelCatalogResponse, "models">): Map<string, number> {
-	return new Map(catalog.models.map((m) => [`${m.provider}:${m.id}`, m.contextWindow]));
+	return new Map(catalog.models.flatMap((m) => m.contextWindow === null ? [] : [[`${m.provider}:${m.id}`, m.contextWindow] as const]));
 }
 
 /**

components/settings/model-menu.tsx

@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export function ModelMenuList({
 					</span>
 					<span className="flex items-center justify-between gap-2 text-muted-foreground">
 						<span className="truncate">{subscriptionLabel(`${m.provider}:${m.id}`) ? `${subscriptionLabel(`${m.provider}:${m.id}`)} (subscription)` : m.provider} · {m.id}</span>
-						<span className="shrink-0 tabular-nums">{formatTokens(m.contextWindow)}</span>
+						<span className="shrink-0 tabular-nums">{m.contextWindow === null ? "—" : formatTokens(m.contextWindow)}</span>
 					</span>
 				</>}
 			/>

components/stats-bar.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
-import { subscriptionLabels, subscriptionLabel, type SessionPricing, type TurnUsage } from "@/src/core";
+import { CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER, subscriptionLabels, subscriptionLabel, type cliContextWindowOf, type SessionPricing, type TurnUsage } from "@/src/core";
 import { formatTokens, formatUsd, planCostLabel, prettyModel } from "@/components/usage-format";
 import { ModelControl, catalogLimits, useModelCatalog } from "@/components/model-picker";
 
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ export function formatContextMeasurement(tokens: number | null, limit: number |
 	return limit === null ? numerator : `${numerator} / ${formatTokens(limit)}`;
 }
 
+/** CLI aliases have no global catalog limit: only this session's matching
+ * response can supply a denominator. Other providers keep their catalog join. */
+export function contextLimitForModel(model: string | undefined, limits: ReadonlyMap<string, number> | undefined,
+	cliWindow: ReturnType<typeof cliContextWindowOf> = null): number | null {
+	if (!model) return null;
+	if (model.startsWith(`${CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER}:`)) return cliWindow?.model === model ? cliWindow.tokens : null;
+	return limits?.get(model) ?? null;
+}
+
 /**
  * The below-composer stats bar (wave 4 observability): the session's
  * money/context footprint as one quiet row beneath the composer —
@@ -24,12 +33,14 @@ export function formatContextMeasurement(tokens: number | null, limit: number |
  * Spending arrives already priced by the server through Pi's catalog and
  * calculator. Missing cost stays "—", never fake zero. Context is a separate
  * completed-conversation measurement, never a money-log/summarizer fold or
- * transcript estimate. Its catalog denominator follows the selected model;
+ * transcript estimate. Its denominator follows the selected model, from the
- * model changes preserve the numerator. Successful compaction clears it to ?.
+ * catalog or the session's CLI report; model changes preserve the numerator.
+ * Successful compaction clears the numerator and any old CLI report.
  */
 export function StatsBar({
 	turns,
 	contextTokens = null,
+	cliContextWindow = null,
 	pricing,
 	dictationSlot,
 	chatId,
@@ -38,6 +49,7 @@ export function StatsBar({
 }: {
 	turns: TurnUsage[];
 	contextTokens?: number | null;
+	cliContextWindow?: ReturnType<typeof cliContextWindowOf>;
 	pricing?: SessionPricing;
 	/** The bound session (per-session models, owner 2026-09-28): present
 	 *  on the in-session bar — the model control binds THE SESSION'S own
@@ -86,11 +98,11 @@ export function StatsBar({
 			document.removeEventListener("keydown", onKeyDown);
 		};
 	}, [open]);
-	// Catalog-only denominator; the picker reports its effective selection.
+	// The picker reports its effective selection. CLI windows are session-
-	// Missing/pending catalog means usage-only, never a hardcoded maximum.
+	// scoped; unknown metadata always means usage-only, never a guessed maximum.
 	const { catalog } = useModelCatalog();
 	const limits = useMemo(() => (catalog ? catalogLimits(catalog) : undefined), [catalog]);
-	const limit = selectedModel ? limits?.get(selectedModel) ?? null : null;
+	const limit = contextLimitForModel(selectedModel, limits, cliContextWindow);
 	const contextLabel = formatContextMeasurement(contextTokens, limit);
 	const { cost = 0, unpriced = turns.length, subscription = 0 } = pricing ?? {};
 	// Honest cost: show dollars only when at least one turn priced;
@@ -151,6 +163,9 @@ export function StatsBar({
 									{contextLabel}
 								</span>
 							</div>
+							{selectedModel?.startsWith(`${CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER}:`) && (
+								<p>The window is reported by Claude Code’s local summary and may reflect its auto-compaction budget rather than the model’s full maximum. Unavailable windows are omitted.</p>
+							)}
 							<div className="flex justify-between gap-2">
 								<span>{subscription ? "Usage" : "Total cost"}</span>
 								<span className="tabular-nums text-card-foreground">{costLabel}</span>

