How to run two Claude Code accounts in parallel on the same machine

If you use Claude Code both for personal projects and at work, you know exactly the problem: every time you switch accounts you have to log out, authenticate again and pray you don’t forget before making a commit.

That’s not a workflow. It’s pure friction.

The good news: there’s a clean, native, hack-free solution that lets you keep two Claude Code accounts running in parallel, each in its own directory, without interfering with one another.

Why this happens

Claude Code stores all its configuration and session credentials in a single directory by default: ~/.claude. One directory, one active account. Full stop.

This means that if you have a personal account and a work account, only one can be authenticated at any given time. Switching between them requires logging out and back in, which completely breaks your flow.

The solution: `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` + direnv

Claude Code exposes an environment variable called CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR that lets you point to an alternative config directory. If you combine this with direnv — a tool that activates environment variables automatically when you enter a folder — you get per-project authentication without doing anything manually.

You enter the working directory → the right account activates on its own. You leave → the default account comes back.

Here’s what it looks like in practice:

Claude Code personal account logged in

Claude Code work account logged in

Step-by-step setup

1. Install direnv

brew install direnv

Then add the hook to your shell. If you use zsh (the most common on Mac), add this line to the end of your ~/.zshrc:

eval "$(direnv hook zsh)"

Reload the config:

source ~/.zshrc

2. Create the `.envrc` file in your project

Go to the directory where you want to use your second account and run:

echo 'export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-work' > .envrc

You can name the directory whatever you want: ~/.claude-work, ~/.claude-company, ~/.claude-client-x. Whatever makes sense to you.

3. Authorize direnv

direnv allow

This step is required the first time as a safety measure. direnv won’t run .envrc files without your explicit authorization.

4. Authenticate with your second account

Open Claude Code inside that directory:

claude

Since the ~/.claude-work directory is new and empty, Claude Code will ask you to log in. Sign in with your work account credentials (or whichever one you want to use in that project).

Done.

How it works day to day

From here on the process is completely transparent:

You enter the project directory → direnv activates CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-work → Claude Code uses your work account
You leave the directory → the variable disappears → Claude Code goes back to ~/.claude → your personal account

There’s nothing to do. Nothing to remember. You never have to log out.

How many accounts can you have?

As many as you need. The system scales without limit: one config directory per account, one .envrc per project. You can have a personal account, company A account, company B account, freelance client account… each pointing to its own CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR.

# Personal project → uses ~/.claude (default, no .envrc)
# Company project  → CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-work
# Freelance client → CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-freelance

Why this matters

The friction of switching tools or accounts doesn’t feel like a big deal until it’s gone. When the right context activates on its own, you work differently: you switch projects without thinking about the infrastructure, without interrupting your mental flow, without the small cognitive overhead of “wait, which account is active?”.

Three minutes of setup to remove a source of friction indefinitely.

See you on the net.