Cursor on macOS consuming massive memory (40GB+) → “Your system has run out of application memory”

[myeongseon.mun (Mason)]

Hi everyone,

I’m seeing extremely high memory usage from Cursor on macOS. During normal usage, Cursor’s memory consumption grows over time and can spike to ~43.48 GB (Activity Monitor), eventually triggering the macOS warning:

“Your system has run out of application memory”

At that point, the machine becomes unstable and I have to quit apps / restart Cursor to recover.

What I’m seeing

Cursor memory steadily increases during a long session

It gets worse with longer chat/agent workflows

Eventually macOS throws the out-of-memory warning

Cursor becomes sluggish/unresponsive

Steps to reproduce (approx.)

Open Cursor IDE

Open a project/workspace

Use Chat / Agent for a longer period (long conversation)

(Optional) Have Cursor read project files / directory context

Keep interacting → memory usage keeps growing

Actual result

Cursor reaches 40GB+ RAM usage (screenshot shows ~43.48GB)

macOS shows out-of-application-memory warning

Expected result

Cursor should not keep growing memory usage indefinitely.
It would be great if:

old parts of long chat history are not kept fully rendered in memory

file/project context is unloaded after being processed

Environment

OS: macOS (Apple Silicon) / Mac M4 Air RAM 16 SSD 256G

Other apps open: Chrome, Warp, Slack/Notion (Cursor is still the biggest memory consumer)

Questions

Is this a known issue on macOS?

Any recommended workarounds? (e.g., rotate chats, disable extensions, reset workspace index, etc.)

Any logs I should capture (Developer Tools console / Process Explorer)?

Thanks!

[system]

Hi there!

We detected that this may be a bug report, so we’ve moved your post to the Bug Reports category.

To help us investigate and fix this faster, could you edit your original post to include the details from the template below?

Bug Report Template - Click to expand

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

• Cursor IDE
• Cursor CLI
• Background Agent (GitHub, Slack, Web, Linear)
• BugBot
• Somewhere else…

---

Describe the Bug
A clear and concise description of what the bug is.

---

Steps to Reproduce
How can you reproduce this bug? We have a much better chance at fixing issues if we can reproduce them!

1. …
2. …
3. …

---

Expected Behavior
What is meant to happen here that isn’t working correctly?

---

Screenshots / Screen Recordings
If applicable, attach images or videos (.jpg, .png, .gif, .mp4, .mov)

---

Operating System

• Windows 10/11
• MacOS
• Linux

---

Version Information

• For Cursor IDE: Menu → About Cursor → Copy
• For Cursor CLI: Run agent about in your terminal

IDE:
Version: 2.xx.x
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: ......

CLI:
CLI Version 2026.01.17-d239e66

---

For AI issues: which model did you use?
Model name (e.g., Sonnet 4, Tab…)

---

For AI issues: add Request ID with privacy disabled
Request ID: f9a7046a-279b-47e5-ab48-6e8dc12daba1
For Background Agent issues, also post the ID: bc-…

---

Additional Information
Add any other context about the problem here.

---

Does this stop you from using Cursor?

• Yes - Cursor is unusable
• Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor
• No - Cursor works, but with this issue

The more details you provide, the easier it is for us to reproduce and fix the issue. Thanks!

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the detailed report.

This looks like a memory leak during long chat sessions. To better track down the cause, I need a couple things:

1. Cursor version: Cursor > About Cursor > Copy
2. Process Explorer: Cmd + Shift + P > “Developer: Open Process Explorer” Which process is using the most memory (extensionHost, renderer, ptyHost?)

Workarounds for now:

• Start a new chat from time to time instead of continuing a very long one
• Restart Cursor every few hours if you’re doing heavy work
• Try disabling extensions (cursor --disable-extensions) to check if an extension is the cause

The Process Explorer details will help narrow down where the leak is.

[ool_95 (olaosebikan olayinka adio)]

@deanrie

I followed this debug approach u described here

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for following up with the screenshots.

