Claude Memory Kit v5

Persistent memory for Claude Code agents. Layered memory, agent-driven promotion, zero manual file editing. The v5 lean core: two operators, per-session handoffs, memory that fails loudly instead of rotting quietly.

Two core invariants

1. User only talks. Agent captures, proposes, writes. Every architectural decision passes this test.
2. Every memory entry carries a [YYYY-MM-DD] date tag. This is what lets /close-session detect cross-session repetition and propose promotions.

What's new in v5

• Session close is /close-session, not /close-day. The ritual: capture dated patterns → audit for 3+-date repetition → promote on your "yes" → replace the MEMORY.md header (current state, never a chronicle) → write a per-session handoff.
• Per-session handoffs replace the rolling next-session-prompt. One immutable note per closed session in context/handoffs/<topic>-YYYY-MM-DD.md; the SessionStart hook injects the newest one. No rolling file to freeze while looking authoritative.
• Three independent MEMORY.md caps, hook-enforced: 180 lines / 32 KB / 3000 chars per line. Line count alone lies — content densifies into ever-longer lines while wc -l stays flat. Any tripped cap opens the next session with an audit prompt.
• Stale-reference detector. Every session start, file paths mentioned in memory are checked against disk; anything moved or missing is flagged.
• The daily journal (daily/ + /close-day) moved to opt-in .kit/advanced/close-day-layer/ — it was the layer that silently rotted in long-running use. One cp re-enables it.

See .kit/CHANGELOG.md for full migration notes.