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“Unable to connect to API (ConnectionRefused)” means Claude Code’s connection attempt failed with a socket-level refusal. It does not, by itself, identify whether the cause is local, in the CLI’s request path, or upstream. A successful direct curl check can show that the API endpoint responded to that separate request; it does not prove Claude Code’s own request succeeded. Start with the current service status, then compare what the CLI and a direct check actually report.

What the error does—and does not—tell you

Claude Code reports this message after connection failures. Anthropic Claude Code collaborator bcherny wrote in a public issue that “A host that fails to resolve is reported differently, so ConnectionRefused isn’t a generic bucket: it’s the actual socket error the OS returned, surfaced as-is.” That explains the error classification in that report; it does not establish that every visible instance comes from a reproducible refusal by a remote server.

The message is evidence of a failed connection attempt, not a diagnosis of the failing component. Public reports describe cases where a direct API check succeeded while Claude Code continued to fail. Those reports are individual reproductions, not proof that all cases share a cause.

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Check whether Claude reports an active incident

Visit the official Claude Status page and check the Claude API and Claude Code components. Status is time-sensitive: on October 7, 2026, both were listed as operational, while Claude Console had a partial outage affecting usage reporting. Anthropic’s incident note said core functionality was not affected. The page also recorded a resolved Claude API/Claude Code-related incident on September 29, 2026. These snapshots provide context for those dates, not an explanation of a separate local failure.

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Compare the CLI failure with a direct API check

A direct request and Claude Code’s own request are different tests. A response from the endpoint shows that the endpoint responded to that particular request from that machine and network at that time. It cannot establish that the CLI used the same request path or succeeded.

In a January 2026 report, a user said an incomplete GET to https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages completed DNS resolution and a TLS handshake, then returned HTTP 405. In a July 2026 report, a direct authenticated request using the same OAuth token received HTTP 400 validation feedback and a request ID, while Claude Code logged a connection failure before receiving an API response. These are reported observations, not instructions to treat either status code as a universal test result.

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  • If the direct check gets an HTTP response but Claude Code fails: you have evidence that the endpoint responded to the direct check, but the CLI’s separate failure remains unexplained.
  • If both checks fail: the reports cited here do not establish the cause. Check service status and record the details of both attempts rather than assuming a particular network or service fault.
  • If the CLI receives an API response: record that response separately from a socket-level connection error; they indicate different observed outcomes.

Record enough detail to narrow down the case

Before changing configuration, capture the facts that distinguish one failure from another:

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  • Claude Code version and operating system
  • Date and time of the failure
  • Network in use
  • The exact error and retry lines
  • Whether every model or mode is affected
  • Whether the CLI reports a response or request ID
  • Whether ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL or proxy environment variables are configured

Checking the base URL and proxy variables is a diagnostic step, not a proven remedy. A July 2026 reporter said the issue occurred without a custom base URL or proxy.

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What the public reports establish

Reported setup Observed result What it establishes
Claude Code 2.1.4 on macOS; issue opened January 11, 2026 The reporter said a direct request completed TLS and returned HTTP 405 for an incomplete GET, while Claude Code requests failed. Direct endpoint reachability and CLI failure can occur together. The reporter’s suggestion that Bun’s HTTP client was responsible was a hypothesis, not a confirmed cause.
Claude Code 2.1.191 on macOS; issue opened June 25, 2026 The report described repeated retries but provided little diagnostic evidence beyond the symptom and environment. It does not establish whether the refusal was local, in a runtime, or upstream.
Claude Code 2.1.219–2.1.220 on macOS 26.5; issue opened July 31, 2026 The reporter documented direct endpoint responses, accepted OAuth credentials in a direct validation request, successful TLS verification, and established TLS sockets observed during CLI failures. The failure was intermittent on the same installed version. Even detailed observations from one setup do not confirm a general diagnosis or root cause.

The retry counts are also report-specific: one June report described a ten-attempt cycle, while a July report recorded eleven API attempts. They are not established as typical counts for all versions or users.

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Do not treat attempted workarounds as confirmed fixes

In the cited cases, users reported trying several changes without resolving their particular failures. These attempts do not show that the changes are generally effective or that every reader should make them:

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  • Reinstalling Claude Code or reauthenticating
  • Clearing proxy or SSL environment variables
  • Disabling IPv6 or checking firewall state
  • Using safe mode or a minimal CLI invocation

Safe mode and a minimal invocation did not resolve the July reporter’s case. The January reporter likewise listed reinstalling, reauthentication, disabling IPv6, clearing proxy or SSL variables, and checking firewall state without resolving that case. The available reports do not establish a universal fix.

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