src/agent/claude-code/context-window.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+
+const INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000;
+
+/** A best-effort, local-only CLI control query. Wire contract matches the
+ * official SDK0.3.259 source; this does not import or execute the SDK.
+ * Summary deliberately avoids the default full mode's token-count requests.
+ * CLI maxTokens is an effective/auto-compaction budget, not a nominal model max. */
+export class ContextWindowProbe {
+	private readonly initializeId = randomUUID();
+	private summaryId: string | undefined;
+	private initialized = false;
+	private timer: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
+	private ready = false;
+	private closed = false;
+
+	constructor(
+		private readonly write: (line: string) => void,
+		private readonly sendPrompt: () => void,
+		private readonly onWindow: (tokens: number) => void,
+	) {}
+
+	start(): void {
+		this.timer = setTimeout(() => this.proceed(false), INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+		this.timer.unref();
+		this.request(this.initializeId, { subtype: "initialize" });
+	}
+
+	/** Consume control replies separately from model/tool output, including
+	 * late/foreign replies while a native question tool is already waiting. */
+	handle(value: unknown): boolean {
+		if (!value || typeof value !== "object" || !("type" in value) || value.type !== "control_response") return false;
+		if (this.closed || !("response" in value) || !value.response || typeof value.response !== "object") return true;
+		const response = value.response as Record<string, unknown>;
+		if (response.request_id === this.initializeId) this.proceed(response.subtype === "success");
+		else if (this.summaryId && response.request_id === this.summaryId) {
+			this.summaryId = undefined;
+			if (response.subtype !== "success") return true;
+			const body = response.response as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+			const tokens = body?.maxTokens;
+			if (typeof tokens === "number" && Number.isSafeInteger(tokens) && tokens > 0) this.onWindow(tokens);
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	/** Retry when the CLI has begun a model response: pre-first-turn metadata
+	 * is not guaranteed by the protocol. Refresh also follows later responses
+	 * within the same held process, without opening a second process. */
+	refresh(): void {
+		if (!this.initialized || this.closed) return;
+		this.summaryId = randomUUID();
+		this.request(this.summaryId, { subtype: "get_context_usage", detail: "summary" });
+	}
+
+	close(): void { this.closed = true; clearTimeout(this.timer); }
+
+	private proceed(query: boolean): void {
+		if (this.ready || this.closed) return;
+		this.ready = true;
+		clearTimeout(this.timer);
+		this.initialized = query;
+		if (query) this.refresh();
+		// Never wait for metadata to run the actual user request. No support,
+		// no response, or malformed metadata simply leaves the window unknown.
+		this.sendPrompt();
+	}
+
+	private request(id: string, request: Record<string, string>): void {
+		this.write(JSON.stringify({ type: "control_request", request_id: id, request }));
+	}
+}

src/agent/claude-code/stream.ts

@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ import type { AnthropicEffort } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai/api/anthropic-messag
 import { parseStreamingJson, parseToolCallArguments } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai/utils/json-parse";
 
 import { externalCliEnv } from "../../core/auth-env.ts";
+import type { LhMessage } from "../../core/native-messages.ts";
 import { ClaudeLaunchError, createClaudeLauncher } from "./launch.ts";
 import { parseCliLine, type CliBlock, type CliEvent, type CliUsage } from "./cli-events.ts";
 import { ClaudeCodeError } from "./constants.ts";
+import { ContextWindowProbe } from "./context-window.ts";
 import { addLiveProcess, getLiveProcess, removeLiveProcess, type LiveProcess } from "./live-processes.ts";
 import { configurationForReuse, conversationForReuse } from "./reuse-context.ts";
 import { BRIDGE_SERVER_NAME, createToolBridge, toolNameFromMcp, type PendingToolCall, type ToolBridge } from "./tool-bridge.ts";
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ function getAssistantErrorMessage(error: string, text: string): string {
 }
 
