vamseeachanta Subagent startup convention (+2)
Subagent startup convention
Set this as the first Bash call in every non-trivial subagent session:
export CLAUDE_SUBAGENT=1
Hook behaviour by context
| Hook | Main session | Subagent | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
session-review.sh |
Runs | Runs | Writes signals to pending-reviews/ |
post-task-review.sh |
Runs | Runs | Captures findings to pending-reviews/ |
consume-signals.sh |
Runs | Runs | Processes signals into session-briefing |
improve.sh |
Runs | Skipped | Narrow context produces low-quality output |
query-quota.sh |
Runs | Skipped | Quota tracking is main-session only |
The shared .claude/state/pending-reviews/ directory is the passive message
bus. Subagents write signals via the lighter hooks; the main session's Stop
drains them all via consume-signals.sh → improve.sh at session end.
Result
Main orchestrator stays lean and interactive. User can inject messages and redirect subagents mid-flight. Learnings accumulate in the background without adding any overhead to the orchestrator between Task completions.