ClawedBack context-doctor

Diagnose and fix context window issues. Use when Claude seems confused, forgetful, slow, or the user says "context is full", "you forgot", "you're repeating yourself", "start fresh", or "why are you ignoring my instructions".

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/reedmayhew18/ClawedBack

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/reedmayhew18/ClawedBack "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/.claude/skills/context-doctor" ~/.claude/skills/reedmayhew18-clawedback-context-doctor && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: .claude/skills/context-doctor/SKILL.md

source content

Context Window Doctor

Diagnose context issues and apply the right fix. Runs in a forked context so the diagnostic itself doesn't pollute the user's session.

Goal

Identify what's causing the user's context problem, apply a specific fix, and confirm the issue is resolved. Done when the user confirms the fix worked or a HANDOFF.md is written for a clean restart.

Process

Step 1: Gather Diagnostics

Ask the user to run

/context

and share the output (this is a slash command only the user can execute). Also check:

Current conversation length estimate
Whether CLAUDE.md exists and its line count
Number of active skills (description budget usage)
Whether PROGRESS.md or HANDOFF.md exist

Step 2: Diagnose

Match symptoms to causes:

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Ignores CLAUDE.md rules	CLAUDE.md too long or contradictory	Trim under 200 lines, use emphasis on critical rules
Forgets earlier instructions	Context full, compaction dropped details	Write to files (PLAN.md, PROGRESS.md), then `/compact` with focus
Repeats itself or circles	Context polluted with failed approaches	After 2 failed corrections, `/clear` with better prompt
Slow or degraded responses	Context near capacity (>60% is caution zone)	`/clear` if switching tasks, `/compact` with focus if continuing
Unrelated context pollution	Mixed tasks in one session	`/clear` between unrelated tasks
Lost progress after compaction	Important state only in conversation	Dump to PROGRESS.md/HANDOFF.md before next compaction

CHECKPOINT: Present the diagnosis to the user: detected symptom, likely cause, and proposed fix. Ask: "Does this match what you're experiencing? Should I apply this fix?"

Step 3: Apply Fix

Execute the recommended fix. Common actions:

Write state to PROGRESS.md or HANDOFF.md
Suggest user run
```
/compact [focus instructions]
```
with specific focus
Suggest user run
```
/clear
```
for a fresh start
Recommend trimming CLAUDE.md if over 200 lines

Step 4: Verify

After fix is applied, confirm with the user that the issue is resolved.

Prevention Strategies

Offer these proactively:

Document & Clear: Dump progress to file →
```
/clear
```
→ start fresh reading that file
Use subagents: Delegate verbose ops (test runs, research, log analysis)
One task per session:
```
/clear
```
between unrelated work
External state: Plans, specs, progress in files (not just conversation)
Proactive compaction:
```
/compact [focus]
```
before auto-compact triggers at ~95%
Lean CLAUDE.md: Under 200 lines. Progressive disclosure for the rest.

Output

Brief diagnosis report: symptom identified, cause, fix applied (or recommended for user to apply). For Emergency Reset cases, confirm HANDOFF.md path.

Emergency Reset

If context is badly polluted:

Write current state to HANDOFF.md: progress, decisions, next steps, file paths
Tell user to run
```
/clear
```
Tell user: start fresh with "Read HANDOFF.md and continue from where we left off"