PRODUCTION SCENARIO
Your repository assistant on Claude Opus 4.6 spawns three subagents to find where a config key is read, when a single grep would answer the question. Traces show subagent spawns on most single-file edits, doubling latency.
What is the most effective first adjustment?
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Show answer and explanation
Answer: Add system prompt guidance on when subagents are warranted and when to work directly instead
This model has a strong predilection for subagents and will spawn them where a direct grep is faster, so the fix is explicit guidance on when delegation is and is not warranted: parallel or isolated work rather than simple, sequential, single-file tasks. Aggressive capitalized instructions are the phrasing the same guidance tells you to dial back. Removing the tool gives up delegation on the large tasks that need it.