Interesting pattern here. Force Quit shows 113 GB, but Process Explorer shows only about 300 MB total across all visible processes. That big gap usually means there are orphaned extension-host processes that macOS counts under Cursor, but they’ve disconnected from the editor itself, so Process Explorer can’t see them.

To confirm, run this in Terminal:

ps aux | grep "extension-host" | grep -v grep

This will show all extension-host processes, including any orphans stuck at high CPU. If you see processes at 80 to 90%+ CPU each, that’s the cause.

To kill them right away:

ps aux | grep "[C]ursor Helper (Plugin)" | grep "extension-host" | awk '$3 > 80 {print $2}' | xargs kill -9

A couple more things I need:

1. Cursor version: Cursor > About Cursor > Copy
2. What extensions do you have installed? Run cursor --list-extensions in Terminal
3. How many Cursor windows do you usually keep open? Do you close and reopen projects often?

This is a known issue with orphaned processes on macOS when windows are closed or reused. The team is aware and tracking it. For now, fully restarting Cursor with Cmd+Q (not just closing windows) should clean up all processes.

Let me know what that ps aux command shows.

[Wed_Dresses]

I encountered the same problem where I had to restart the computer many times a day. Each time the cursor got stuck, a forced termination process popped up, and then all other software became unresponsive immediately afterwards. The cursor consumed over 50GB of memory and the computer applications crashed. Today, I encountered this problem at least 8 times or more.

[Wed_Dresses]

➜ ~ cursor --list-extensions
(node:29229) [DEP0040] DeprecationWarning: The punycode module is deprecated. Please use a userland alternative instead.
(Use Cursor --trace-deprecation ... to show where the warning was created)
adam-bender.commit-message-editor
alefragnani.project-manager
amazonwebservices.codewhisperer-for-command-line-companion
artdiniz.quitcontrol-vscode
bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss
clinyong.vscode-css-modules
dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
donjayamanne.githistory
graphql.vscode-graphql-syntax
kamikillerto.vscode-colorize
lokalise.i18n-ally
mhutchie.git-graph
pkief.material-icon-theme
pranshuagrawal.toggle-case
rust-lang.rust-analyzer
unifiedjs.vscode-mdx
vitest.explorer
wayou.vscode-todo-highlight

just start up cursor in 2 mins it will give me crash, like below picture shown

[rmgn (Ran)]

Same here. Completely freezes the entire system.

There are multiple posts about this problem and it has to be treated as a P0 in my opinion. It doesn’t only render the product unusable. It renders the entire mac unusable.

[Jack_McGregor]

Hi, not OP but having the same issues, I have to force close my mac to restart it. I’ll try and provide more info

Version: 3.1.15
VSCode Version: 1.105.1
Commit: 3a67af7b780e0bfc8d32aefa96b8ff1cb8817f80
Date: 2026-04-15T01:46:06.515Z
Layout: editor
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 39.8.1
Chromium: 142.0.7444.265
Node.js: 22.22.1
V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 25.3.0

I mostly use Bun monorepos in my current work with NextJS and native Bun.serve for servers.

I’m on a 2021 Apple M1 Pro. 16GB Memory and OS Tahoe 26.3.1

I’ve seen it spike to 40GB application memory. The only pattern I can see is that it does it more when it’s been idle for a while, like I leave Cursor open overnight (but no agents running or anything) then in the morning I start work and after 5-10 mins it crashes, but only sometimes.

Hope that helps

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the details. @Jack_McGregor @Wed_Dresses, your pattern looks similar to what I described above: orphaned extension-host processes that don’t get cleaned up when you close windows and keep running in a busy loop until they eat all memory. In Activity Monitor they show up under Cursor, but Process Explorer can’t see them anymore.