 class ClaudeTurn {
-	private readonly output: AssistantMessage;
+	private readonly output: AssistantMessage & Pick<LhMessage, "cliContextWindow">;
 	private readonly contentIndexes = new Map<number, number>();
 	private readonly partialJson = new Map<number, string>();
 	private readonly toolBlocks = new Map<number, ToolCall>();
@@ -233,6 +235,10 @@ class ClaudeTurn {
 
 	getMessage(): AssistantMessage { return this.output; }
 
+	setContextWindow(tokens: number | undefined): void {
+		if (!this.finished && tokens !== undefined) this.output.cliContextWindow = tokens;
+	}
+
 	admit(calls: ToolCall[]): void {
 		this.start();
 		for (const call of calls) {
@@ -398,6 +404,8 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 	private admitted: PendingToolCall[] = [];
 	private readonly cancelledIds = new Set<string>();
 	private pendingError: string | undefined;
+	private contextWindow: number | undefined;
+	private contextProbe: ContextWindowProbe | undefined;
 
 	constructor(
 		private readonly child: ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams,
@@ -420,12 +428,17 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 		this.child.stderr.setEncoding("utf8");
 		this.child.stderr.on("data", (chunk: string) => { this.stderr = (this.stderr + chunk).slice(-65_536); });
 		this.child.stdin.on("error", (error) => console.error("claude CLI stdin closed early:", error));
-		this.child.stdin.end(`${stdinLine}\n`);
+		this.contextProbe = new ContextWindowProbe(
+			(line) => this.child.stdin.write(`${line}\n`),
+			() => { if (!this.stopping) this.child.stdin.write(`${stdinLine}\n`); },
+			(tokens) => { this.contextWindow = tokens; this.turn.setContextWindow(tokens); },
+		);
 		createInterface({ input: this.child.stdout }).on("line", (line) => {
 			try { this.handleLine(line); }
 			catch { this.fail("claude CLI emitted malformed stream output"); }
 		});
 		this.setSignal(signal);
+		if (!this.stopping) this.contextProbe.start();
 	}
 
 	canContinue(owner: symbol, sessionId: string | undefined, configuration: unknown, messages: Message[], results: ToolResultMessage[]): boolean {
@@ -445,6 +458,7 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 		this.admitted = [];
 		this.conversation = structuredClone(conversationForReuse(messages));
 		this.turn = turn;
+		this.turn.setContextWindow(this.contextWindow);
 		this.sourceComplete = this.sourceCalls.length > 0;
 		this.setSignal(signal);
 		if (this.stopping) return;
@@ -459,6 +473,7 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 		removeLiveProcess(this);
 		if (this.stopping || this.closed) return;
 		this.stopping = true;
+		this.contextProbe?.close();
 		this.child.kill();
 		this.killTimer = setTimeout(() => this.child.kill("SIGKILL"), 1000);
 		this.killTimer.unref();
@@ -526,7 +541,8 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 	}
 
 	private handleLine(line: string): void {
-		if (this.stopping) return;
+		if (this.stopping || !line.trim()) return;
+		if (this.contextProbe?.handle(JSON.parse(line))) return;
 		const event = parseCliLine(line);
 		if (!event) return;
 		if (event.type === "toolResults") {
@@ -545,6 +561,7 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 			this.fail("claude CLI moved on without admitting its harness tool calls");
 			return;
 		}
+		if (event.type === "messageStart") this.contextProbe?.refresh();
 		this.turn.handle(event);
 		if (this.turn.finished) { this.kill(); return; }
 		if (event.type === "messageStop" && this.turn.waitingForAdmission) {
@@ -562,6 +579,7 @@ class ClaudeProcess implements LiveProcess {
 	private handleClose(message: string): void {
 		if (this.closed) return;
 		this.closed = true;
+		this.contextProbe?.close();
 		clearTimeout(this.killTimer);
 		removeLiveProcess(this);
 		if (this.pendingError) addLiveProcess(this);

src/core/contracts/models.ts

@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@ export interface ModelCatalogEntry {
 	supportedLevels: ThinkingLevel[];
 	/** Null when LearnHarness cannot estimate prices for this connection. */
 	cost: { input: number; output: number; cacheRead: number; cacheWrite: number } | null;
-	contextWindow: number;
+	/** Null for native CLI aliases whose effective limits are session-specific. */
-	maxTokens: number;
+	contextWindow: number | null;
+	maxTokens: number | null;
 }
 
 /** The conversation agents' resolved default (BYOK, owner 2026-09-22): the

src/core/native-messages.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import type { AgentMessage } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
 import type { AssistantMessage, Message, ToolResultMessage, UserMessage } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
 import { QUESTION_TOOLS } from "./pending.ts";
+import { CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER } from "./contracts/claude-code.ts";
 import {
 	CONCLUDE_ACK_TEXT,
 	HANDOFF_TEXT,
@@ -90,7 +91,26 @@ declare module "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core" {
 }
 
