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Compaction Recovery Protocol

Benchmarked against: Anthropic — Compaction Version: 3.0 (PD-aligned — lean recovery) Scope: All agents

When a conversation exceeds the context window, Claude compresses earlier messages into a summary. This is called context compaction. Without a recovery protocol, agents lose track of what they were doing.

Iron Rule​

After context compaction:

  • NEVER ask Captain "what are we doing?"
  • NEVER run heavy UB reads

The compaction summary already contains your current task and context. Use it.

Recovery sequence​

1. Read compaction summary — it has your current task and context
2. Self-confirm: "Project: ___ / Task: ___ / Next step: ___"
3. Resume work immediately

That's it. Three steps, no extra calls.

Do NOT​

Anti-patternWhy
search_brain() at recoveryCompaction summary IS your context
check_dispatch()You already know your task
Read bulletin boardNot needed mid-session
Output a recovery reportJust resume working

When to escalate​

Only if the compaction summary is unclear or contradictory:

  • Ask Captain one specific question, not a full re-orientation
  • Example: "I see two conflicting tasks in my summary — should I continue X or Y?"

Triggers​

This protocol activates when:

  • After context compaction (SessionStart hook will remind you)
  • Genuinely disoriented with no compaction summary available

Why this matters​

Previous behavior wasted 30+ seconds per compaction on unnecessary UB reads, bulletin board checks, and status reports — burning tokens and annoying the Captain. The lean recovery protocol respects both token budget and Captain's time.