To confirm it’s the same thing, run this in Terminal when memory spikes (or at least before the next restart):

ps aux | grep "extension-host" | grep -v grep

If you see multiple processes at 80 to 90%+ CPU, that’s them. Quick way to kill them:

ps aux | grep "[C]ursor Helper (Plugin)" | grep "extension-host" | awk '$3 > 80 {print $2}' | xargs kill -9

@Jack_McGregor, the idle overnight detail is a useful clue. It looks like windows and hosts pile up overnight. A couple questions:

1. How many Cursor windows do you usually keep open?
2. Extension list: cursor --list-extensions
3. When you close Cursor, do you use Cmd+Q or just close the window? A full Cmd+Q should clean up all child processes, but just closing the window won’t.

Workaround for now: use Cmd+Q every time you step away for a long time (don’t leave it overnight), and restart every few hours during heavy sessions.

This bug is known and being tracked. I can’t share an exact fix date. I added this thread to the internal ticket so it’s clear how many users it’s affecting. Please share the ps aux output, it’ll help confirm it’s the same root cause for everyone.

[Jack_McGregor]

Thanks for the fast reply.
I left it open overnight with 2 windows, which is usual. Between 2 to 5 windows normally.
The image attached is the terminal output for ps aux | grep "extension-host" | grep -v grep
here’s the list of extensions
```
Development|⇒ cursor --list-extensions
(node:29176) [DEP0040] DeprecationWarning: The punycode module is deprecated. Please use a userland alternative instead.
(Use Cursor --trace-deprecation ... to show where the warning was created)
aaron-bond.better-comments
ahmadalli.vscode-nginx-conf
aksharpatel47.vscode-flutter-helper
alexisvt.flutter-snippets
alexkrechik.cucumberautocomplete
andys8.jest-snippets
anseki.vscode-color
anthropic.claude-code
antmdvs.vscode-react-hooks-snippets
anysphere.cursorpyright
anysphere.remote-ssh
apollographql.vscode-apollo
arcanis.vscode-zipfs
azemoh.one-monokai
beaugunderson.solidity-extended
bierner.markdown-preview-github-styles
bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss
bungcip.better-toml
cardinal90.multi-cursor-case-preserve
cesium.gltf-vscode
chaliy.handlebars-preview
christian-kohler.npm-intellisense
christian-kohler.path-intellisense
cschlosser.doxdocgen
cssho.vscode-svgviewer
csstools.postcss
dart-code.dart-code
dart-code.flutter
databricks.neon-local-connect
dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
digitalbrainstem.javascript-ejs-support
dineug.vuerd-vscode
dsznajder.es7-react-js-snippets
dzannotti.vscode-babel-coloring
eamodio.gitlens
editorconfig.editorconfig
eg2.vscode-npm-script
eleven01.solidity
eplak.vscode-uppercasesql
equinusocio.vsc-material-theme
equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-icons
eriklynd.json-tools
esbenp.prettier-vscode
file-icons.file-icons
firefox-devtools.vscode-firefox-debug
formulahendry.auto-rename-tag
github.vscode-github-actions
github.vscode-pull-request-github
golang.go
gornivv.vscode-flutter-files
grapecity.gc-excelviewer
graphql.vscode-graphql
graphql.vscode-graphql-execution
graphql.vscode-graphql-syntax
hangxingliu.vscode-nginx-conf-hint
haydenbleasel.vercel-vscode
hbenl.vscode-test-explorer
heybourn.headwind
humao.rest-client
innwin.i18n-arb-editor
iulian-radu-at.find-unused-exports
jasonnutter.search-node-modules
jawandarajbir.react-vscode-extension-pack
jeff-hykin.better-cpp-syntax
jeronimoekerdt.color-picker-universal
juanblanco.solidity
justjavac.vscode-deno
kakumei.ts-debug
kamikillerto.vscode-colorize
kevinrose.vsc-python-indent
lorenzopirro.zig-snippets
luxcium.pop-n-lock-theme-vscode
marp-team.marp-vscode
me-dutour-mathieu.vscode-firebase
mechatroner.rainbow-csv
mermaidchart.vscode-mermaid-chart
moalamri.inline-fold
monokai.theme-monokai-pro-vscode
mrmlnc.vscode-duplicate
ms-azuretools.vscode-containers
ms-azuretools.vscode-docker
ms-mssql.data-workspace-vscode
ms-mssql.mssql
ms-mssql.sql-database-projects-vscode
ms-playwright.playwright
ms-python.black-formatter
ms-python.debugpy
ms-python.python
ms-toolsai.jupyter
ms-toolsai.jupyter-keymap
ms-toolsai.jupyter-renderers
ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-cell-tags
ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-slideshow
ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers
ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl
ms-vscode.cmake-tools
ms-vscode.cpptools
ms-vscode.cpptools-extension-pack
ms-vscode.cpptools-themes
ms-vscode.test-adapter-converter
ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next
ms-vsliveshare.vsliveshare
mtsmfm.vscode-stl-viewer
mtxr.sqltools
naumovs.color-highlight
nixon.env-cmd-file-syntax
nomicfoundation.hardhat-solidity
oderwat.indent-rainbow
philsinatra.nested-comments
phplasma.csv-to-table
pkief.material-icon-theme
postman.postman-for-vscode
q.typescript-mono-repo-import-helper
quicktype.quicktype
raynigon.nginx-formatter
rbbit.typescript-hero
ruiquelhas.vscode-uppercase
rust-lang.rust-analyzer
sdras.night-owl
shanoor.vscode-nginx
solomonkinard.git-blame
sonarsource.sonarlint-vscode
streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker
syler.sass-indented
tal7aouy.icons
tamasfe.even-better-toml
teclado.vscode-nginx-format
tiehuis.zig
tobiasalthoff.atom-material-theme
tomoki1207.pdf
twxs.cmake
unifiedjs.vscode-mdx
usernamehw.errorlens
viablelab.capitalize
vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons
wallabyjs.console-ninja
weijunyu.vscode-json-path
william-voyek.vscode-nginx
wix.vscode-import-cost
wmaurer.change-case
xabikos.javascriptsnippets
xabikos.reactsnippets
xaver.clang-format
yagoluiz.sonar-dotnet-vscode
yoavbls.pretty-ts-errors
yzhang.markdown-all-in-one
ziglang.vscode-zig
zxh404.vscode-proto3
```

