CLAUDE.md was 42126 bytes (over its own 40960-byte context-load limit). Trimmed to 39437 (1523B headroom): kept the stack/assembly tables, all high-recurrence hazards, bootstrap/DOTS/testing/guardrails; condensed the verbose mega-bullets to their essence + existing [[DR-###]] pointers; collapsed the redundant Memory table into a link to [[Documentation_Protocol]].
Added a 'Maintaining this file (size budget)' section so future edits self-enforce the limit (size-check commands, archive-don't-delete rule, net-zero rule).
Appended a dated, byte-faithful verbatim snapshot of the pre-trim CLAUDE.md to Docs/Vault/_Meta/CLAUDE_Build_Gotchas_Archive.md (headings demoted to nest) so nothing is lost from the vault. Verified via a 4-auditor workflow: archive complete + integrity pass; 1 condensation distortion + 2 nuance losses caught and fixed.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>