# How to Configure the .i-have-adhd-always Flag File for Claude Code > Learn how to configure the i have adhd always flag file for Claude. Enable ADHD friendly rules automatically in every session by creating an empty file in your Claude config. - Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-08 --- **Create an empty file named `.i-have-adhd-always` in your Claude configuration directory (default `~/.claude`) to enable automatic injection of ADHD-friendly rules at the start of every session.** The `ayghri/i-have-adhd` repository provides a Claude Code extension designed to optimize AI interactions for users with ADHD. When you configure the `.i-have-adhd-always` flag file, the system automatically prepends the full rule set from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) to every session, eliminating the need to manually type the `/i-have-adhd` command. ## How the Flag File Works The always-on mechanism relies on a SessionStart hook located in [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh). At lines 9-14, the script checks for the existence of `.i-have-adhd-always` inside the configuration directory. If the file exists, the hook strips any YAML front-matter from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) and prints the rules before the assistant generates its first response. This opt-in approach ensures that users who want persistent ADHD-friendly formatting receive it automatically, while others can continue using the on-demand `/i-have-adhd` command. ## Default Configuration Location By default, the hook resolves the configuration directory using the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable. If this variable is unset, the script falls back to `$HOME/.claude` (as implemented in [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh), line 9). The flag file must reside directly in this directory, not in a subdirectory. ## Enabling Always-On Mode To activate persistent mode using the default configuration location, create the empty flag file: ```bash touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always ``` Verify the file exists: ```bash ls -l ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always ``` Once created, every new Claude Code session will automatically load the ADHD-friendly rules from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md). ## Disabling the Flag To revert to on-demand behavior and require the `/i-have-adhd` command for each session, simply remove the flag file: ```bash rm ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always ``` According to the installation documentation in [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) (lines 99-103), deleting this file immediately restores the default behavior without requiring a restart. ## Custom Configuration Directories If you use a non-standard configuration location, set the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable and place the flag file accordingly: ```bash export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=$HOME/.myClaudeConfig touch $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/.i-have-adhd-always ``` For **Codex PI agents**, the system respects the `PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR` environment variable instead. The installation script [`scripts/check_pi_extension.py`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/scripts/check_pi_extension.py) (line 317) specifically creates the flag at `Path(agent_dir, ".i-have-adhd-always")` when this variable is defined: ```bash export PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR=$HOME/.myPiAgent touch $PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR/.i-have-adhd-always ``` ## Runtime Session Overrides Even when the `.i-have-adhd-always` flag file exists, you can temporarily disable the mode for the current session by issuing the command **"stop adhd mode"**. The hook will still execute, but the assistant respects the runtime override until the session ends. ## Summary - **Create** `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` (or `$CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/.i-have-adhd-always`) to enable automatic rule injection at session start. - **Delete** the file to return to manual `/i-have-adhd` command usage. - The hook checks `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` first, falling back to `$HOME/.claude` for standard installations. - For Codex PI agents, use `PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR` as the target location. - Rules are sourced from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) and processed by [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh). - Temporary per-session overrides are available via the "stop adhd mode" command. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What if I use a custom Claude Code configuration directory? Set the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable to your preferred path, then create `.i-have-adhd-always` inside that directory. The hook in [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) automatically checks this variable before defaulting to `~/.claude`. ### Does this flag work with Codex PI agents? Yes. Codex PI installations use the `PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR` environment variable. The setup script [`scripts/check_pi_extension.py`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/scripts/check_pi_extension.py) handles this at line 317, creating the flag file in the appropriate agent directory when the variable is present. ### Can I temporarily disable always-on mode without deleting the file? Yes. During any session where the flag is active, you can issue the command "stop adhd mode" to disable the rules for that specific conversation. The flag file remains in place for future sessions. ### What file contains the actual rules that get injected? The hook reads [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) from the repository, strips its YAML front-matter, and prepends the content to your session context. This file contains the complete ADHD-friendly interaction guidelines.