Claude Code v2.1.79 OAuth Login Broken After Auto-Update: Workaround and Fix

Claude Code v2.1.79 OAuth Login Failure

Claude Code v2.1.79 has a confirmed bug that breaks OAuth login after auto-update via the native installer. When users run /login, the browser opens and shows "You're all set up for Claude Code!" but the CLI never receives the callback, resulting in: OAuth error: timeout of 15000ms exceeded.

Confirmed Issues and Timeline

Multiple GitHub issues confirm the problem: #33238 (auth.anthropic.com DNS resolution fails), #33214 (OAuth timeout even with manual token paste), #33213 (multiple workstations affected), #33217 (infinite OAuth timeout loop), and #33239 (can't authenticate on individual accounts).

Anthropic has confirmed an official outage on status.claude.com: "Elevated errors on Claude.ai. Claude Code login/logout actions are also affected." — March 18 incident.

The Root Cause

The native installer auto-updates to v2.1.79 and takes PATH priority over npm installations. When users try to downgrade with npm install -g @anthropic-ai/[email protected], claude --version still shows 2.1.79 because the native installation is prioritized. Running where.exe claude on Windows reveals two installations: the native one (2.1.79) and the npm one (2.1.75).

Full Fix Instructions

Windows:

where.exe claude
Remove-Item "C:\nvm4w\nodejs\claude" -Force
Remove-Item "C:\nvm4w\nodejs\claude.cmd" -Force
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/[email protected]
claude --version
claude /login

Mac/Linux:

which claude
rm ~/.local/bin/claude
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/[email protected]
claude --version
claude /login

Important Notes

• Don't just run npm install — the native installer reinstalls itself due to PATH priority
• Disable ad blockers before logging in (uBlock, AdBlock capture the OAuth popup)
• Don't use /resume with old sessions — you'll enter a loop. Start a fresh session
• Prevent future auto-updates: export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTOUPDATE=1