diff --git a/internal/agent/claude.go b/internal/agent/claude.go
index 671435c1..979f90b5 100644
--- a/internal/agent/claude.go
+++ b/internal/agent/claude.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package agent
 
 import (
 	"cmp"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -427,8 +428,14 @@ func claudeIn(at place) *Agent {
 		// model (settings.Compact), none under Full window
 		main := mainModel()
 		n := provider.CompactSet(main)
-		if n == 0 && !claudeModel(main) {
-			n = settings.Load().Compact()
+		if s := settings.Load(); n == 0 && !claudeModel(main) {
+			n = s.Compact()
+			// magpie's default gives way to an autoCompactWindow the user
+			// set in Claude Code (/autocompact, its settings), which the env
+			// would take precedence over; one typed in magpie doesn't (#876)
+			if s.CompactAt == 0 && claudeOwnCompact(path, main) {
+				n = 0
+			}
 		}
 		if n == 0 {
 			return dropCompact()
@@ -1290,6 +1297,33 @@ func claudeModel(ref string) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(m), "claude")
 }
 
+// claudeOwnCompact says the settings.json at path has an auto-compact
+// window of the user's for model: autoCompactWindow, or one under
+// modelSettings for it (as /autocompact saves it), a number or "auto".
+// Claude Code takes CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW before either.
+func claudeOwnCompact(path, model string) bool {
+	if _, ok := edit.GetJSON(path, "autoCompactWindow"); ok {
+		return true
+	}
+	raw, ok := edit.GetJSON(path, "modelSettings")
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	var per map[string]struct {
+		Window any `json:"autoCompactWindow"`
+	}
+	if json.Unmarshal([]byte(raw), &per) != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	model = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSuffix(strings.TrimPrefix(model, "magpie/"), "[1m]"))
+	for k, v := range per {
+		if v.Window != nil && strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSuffix(k, "[1m]")) == model {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // claudeWindow is the context window to tell Claude Code for the models it
 // runs on, 0 when magpie doesn't know it. One value serves every model not
 // marked [1m]: the main model's, or when that one is marked, the smallest of
diff --git a/internal/agent/claude_compact_test.go b/internal/agent/claude_compact_test.go
index 1c2a7ee7..35b539d7 100644
--- a/internal/agent/claude_compact_test.go
+++ b/internal/agent/claude_compact_test.go
@@ -138,3 +138,62 @@ func TestClaudeCompactAt(t *testing.T) {
 	must(a.Field("model").Set("v/big"))
 	expect("full window", "")
 }
+
+// An auto-compact window the user set in Claude Code (autoCompactWindow,
+// or modelSettings.<model>.autoCompactWindow as /autocompact saves it) is
+// theirs: magpie's default doesn't write the env that would take
+// precedence over it; a size typed in magpie, or on the model or its
+// provider, still does (#876, hisiling).
+func TestClaudeCompactYieldsToOwnSetting(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", home)
+	t.Setenv("USERPROFILE", home)
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", filepath.Join(home, ".config"))
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CACHE_HOME", filepath.Join(home, ".cache"))
+	if err := provider.Save(provider.Provider{ID: "v", Name: "V", Chat: "https://example.test/v1", Key: "k",
+		Models: []string{"big", "flash"}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := catalog.SaveLive("v", "https://example.test/v1", []catalog.Model{{ID: "big", Context: 1000000}, {ID: "flash", Context: 1000000}}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(home, ".claude", "settings.json")
+	writeFile(t, path, `{"autoCompactWindow": 900000}`)
+	a := claude(home)
+	compact := func() string { v, _ := edit.GetJSON(path, "env."+claudeCompactEnv); return v }
+	must := func(err error) {
+		t.Helper()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	expect := func(what, want string) {
+		t.Helper()
+		if got := compact(); got != want {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: %q; want %q", what, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	must(a.Field("model").Set("v/big[1m]"))
+	expect("autoCompactWindow", "")
+	if v, _ := edit.GetJSON(path, "autoCompactWindow"); v != "900000" {
+		t.Fatalf("autoCompactWindow changed: %q", v)
+	}
+	must(edit.DelJSON(path, "autoCompactWindow"))
+	must(a.Sync())
+	expect("none set", "272000")
+	// one for this model in modelSettings, not another's
+	must(edit.SetJSON(path, edit.KV{Path: "modelSettings", Value: map[string]any{"v/flash": map[string]any{"autoCompactWindow": 800000}}}))
+	must(a.Sync())
+	expect("another model's", "272000")
+	must(a.Field("model").Set("v/flash[1m]"))
+	expect("this model's", "")
+	// a size typed in magpie, or the model's own there, comes first
+	must(provider.SetModelCompacts("v", map[string]int{"flash": 200000}))
+	must(a.Sync())
+	expect("the model's own in magpie", "200000")
+	must(provider.SetModelCompacts("v", nil))
+	must(provider.SetCompactAt(400000))
+	must(a.Sync())
+	expect("typed in magpie", "400000")
+}