Claude Code sessions dying with SIGKILL on VPS
✅Solved
OpenClaw 2026.2.6-3 on Hetzner CAX31 (ARM64, 16GB RAM). Claude Code 2.1.37, OAuth Max plan, claude-opus-4-6.
Problem: Every Claude Code session launched via exec (pty:true, background:true) gets SIGKILL within 1-5 min during the API thinking phase. Zero output, zero file changes before death.
Ruled out:
• Not OOM (10GB free, swap untouched)
• Not earlyoom or kernel OOM killer (no journal entries)
• Not OpenClaw timeout (no config, process alive until sudden death)
• Process at kill: ~240MB RSS, 2% CPU, sleeping state
Setup:
• claude-run wrapper switches to non-root user with --dangerously-skip-permissions
• Plugins: compound-engineering, claude-mem, context7, supabase, vercel
• Consistent since initial setup (Feb 7)
Questions:
1. Known issue with Claude Code + extended thinking on ARM64/VPS?
2. Recommended way to run Claude Code from OpenClaw on headless server?
3. Could OAuth/API connection timeout during thinking phase?
4. Debug flags to diagnose why the process dies?
Workaround: running Claude Code locally. Want it working on VPS.
Problem: Every Claude Code session launched via exec (pty:true, background:true) gets SIGKILL within 1-5 min during the API thinking phase. Zero output, zero file changes before death.
Ruled out:
• Not OOM (10GB free, swap untouched)
• Not earlyoom or kernel OOM killer (no journal entries)
• Not OpenClaw timeout (no config, process alive until sudden death)
• Process at kill: ~240MB RSS, 2% CPU, sleeping state
Setup:
• claude-run wrapper switches to non-root user with --dangerously-skip-permissions
• Plugins: compound-engineering, claude-mem, context7, supabase, vercel
• Consistent since initial setup (Feb 7)
Questions:
1. Known issue with Claude Code + extended thinking on ARM64/VPS?
2. Recommended way to run Claude Code from OpenClaw on headless server?
3. Could OAuth/API connection timeout during thinking phase?
4. Debug flags to diagnose why the process dies?
Workaround: running Claude Code locally. Want it working on VPS.
Solution
Glad it’s sorted.
If you want this to stick long-term: update AGENTS.md as above, and delete the old
If this thread’s done, please mark your SIGTTOU/root-cause message as the solution (right‑click → Apps →
Mark Solution). This one will save a lot of people time.
If you want this to stick long-term: update AGENTS.md as above, and delete the old
pty:true background:true claude-run | teeIf this thread’s done, please mark your SIGTTOU/root-cause message as the solution (right‑click → Apps →
Mark Solution). This one will save a lot of people time.
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