 /** A record message: a native pi message (or our marker) plus the record id. */
-export type LhMessage = (UserMessage | AssistantMessage | ToolResultMessage | LhMarkerMessage) & { id: string };
+export type LhMessage = (UserMessage | AssistantMessage | ToolResultMessage | LhMarkerMessage) & {
+	id: string;
+	/** CLI-reported effective context budget, not a catalog model maximum.
+	 * App-only metadata: never transmitted as provider/model message content. */
+	cliContextWindow?: number;
+};
+
+/** Latest response only: never borrow an older process/model's window when
+ * a fresh response has no metadata. Compaction invalidates the old report. */
+export function cliContextWindowOf(messages: readonly LhMessage[]): { model: string; tokens: number } | null {
+	for (let i = messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+		const message = messages[i]!;
+		if (message.role === "custom" && message.customType === "compaction") return null;
+		if (message.role !== "assistant") continue;
+		const tokens = message.cliContextWindow;
+		return message.provider === CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER && typeof tokens === "number" && Number.isSafeInteger(tokens) && tokens > 0
+			? { model: `${message.provider}:${message.model}`, tokens } : null;
+	}
+	return null;
+}
 
 /** A record message list is assignable to the agent's context — that IS
  *  the replay (ui-stream/chat-handler assign it to initialState.messages). */
@@ -617,8 +637,8 @@ export function toLlmMessages(messages: readonly AgentMessage[]): Message[] {
 			});
 			continue;
 		}
-		// Strip the record id: the wire carries the native shape only.
+		// Strip app-only id/CLI context metadata: the wire carries the native shape only.
-		const { id: _id, ...native } = m as LhMessage;
+		const { id: _id, cliContextWindow: _cliContextWindow, ...native } = m as LhMessage;
 		out.push(native as Message);
 		// Repair unanswered calls from completed generations, not calls in
 		// failed generations. Pi filters error/aborted assistants itself;

src/server/model-catalog.ts

@@ -170,15 +170,16 @@ export function toModelDto(model: Model<Api>): ModelDto {
 			cacheRead: model.cost.cacheRead,
 			cacheWrite: model.cost.cacheWrite,
 		},
-		contextWindow: model.contextWindow,
+		contextWindow: model.provider === CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER ? null : model.contextWindow,
-		maxTokens: model.maxTokens,
+		maxTokens: model.provider === CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER ? null : model.maxTokens,
 	};
 }
 
 /** The live-limits index (context-meter amendment, owner 2026-09-23):
  *  provider:id → contextWindow from pi's catalog, over the SAME keyed
- *  providers the picker federates. The one source for every context
+ *  providers the picker federates. Native CLI aliases are excluded:
- *  meter's denominator — the stats-bar join holds /api/models' copy,
+ *  only a session-specific CLI report can provide their denominator.
+ *  For other models the stats-bar join holds /api/models' copy,
  *  and the activity feed (observability.ts) resolves job limits
  *  server-side through this. No hardcoded fallback exists anywhere:
  *  a model missing here reads limit-null (usage-only, honest render). */
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ export function catalogContextLimits(): Map<string, number> {
 	const keyed = keyedProviderIds();
 	const index = new Map<string, number>();
 	for (const provider of piModels().getProviders()) {
-		if (!keyed.has(provider.id)) continue;
+		if (!keyed.has(provider.id) || provider.id === CLAUDE_CODE_PROVIDER) continue;
 		for (const model of piModels().getModels(provider.id)) {
 			index.set(`${provider.id}:${model.id}`, model.contextWindow);
 		}

