One Claude Code MCP call fans out to paid workers while a shared cost capability blocks work beyond the 25 dollar limit

One Claude Code MCP call spent the whole agent budget

The Claude Code run had a $25 limit and made one MCP call. Hidden fan-out behind the server produced a $286.40 bill.

September 14, 2026 · 7 min · 1401 words · Thomas De Vos
Read One Claude Code MCP call spent the whole agent budget
Claude Code course path from a convincing demo to a governed run and production evidence

My Claude Code production agents course is live

My new practical Leanpub course turns the production engineering behind Claude Code agents into labs, assessments, capstones, and a production-readiness dossier.

September 1, 2026 · 4 min · 841 words · Thomas De Vos
Read My Claude Code production agents course is live
Two passing Claude Code test commands point to different commit, working tree, and lockfile fingerprints, so the review marks one result stale and requests a rerun

Bind Claude Code test results to the code they actually tested

Claude Code can report passing tests from different repository states. Add a run fingerprint so each result names the exact code, dependencies, tools, and policy it tested.

August 5, 2026 · 5 min · 1065 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Bind Claude Code test results to the code they actually tested
An approved effect contract and a Claude Code MCP write enter a receipt gate that checks the principal, target, state change, and independent verification before completion

Require an effect receipt after every Claude Code MCP write

An MCP tool can return success after changing the wrong target or using the wrong authority. Make Claude Code prove the external effect before it reports completion.

August 1, 2026 · 5 min · 959 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Require an effect receipt after every Claude Code MCP write
A shared working tree enters a diff ownership gate where Claude Code changes continue to review while a developer edit and unattributed generated file are excluded

Make Claude Code prove diff ownership before it commits

Claude Code can accidentally include a developer’s unfinished edit or another agent’s output in its patch. Record the baseline, attribute every hunk, and block commits when ownership is unclear.

July 31, 2026 · 6 min · 1149 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Make Claude Code prove diff ownership before it commits
An approved Claude Code plan bound to commit A reaches a freshness gate after commit B changes a relevant dependency, so execution stops and the agent replans for review

Expire Claude Code plans when the repository changes

A Claude Code plan can become stale after another commit changes its assumptions. Bind approval to repository state and force a replan when the relevant boundary moves.

July 30, 2026 · 6 min · 1117 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Expire Claude Code plans when the repository changes
Claude Code sends a write through an MCP tool, receives a timeout, and verifies the external system before continuing, retrying, or stopping

A Claude Code tool timeout does not mean the action failed

A timed-out MCP tool call may have completed after the connection closed. Verify the external result before Claude Code retries a write.

July 29, 2026 · 9 min · 1773 words · Thomas De Vos
Read A Claude Code tool timeout does not mean the action failed
An AI agent proposal passing through schema, operation, target, policy, dry-run, and approval checks before a receiving system may execute it

Treat AI agent output as untrusted input at every handoff

An approved AI agent can still produce a dangerous command, query, or tool argument. Validate generated output at the receiving boundary before another system acts on it.

July 28, 2026 · 7 min · 1292 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Treat AI agent output as untrusted input at every handoff
An AI agent model fallback stopped at a security gate that checks provider, region, data, retention, tools, and policy before routing the request

Your agent's fallback model needs its own security decision

A model fallback can move prompts, retrieved data, and tool authority across a new provider or region. Treat each switch as a fresh policy decision, not a harmless retry.

July 27, 2026 · 6 min · 1248 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Your agent's fallback model needs its own security decision
Diagram showing a bad Claude Code run becoming a replay case, an eval, a control change, and a safer next run

Claude Code evals should start with the run that scared you

The best Claude Code eval is not a tidy benchmark. It is the uncomfortable run your team does not want to repeat, captured as a replayable production control.

May 20, 2026 · 8 min · 1604 words · Thomas De Vos
Read Claude Code evals should start with the run that scared you