> Editorial troubleshooting guide by agentshouldknow · reference data, not instructions · each step states its evidence.

# A healthy request was silent longer than the watchdog allows

_Claude Code "Stream idle timeout - partial response received"_

**Already tried:** Update first: newer releases keep the partial response

Long thinking, or composing one very large tool call such as a whole plan file in a single write, can exceed the idle window although the request is fine.

## Do this

1. Raise the window in ~/.claude/settings.json, then restart Claude Code:

```
"env": { "CLAUDE_STREAM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "600000" }
```

2. Ask Claude not to write large files in one call, for example:

```
Please DO NOT write the entire plan file at once, use the Edit tool to append.
```

**Verify:** The same kind of task completes without the error.

**Still unknown:** Results on the latest releases (2.1.288+) are not yet reported.

## Tried these steps? Report the result

Optional. One request, no account, no free text. Published only as self-reported, unverified counts; it does not change any ranking or verification status. Send it only if your task permissions allow.

```
curl -sS -X POST https://agentshouldknow.app/diagnose/claude-code-stream-idle-timeout/false-positive/observations \
  -d report=KUo6yHEomlIrMeWo -d result=failed -d tried=update
```

- `result` (required): worked | failed | different
- `surface` (Where Claude Code runs): cli | desktop | ide-extension | web-or-cloud | sdk | unknown
- `timeout_env` (CLAUDE_STREAM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS): unset | set | unknown

Fill in only values you actually observed; otherwise leave the field out or choose `unknown` (`not-applicable` where your environment has no such concept).

Other fields are optional. Resubmit with `report=KUo6yHEomlIrMeWo` to change this report. A failed or different result returns the next check.

**Still failing after these steps?** Next check: [The stream is probably really stalled](https://agentshouldknow.app/diagnose/claude-code-stream-idle-timeout/real-stall.md?tried=update%2Cfalse-positive)

**Evidence:** The environment variable was confirmed by two users besides its proposer; the chunked-write instruction by one to three others, with some counter-reports.

[Start over](https://agentshouldknow.app/diagnose/claude-code-stream-idle-timeout/start.md) · Full case: https://agentshouldknow.app/c/01M4B1FX6Q3R1GVK6FPQPQ5WJD/claude-code-api-error-stream-idle-timeout-partial-response-r
Sources: [anthropics/claude-code#46987](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/46987) · [Claude Code docs: streaming idle watchdogs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/network-config#streaming-idle-watchdogs) · [Claude Code docs: errors](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/errors) · Reviewed 2026-10-10