tests/claude-code-context-ui.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import React, { act } from "react";
+(globalThis as Record<string, unknown>).React = React;
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { afterEach, test } from "node:test";
+import { createRoot, type Root } from "react-dom/client";
+import { parseHTML } from "linkedom";
+import { StatsBar } from "../components/stats-bar.tsx";
+import { CLAUDE_CODE_MODELS } from "../src/agent/claude-code/provider.ts";
+import { toModelDto } from "../src/server/model-catalog.ts";
+import type { ModelCatalogResponse } from "../src/core/index.ts";
+
+const dom = parseHTML("<html><body></body></html>");
+Object.assign(globalThis, { window: dom.window, document: dom.document, Element: dom.window.Element, HTMLElement: dom.window.HTMLElement,
+	CustomEvent: dom.window.CustomEvent, IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT: true });
+const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+let root: Root | undefined, host: HTMLDivElement | undefined;
+afterEach(async () => { await act(async () => root?.unmount()); host?.remove(); root = undefined; globalThis.fetch = originalFetch; });
+
+test("compact CLI context is numeric only; effective-window explanation appears only in expanded session metadata", async () => {
+	const catalog: ModelCatalogResponse = { models: CLAUDE_CODE_MODELS.map(toModelDto), providers: [],
+		slots: { strong: null, cheap: null, vision: null }, defaults: null,
+		rolePins: { researcher: null, demoBuilder: null, visualMaker: null, extractor: null, auditor: null } };
+	globalThis.fetch = (async (url) => {
+		if (url === "/api/models") return Response.json(catalog);
+		if (url === "/api/settings") return Response.json({ settings: { models: {} } });
+		if (url === "/api/chats/cli-session") return Response.json({ settings: { model: { provider: "claude-code", id: "opus" } } });
+		throw new Error(`unexpected request ${url}`);
+	}) as typeof fetch;
+	host = document.createElement("div"); document.body.append(host); root = createRoot(host);
+	const render = (window: { model: string; tokens: number } | null) => root!.render(<StatsBar chatId="cli-session" turns={[]} contextTokens={42000} cliContextWindow={window} />);
+	await act(async () => render({ model: "claude-code:opus", tokens: 200000 }));
+	assert.equal(document.querySelector('[data-testid="stats-context"]')?.textContent, "42k / 200k");
+	assert(!document.body.textContent?.includes("auto-compaction"));
+	const summary = document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-testid="stats-summary"]')!;
+	assert(!summary.textContent?.includes("window")); assert(!summary.textContent?.includes("budget"));
+	await act(async () => summary.click());
+	assert.match(document.querySelector('[data-testid="stats-detail"]')?.textContent ?? "", /auto-compaction budget rather than the model’s full maximum/);
+	assert.equal(document.querySelector('[data-testid="stats-context"]')?.textContent, "42k / 200k");
+	await act(async () => render(null));
+	assert.equal(document.querySelector('[data-testid="stats-context"]')?.textContent, "42k");
+	await act(async () => render({ model: "claude-code:sonnet", tokens: 1000000 }));
+	assert.equal(document.querySelector('[data-testid="stats-context"]')?.textContent, "42k", "another alias cannot supply this session's denominator");
+});

