What defines an orphaned session in this context?

A session is considered orphaned if its process ID is no longer active (or is a zombie) and its heartbeat has been stale for more than 5 minutes, provided it passes the 10-minute grace period.

Does this skill work with remote Claude Code sessions?

For safety reasons, the skill includes hostname verification and will only clean up sessions that were initiated on the local machine.

Is it safe to run this while other Claude sessions are active?

Yes, the skill uses 5-layer safety checks, including current session whitelisting and heartbeat monitoring, to ensure only truly orphaned processes are removed.

Can I preview what will be deleted before running the cleanup?

Absolutely. You can use the scan command for a read-only report or the dry-run flag to see exactly which processes and files would be affected without making changes.

How do I automate the cleanup process?

You can use the automated cleanup mode with the --auto and --quiet flags, or enable auto_cleanup_on_start in the configuration file to run it whenever a new session begins.

Claude Code Process Janitor

Name: Claude Code Process Janitor
Author: Cain-Ish

byCain-Ish

0•

개발자 도구

Optimizes system performance by identifying and terminating orphaned Claude Code processes and clearing stale session data.

The Claude Code Process Janitor skill provides a robust framework for managing session lifecycle issues, specifically targeting orphaned processes left behind by crashes or abrupt terminations. It employs a multi-factor detection system with five layers of safety—including heartbeat analysis, PID verification, and hostname checks—to ensure active sessions remain untouched while cleaning up zombie processes and stale lock files. This tool is essential for developers running multiple Claude instances who need to maintain a clean workspace and prevent resource leakage.

주요 기능

01Detailed session reporting including PID, start time, and status

020 GitHub stars

035-layer safety system to protect active and recent sessions

04Multi-factor orphan detection using PID and heartbeat analysis

05Automated cleanup integration for CI/CD or startup scripts

06Dry-run mode for previewing cleanup actions without changes

사용 사례

01Automating workspace maintenance in shared or high-concurrency environments

02Reclaiming system resources after multiple Claude Code instances crash

03Auditing and monitoring all active Claude Code sessions on a local machine

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add cain-ish/claude-skills process-cleanup

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill