How to use Claude to coordinate three coding instances
The author reduced the workflow from four instances to three, reported a five-file cleanup with 149 deletions and 29 additions, and said clearer ownership reduced most merge conflicts.
dev.to
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Update [repository coordination files] to retire [instance]. Reassign its duties to [remaining owners], preserve file ownership boundaries, and list changed files. Stage only this cleanup; leave [unrelated working-tree edits] untouched and flag changes needing owner approval.
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →What happened
The author reduced the workflow from four instances to three, reported a five-file cleanup with 149 deletions and 29 additions, and said clearer ownership reduced most merge conflicts.
Reported by kanta13jp1 on dev.toHow the agent did it
- Retired the web instance after connection and file-reading failures.
- Removed web-instance references from five coordination files.
- Reassigned documentation, triage, architecture review, and translation duties.
Where a person stepped in
The author decided to retire the web instance, applied ownership rules, and explicitly selected files to avoid committing another instance’s changes.
A person approved each step before the agent continued.
The author was building Jibun Inc., a Flutter Web and Supabase application, with four Claude Code instances assigned different responsibilities. Local instances handled application code, documentation and migrations, and CI/CD. A web instance handled translation and pull request review through GitHub MCP.
After repeated MCP disconnects, a stream timeout, and a false missing-file read that prompted an unauthorized creation attempt, the author shut down the web instance. They removed its references from five coordination and instruction files. The reported cleanup contained 149 deletions and 29 additions.
They reassigned research and draft documentation to the Windows Desktop instance, and GitHub triage and translation to PowerShell. Architecture reviews went to the remaining desktop and PowerShell instances. The author said clearer write ownership collapsed most merge conflicts.
The cleanup also required respecting cross-instance permissions. The author described a note-based approval path for files owned elsewhere and shared-territory rules for central instructions. Because a parallel instance had unrelated uncommitted application changes, they explicitly staged the five cleanup files rather than adding the entire working tree.
Who it's for: Developers running several coding sessions against one repository who need explicit responsibilities and selective commits.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: dev.to · kanta13jp1
Frequently asked questions
Why was the web instance removed?
The author experienced repeated GitHub MCP disconnects, an unrecoverable stream timeout, and a false missing-file read that led to a file-ownership violation attempt.
How were unrelated changes protected?
The author avoided git add -A and explicitly staged the five cleanup files, leaving another instance’s application edit out of the commit.
More details
Remaining steps
- Staged the five cleanup files explicitly to exclude unrelated edits.
About this account
Separate Claude Code instances worked in assigned repository areas, with duties redistributed after the web instance was removed.
Platform: dev.to. Attribution: https://dev.to/kanta13jp1/why-i-killed-my-4th-claude-code-instance-lessons-from-multi-agent-indie-dev-4i9d. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: kanta13jp1 on dev.to
Source published 16 Apr 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Claude Code · GitHub MCP · GitHub CLI · git · Flutter Web · Supabase
Multi-instance workflow · File ownership · Selective staging
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.