# I built a Claude Code plugin that tells you to slow down or push before your quota runs out > Source: > Published: 2026-07-18 13:48:10+00:00 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. `rate_limits` data from the status line, not a guess.`Stop` hook, when a threshold is crossed — so you don't have to remember to check a dashboard. ``` /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](https://github.com/eltonylfgi-blip/claude-code-usage-guard) 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.