How to Enable Always-On Mode for the OpenCode i-have-ADHD Plugin

Create the flag file at ~/.config/opencode/.i-have-adhd-always to opt into persistent ADHD ruleset injection on every model response.

The OpenCode i-have-ADHD plugin provides two operating modes: on-demand activation through chat commands, and "always-on" mode that prepends the full ADHD ruleset to every system prompt. This guide explains the flag-file mechanism that controls persistent activation, based on the implementation in ayghri/i-have-adhd.

How Always-On Mode Works

The plugin logic resides in .opencode/plugins/i-have-adhd.mjs. When OpenCode loads the plugin, it performs three operations:

1. Resolves the path to skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md — the canonical ruleset source.
2. Checks for the existence of .i-have-adhd-always in the OpenCode configuration directory ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/opencode/ or ~/.config/opencode/).
3. If the flag file exists, the plugin reads SKILL.md, strips YAML front-matter, and registers a transform via experimental.chat.system.transform to prepend the ruleset header to every response.

The flag file requires no content — its mere presence enables the behavior. No environment variables or command-line flags are needed.

Prerequisites: Verify Plugin Installation

Before enabling always-on mode, confirm the plugin is registered in your repository's OpenCode configuration.

Check opencode.json for the plugin entry:

{
  "plugins": [
    ".opencode/plugins/i-have-adhd.mjs"
  ]
}

The plugin file must exist at that relative path. If missing, clone or copy the repository's .opencode/plugins/ directory into your project.

Enable Always-On Mode

Run these commands to create the opt-in flag:

# Create the config directory if it doesn't exist

mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode

# Create the flag file (empty file is sufficient)

touch ~/.config/opencode/.i-have-adhd-always

Verification: Start any OpenCode chat session. The first line of every model response will display:

ADHD MODE ACTIVE (always-on). The ruleset below applies to every response...

Disable Always-On Mode

Temporary Deactivation (Current Session)

Type the command in chat:

stop adhd mode

The model honors the skill's persistence override rule and disables ruleset injection for that conversation.

Permanent Deactivation

Remove the flag file:

rm ~/.config/opencode/.i-have-adhd-always

All future OpenCode sessions will revert to on-demand mode only.

Key Implementation Files

File	Purpose
.opencode/plugins/i-have-adhd.mjs	Core plugin implementing flag detection and prompt transformation
skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md	Canonical ADHD ruleset loaded when always-on is active
opencode.json	Repository configuration listing enabled plugins
hooks/always-on.mjs	Reference implementation for Claude Code/Codex environments

The plugin's experimental.chat.system.transform handler strips YAML front-matter from SKILL.md using regex /^---[\s\S]*?---\n?/ before injection, ensuring clean markdown formatting in the system prompt.

Summary

• Always-on mode is controlled by a single flag file at ~/.config/opencode/.i-have-adhd-always
• No configuration changes to opencode.json or environment variables are required after initial plugin setup
• Toggle instantly by creating or deleting the flag file — changes take effect on the next OpenCode session
• Session overrides remain available via "stop adhd mode" chat command

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the flag file exists but SKILL.md is missing?

The plugin resolves skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md relative to the repository root. If the file is absent, the transform silently fails and no ruleset is injected — though the "ADHD MODE ACTIVE" header may still appear depending on error handling in your OpenCode version. Ensure the skills/ directory is present in your working repository.

Can I relocate the flag file to a different directory?

No. The plugin hardcodes the path resolution to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/opencode/.i-have-adhd-always with fallback to ~/.config/opencode/. This path is not configurable through opencode.json or environment variables in the current implementation.

Does always-on mode affect OpenCode's performance or token usage?

Yes. The full SKILL.md ruleset — approximately 50-100 lines of structured guidance — is prepended to every system prompt. This increases token consumption per request. For cost-sensitive workflows, use on-demand mode instead and activate via chat commands only when needed.

How does this differ from the Claude Code/Codex always-on implementation?

The OpenCode plugin uses file-based flag detection and experimental.chat.system.transform. The hooks/always-on.mjs reference implementation for Claude Code/Codex uses a different hook mechanism (hooks/) but achieves identical behavior. Core logic is mirrored; only the platform-specific integration differs.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}