[BUG] Claude Max plan session limits exhausted abnormally fast since March 23, 2026 (CLI usage)

[karenrebecag]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Since March 23, 2026, the 5-hour session window on Claude Max plan is being exhausted abnormally fast when using Claude via the CLI (Claude Code).

With the exact same workload and prompts as previous days, the usage limit is now hit within 1-2 hours instead of the usual full 5-hour window. The consumption rate appears to have increased drastically without any changes on our end.

Other users are reporting the same issue on Reddit (r/ClaudeCode and r/Anthropic), with some reporting jumps from 21% to 100% usage on a single prompt with the Max 20x plan, and Max 5x users exhausting their window in ~1.5 hours with normal agentic tasks.

What Should Happen?

The 5-hour session window should last the full duration with normal agentic CLI usage, consistent with behavior prior to March 23, 2026.

Error Messages/Logs

Usage limit reached message: "Claude AI usage limit reached, please try again after [time]"
No specific error in CLI beyond the rate limit cutoff.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have an active Claude Max plan (5x or 20x)
2. Use Claude via the CLI (Claude Code) for normal agentic tasks (file editing, code generation, etc.)
3. Observe usage counter in session
4. Starting March 23, 2026, the session limit is hit within 1-2 hours instead of the usual full window
5. Same tasks that previously consumed ~20-30% of quota now exhaust 80-100% in one go

Claude Model

Not sure / Multiple models

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

March 24, 2026 (last normal session)

Claude Code Version

2.1.42 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

No response

[mimosel]

+1

[DannyKerr]

Noticed the same, yesterday for the first time I hit my limit and today I've hardly used anything and I'm at 23%. Its burning through at a really high rate.

[sophiaashi]

Same on Max plan since the 23rd. Quota drains way faster than before.

Stopgap that's helped: route the routine stuff (file reads, grep, simple edits) through cheaper models so your Claude quota goes further. I set up TeamoRouter which does this automatically — keeps Opus/Sonnet for actual reasoning, sends the rest to DeepSeek or Gemini.

https://gateway.teamo.ai/skill.md if anyone wants to try it.

[Danielvandervelden]

Was picking up some tickets. Always /clear after every ticket and was monitoring my usage on my other screen. On the premium plan of my company and suddenly usage shot from 40% to 85%. What the actual fudge. Opus 4.6, medium (as always). Never seen that happen before.

[4Lienau]

This is a MASSIVE issue! My work has grinded to a halt!! Please resolve this ASAP.

[AnnNulee]

Same here. Max 5x, Opus 4.6.
Earlier today, I was implementing a single feature — hit 58% in just 40 minutes. I assumed I'd been inefficient with file operations, but it kept climbing and maxed out at 100% shortly after. Waited the full 3-hour cooldown.
Started a new session just now — fixed a single merge conflict in a JSON file (read, edit conflict markers, validate). Maybe 7-8 turns, minimal tool usage. Already at 5%. Same CLAUDE.md, same project, same model. The drain rate is completely inconsistent with actual workload.

[lucasbarroca]

For me it hits 11% (Max x5) in a CONVERSATION about OBS/Nvidia SRT LAN Setup, not doing any work at all... for like 4-6 questions...

[sa7abtech]

(Max x5 user ) i said hey claude, now it's 3% . this completely ridicules , why aren't they saying anything or informing people on the issue !