tests/claude-code-context-window.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+import { ContextWindowProbe } from "../src/agent/claude-code/context-window.ts";
+import { CLAUDE_CODE_MODELS } from "../src/agent/claude-code/provider.ts";
+import { asAgentMessages, cliContextWindowOf, toLlmMessages, type LhMessage } from "../src/core/native-messages.ts";
+import { catalogLimits } from "../components/model-picker.tsx";
+import { contextLimitForModel, formatContextMeasurement } from "../components/stats-bar.tsx";
+import { toModelDto } from "../src/server/model-catalog.ts";
+
+function setup() {
+	const writes: { type: string; request_id: string; request: Record<string, string> }[] = [];
+	const windows: number[] = [];
+	let prompts = 0;
+	const probe = new ContextWindowProbe((line) => writes.push(JSON.parse(line)), () => prompts++, (tokens) => windows.push(tokens));
+	probe.start();
+	const reply = (index: number, body: unknown, subtype = "success") => probe.handle({ type: "control_response", response: {
+		request_id: writes[index]!.request_id, subtype, response: body,
+	} });
+	return { probe, writes, windows, reply, prompts: () => prompts };
+}
+
+test("control initialization precedes a summary-only query; neither needs user input or a model request", () => {
+	const p = setup();
+	assert.deepEqual(p.writes[0]!.request, { subtype: "initialize" }); assert.equal(p.prompts(), 0);
+	p.reply(0, {});
+	assert.deepEqual(p.writes[1]!.request, { subtype: "get_context_usage", detail: "summary" });
+	assert.equal(p.prompts(), 1, "conversation does not wait for metadata");
+	assert.notEqual(p.writes[0]!.request_id, p.writes[1]!.request_id);
+	p.probe.handle({ type: "control_response", response: { request_id: "foreign", subtype: "success", response: { maxTokens: 999 } } });
+	assert.deepEqual(p.windows, []);
+	p.reply(1, { maxTokens: 200000, rawMaxTokens: 1000000 });
+	assert.deepEqual(p.windows, [200000], "effective maxTokens, not an assumed nominal window");
+	p.reply(0, {}); p.reply(1, { maxTokens: 1 });
+	assert.equal(p.prompts(), 1); assert.deepEqual(p.windows, [200000]);
+	p.probe.close();
+});
+
+test("metadata unavailable before first response can be queried again locally; stale/closed replies are ignored", () => {
+	const p = setup(); p.reply(0, {}); p.reply(1, {}, "error");
+	assert.equal(p.prompts(), 1); assert.deepEqual(p.windows, []);
+	p.probe.refresh();
+	assert.deepEqual(p.writes[2]!.request, { subtype: "get_context_usage", detail: "summary" });
+	p.reply(1, { maxTokens: 1 }); assert.deepEqual(p.windows, []);
+	p.reply(2, { maxTokens: 200000 }); assert.deepEqual(p.windows, [200000]);
+	p.probe.refresh(); p.probe.close(); p.reply(3, { maxTokens: 999999 });
+	assert.deepEqual(p.windows, [200000]); assert.equal(p.prompts(), 1);
+});
+
+for (const tokens of [null, undefined, 0, -1, 1.5, Infinity, Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER + 1, "200000"]) test(`invalid summary budget ${tokens} remains unknown without failing the prompt`, () => {
+	const p = setup(); p.reply(0, {}); p.reply(1, { maxTokens: tokens });
+	assert.deepEqual(p.windows, []); assert.equal(p.prompts(), 1); p.probe.close();
+});
+
+test("initialization errors/timeouts fall back to ordinary prompt delivery; close cancels the timer", (t) => {
+	t.mock.timers.enable({ apis: ["setTimeout"] });
+	const error = setup(); error.reply(0, undefined, "error");
+	assert.equal(error.prompts(), 1); assert.equal(error.writes.length, 1); error.probe.close();
+	const timeout = setup(); t.mock.timers.tick(5000);
+	assert.equal(timeout.prompts(), 1); assert.equal(timeout.writes.length, 1);
+	timeout.reply(0, {}); assert.equal(timeout.writes.length, 1); timeout.probe.close();
+	const closed = setup(); closed.probe.close(); t.mock.timers.tick(5000);
+	assert.equal(closed.prompts(), 0);
+});
+
+function assistant(model = "opus", tokens: number | undefined = 200000): LhMessage & { role: "assistant" } {
+	return { id: "cli-assistant", role: "assistant", api: "claude-code-cli", provider: "claude-code", model,
+		content: [], timestamp: 0, stopReason: "stop", cliContextWindow: tokens,
+		usage: { input: 1, output: 1, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, totalTokens: 2, cost: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0, total: 0 } } };
+}
+
+test("per-session metadata survives JSON persistence, never borrows older reports, and cannot override other model selections", () => {
+	const first = assistant();
+	const window = cliContextWindowOf(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify([first])));
+	assert.deepEqual(window, { model: "claude-code:opus", tokens: 200000 });
+	assert(!("cliContextWindow" in toLlmMessages(asAgentMessages([first]))[0]!));
+	assert.equal(first.cliContextWindow, 200000, "provider projection never mutates the stored report");
+	const catalog = new Map([["anthropic:fixture", 100000], ["claude-code:opus", 1000000]]);
+	assert.equal(contextLimitForModel("claude-code:opus", catalog, window), 200000);
+	assert.equal(contextLimitForModel("claude-code:sonnet", catalog, window), null);
+	assert.equal(contextLimitForModel("claude-code:opus", catalog, null), null, "no placeholder fallback");
+	assert.equal(contextLimitForModel("anthropic:fixture", catalog, window), 100000);
+	assert.equal(contextLimitForModel(undefined, catalog, window), null);
+	assert.equal(formatContextMeasurement(42000, 200000), "42k / 200k");
+	assert.equal(formatContextMeasurement(42000, null), "42k");
+	const unreported = assistant("opus"); delete unreported.cliContextWindow;
+	assert.equal(cliContextWindowOf([first, unreported]), null);
+	const other = assistant("api"); other.provider = "anthropic";
+	assert.equal(cliContextWindowOf([first, other]), null);
+	const compacted: LhMessage = { id: "compact", role: "custom", customType: "compaction", content: "summary", display: false, details: {}, timestamp: 1 };
+	assert.equal(cliContextWindowOf([first, compacted]), null);
+	assert.equal(cliContextWindowOf([]), null);
+});
+
+test("CLI catalog limits remain unknown and cannot create a global denominator", () => {
+	const models = CLAUDE_CODE_MODELS.map(toModelDto);
+	assert(models.every((model) => model.contextWindow === null && model.maxTokens === null));
+	assert.equal(catalogLimits({ models }).size, 0);
+});

