I built a Claude Code plugin that tells you to slow down or push before your quota runs out

Claude Code warns you when you're close to your limit. The problem is that by then the damage is usually done: you've already burned half your 5-hour window on something that could have waited.

So I built usage-guard, a small local plugin that does one thing: it reads the real 5-hour and weekly quota percentages Claude Code exposes, and tells you whether your current pace will actually last until the reset - before you hit the wall. It's free, it's local (nothing leaves your machine), and it stays free.

What it actually does

• Reads the real rate_limits data from the status line, not a guess.
• Nudges you in the moment, via the Stop hook, when a threshold is crossed - so you don't have to remember to check a dashboard.
• If the real-quota path isn't available on your setup, it fails open and falls back to a local weighted-budget estimate.
• It never breaks your session.

Install

/plugin marketplace add eltonylfgi-blip/claude-code-usage-guard
/plugin install usage-guard@cc-guard

Then add the small status-line shim from the README to ~/.claude/settings.json.

Send one message, run /usage-guard:usage, and if you see fresh 5-hour and weekly percentages plus reset times, the real path is working.

Full setup guide: https://github.com/eltonylfgi-blip/claude-code-usage-guard

The honest part

267 people installed it in the first two weeks, which surprised me. But installs aren't the interesting number - activation is. The real question I'm trying to answer: after setup, does /usage-guard:usage actually show your real quota, or does it fall back? If you try it, I'd genuinely like to know which one you get and on what OS.

One limit I won't hide: usage-guard can only read what Claude Code exposes. It can't reveal hidden caps or promise you'll never hit a wall. It just makes the wall visible earlier.

Independent project, not affiliated with Anthropic. Feedback and issues welcome on the repo.