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Claude Code Memory Leak: How to Diagnose and Fix
Identify and resolve memory leaks in Claude Code CLI. Learn why Claude consumes more memory over time and how to reclaim it.
MemoryPerformanceDebugging
Quick Command
$ claude-trace -j | jq '.totals.rss_kb'!The Problem
Claude Code memory usage grows continuously over time, eventually causing your system to slow down or run out of RAM.
?Common Causes
- •Long-running sessions accumulating conversation context
- •Large files being held in memory for analysis
- •Multiple sessions with overlapping contexts
- •Orphaned Node.js processes not properly garbage collected
- •File watchers holding file handles open
🔍How to Diagnose
Monitor memory usage over time with Claude Trace:
```bash
# Watch memory in real-time
claude-trace -w 2
# JSON output for tracking
claude-trace -j | jq '.processes[] | {pid, rss_kb, project}'
```
The RSS (Resident Set Size) column shows actual memory usage. Watch for processes where this grows steadily.✓Solution
1. **Restart long-running sessions**: The simplest fix is to restart Claude sessions that have been running for hours 2. **Kill high-memory processes**: Use Claude Trace to identify and kill the worst offenders ```bash # Find processes using > 1GB claude-trace -j | jq '.processes[] | select(.rss_kb > 1048576)' ``` 3. **Reduce context window**: Start new conversations instead of continuing very long ones 4. **Close unused sessions**: Keep only the Claude sessions you're actively using
🛡Prevention
- Set memory thresholds in Claude Trace settings (e.g., alert at 2GB per process) - Restart Claude sessions daily if you leave them running - Use Claude Trace's "Kill All" feature when switching projects
Monitor Claude Code in Real-Time
Get Claude Trace for instant visibility into every Claude process.
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