tests/claude-code-harness.test.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { CLAUDE_CODE_MODELS } from "../src/agent/claude-code/provider.ts";
 import { createClaudeCodeStreamFunction, type RunClaude } from "../src/agent/claude-code/stream.ts";
 import type { PiEngine } from "../src/agent/models.ts";
 import { createTeacherAgent } from "../src/agent/teacher-agent.ts";
-import { danglingQuestionOf } from "../src/core/native-messages.ts";
+import { cliContextWindowOf, danglingQuestionOf } from "../src/core/native-messages.ts";
 import { handleChatRequest } from "../src/server/chat-handler.ts";
 import { isTurnRunning } from "../src/server/turn-liveness.ts";
 import { runningTurn } from "../src/server/turn-runs.ts";
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ async function waitForExit(child: ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams): Promise<void>
 
 test("a question answered before the idle timeout continues the waiting CLI process with the answer", async (t) => {
 	const fakeRun = createFakeRun(t, [toAskScenario()]);
+	const run = fakeRun.runClaude;
+	fakeRun.runClaude = (args, options) => run(args, { ...options, env: { ...options.env, FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW: "200000" } });
 	const agentFactory = createAgentFactory(fakeRun);
 	const chatId = createClaudeCodeChat(t);
 
@@ -170,6 +172,8 @@ test("a question answered before the idle timeout continues the waiting CLI proc
 	await runChatTurn(chatId, toAnswerInput(), agentFactory);
 
 	assert.equal(fakeRun.children.length, 1);
+	assert.deepEqual(cliContextWindowOf(chatStore.getChat(chatId)!.messages), { model: "claude-code:sonnet", tokens: 200000 });
+	assert.deepEqual(cliContextWindowOf(JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(PATHS.chats, `${chatId}.json`), "utf8")).messages), { model: "claude-code:sonnet", tokens: 200000 });
 	assert.ok(getLastAssistantText(chatId).includes(ANSWER_TEXT), getLastAssistantText(chatId));
 	await waitForExit(waiting);
 });

tests/claude-code-stream.test.ts

@@ -620,13 +620,18 @@ test("does not inject credentials reflected only from LearnHarness's key store",
 	assert.equal(process.env[name], "lh-only-key", "other LearnHarness providers keep their env reflection");
 });
 
-test("writes the transcript as one stream-json user line on stdin", async (t) => {
+test("writes one user prompt after local-only control initialization and summary request", async (t) => {
 	const stdinFile = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "claude-code-stdin-")), "stdin.jsonl");
 	t.after(() => rmSync(dirname(stdinFile), { recursive: true, force: true }));
 
 	await runScenario(t, readFixtureLines("text.jsonl"), undefined, { FAKE_CLAUDE_STDIN: stdinFile });
 
-	assert.equal(readFileSync(stdinFile, "utf8"), `${toStreamJsonLine([{ type: "text", text: "hi" }])}\n`);
+	const lines = readFileSync(stdinFile, "utf8").trim().split("\n");
+	assert(lines.length >= 3);
+	assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(lines[0]!).request, { subtype: "initialize" });
+	assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(lines[1]!).request, { subtype: "get_context_usage", detail: "summary" });
+	assert.equal(lines[2], toStreamJsonLine([{ type: "text", text: "hi" }]));
+	assert(lines.slice(3).every((line) => JSON.parse(line).request.detail === "summary"));
 });
 
 test("parseCliLine ignores non-JSON, system, rate-limit and successful result lines", () => {
@@ -1002,6 +1007,28 @@ test("a caller without a session ID uses fresh replay and retains no held proces
 	await assertCleanedUp(getOnlyCall(fresh.calls));
 });
 
