Bug: "HERMES.md" in git commit messages causes Claude Code to bill extra usage instead of plan quota
By
sasha-id
A snack-sized bagel for a snack-sized appetite.
Summary
A bug report reveals that when a git repository's recent commit history contains the case-sensitive string "HERMES.md", Claude Code incorrectly routes API requests to "extra usage" billing instead of using the included Max plan quota. This caused the user to burn through $200 in extra usage credits while their Max 20x plan capacity remained largely untouched at only 13% weekly usage. The trigger is the string appearing in git commit messages (not file presence), as Claude Code includes recent commits in its system prompt, causing a server-side routing issue.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThis silently burned through $200 in extra usage credits while my Max 20x plan capacity remained largely untouched (13% weekly usage).
The trigger is the string HERMES.md in git commit messages — not the presence of a file with that name on disk.
Claude Code includes recent commits in its system prompt, and something server-side...
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