+test("CLI window metadata stays on its own process and survives a held-tool continuation", async (t) => {
+	const read: ToolUse = { id: "toolu_window", name: "read", arguments: { path: "one" } };
+	const one = createFakeRun(t, [...toToolUseMessage([read]), callTool(read), REPLY], { FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW: "200000" });
+	const two = createFakeRun(t, [...toToolUseMessage([read]), callTool(read), REPLY], { FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW: "750000" });
+	let spawns = 0;
+	const stream = createClaudeCodeStreamFunction((args, opts) => (++spawns === 1 ? one : two).runClaude(args, opts));
+	const window = (m: AssistantMessage) => (m as AssistantMessage & { cliContextWindow?: number }).cliContextWindow;
+	const a = await runTurn(stream, [HI], { sessionId: "context-one" });
+	const b = await runTurn(stream, [HI], { sessionId: "context-two" });
+	assert.equal(window(a), 200000); assert.equal(window(b), 750000);
+	const ra = await runTurn(stream, [HI, a, toToolResult(read, "a")], { sessionId: "context-one" });
+	const rb = await runTurn(stream, [HI, b, toToolResult(read, "b")], { sessionId: "context-two" });
+	assert.equal(window(ra), 200000); assert.equal(window(rb), 750000); assert.equal(spawns, 2);
+});
+
+for (const extraEnv of [{ FAKE_CLAUDE_INIT: "error" }, { FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW: "-1" }, {}] as Record<string, string>[]) test(`missing/unsupported CLI window never prevents a normal response: ${JSON.stringify(extraEnv)}`, async (t) => {
+	const { events } = await runScenario(t, readFixtureLines("text.jsonl"), undefined, extraEnv);
+	const result = getLastEvent(events);
+	assert.equal(result.type, "done");
+	assert(!("cliContextWindow" in (result.type === "done" ? result.message : {})));
+});
+
 for (const sharedIdentity of [false, true]) test(`two concurrent stream owners keep separate processes${sharedIdentity ? " even with identical call IDs and arguments" : ""}`, async (t) => {
 	const readOne: ToolUse = { id: "toolu_concurrent_one", name: "read", arguments: { path: "one" } };
 	const readTwo: ToolUse = sharedIdentity ? { ...readOne } : { id: "toolu_concurrent_two", name: "read", arguments: { path: "two" } };

tests/fixtures/claude-code/fake-claude.mjs

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { on } from "node:events";
+import { createInterface } from "node:readline";
 
 import { Client } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js";
 import { StreamableHTTPClientTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/streamableHttp.js";
@@ -56,8 +57,29 @@ async function writeReply(text) {
 const mcpConfig = readFileSync(process.argv[process.argv.indexOf("--mcp-config") + 1], "utf8");
 
 let input = "";
-for await (const chunk of process.stdin) input += chunk;
+let receiveUser;
-if (process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_STDIN) writeFileSync(process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_STDIN, input);
+const userReceived = new Promise((resolve) => { receiveUser = resolve; });
+createInterface({ input: process.stdin }).on("line", async (line) => {
+	input += `${line}\n`;
+	const message = JSON.parse(line);
+	if (message.type !== "control_request") {
+		if (process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_STDIN) writeFileSync(process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_STDIN, input);
+		receiveUser(); return;
+	}
+	if (message.request.subtype === "initialize") {
+		if (process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_INIT === "ignore") return;
+		await writeLine(JSON.stringify({ type: "control_response", response: {
+			request_id: message.request_id, subtype: process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_INIT === "error" ? "error" : "success",
+			response: {}, error: "unsupported initialize",
+		} }));
+	} else if (message.request.subtype === "get_context_usage") {
+		await writeLine(JSON.stringify({ type: "control_response", response: {
+			request_id: message.request_id, subtype: "success",
+			response: { maxTokens: process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW ? JSON.parse(process.env.FAKE_CLAUDE_WINDOW) : null },
+		} }));
+	}
+});
+await userReceived;
 
 let bridge = null;
 const results = [];

tests/model-catalog.test.ts

@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ describe("the model catalog projection", () => {
 			assert.ok(Array.isArray(m.supportedLevels));
 			if (m.provider === "claude-code") assert.equal(m.cost, null);
 			else assert.ok(m.cost && typeof m.cost.input === "number" && typeof m.cost.output === "number");
-			assert.ok(m.contextWindow > 0);
+			if (m.provider === "claude-code") assert.equal(m.contextWindow, null);
+			else assert.ok(m.contextWindow !== null && m.contextWindow > 0);
 		}
 		const glm = models.find((m) => m.id === "z-ai/glm-5.3-flash");
 		assert.ok(glm, "glm-5.3-flash in catalog");
@@ -384,9 +385,9 @@ describe("the claude-code provider (native CLI authentication, no LearnHarness k
 		});
 	});
 
-	it("catalogContextLimits() has claude-code:opus when the CLI is installed", () => {
+	it("catalogContextLimits() never advertises placeholder CLI limits, even when installed", () => {
 		withClaudeInstalled(true, () => {
-			assert.ok((catalogContextLimits().get("claude-code:opus") ?? 0) > 0);
+			assert.equal(catalogContextLimits().has("claude-code:opus"), false);
 		});
 	});