Thanks for your help

[Jack_McGregor]

Additionally, might be related, might not, but sometimes (haven’t noticed a correlation with the above) but sometimes I spin up a server and it cuts out, and I get this in my terminal

It grows when I move my cursor (the arrow, not the app lol) around. I can’t select any text in the terminal. I have to restart the app. I ran the same command as before before I quit, maybe it will help

The problem is a lint error of Bun not being found, which is unrelated.

[deanrie]

Hey @Jack_McGregor, thanks for the details. I can see the screenshot with the ps aux output, the extensions list, and the terminal screenshot.

A few notes about your setup:

Extensions. You have 150+ extensions installed, and that’s a big load on the extension host. Also, each orphaned window pulls in the full set. Some of these are especially heavy: gitlens, sonarlint-vscode, ms-python.python, rust-analyzer, cpptools, ms-toolsai.jupyter, anthropic.claude-code, plus a few Solidity, Nginx, and Flutter ones. Even if you’re not actively using them in the current project, many auto-activate.

What to try:

• Run cursor --disable-extensions and use it for a few hours. If memory stays stable, extensions are the cause.
• Go through the list and disable anything you don’t need right now for a Bun or Next project. In practice you only need about 10 to 15 for that stack.
• Use Profiles for different languages and stacks so you don’t load Solidity, Flutter, Python when you’re working with TS. Use Cmd+Shift+P then search for Profiles.

About your ps aux snapshot. Worth flagging: all extension-host processes are in a normal state there (max 3.2% CPU, ~1.6 GB total across 2 windows). That’s not the orphan busy-loop pattern (94% CPU per process) I mentioned earlier. Looks like you captured it during normal operation rather than during the spike. Can you run the same command again when memory actually blows up to 40+ GB (e.g., in the morning after leaving windows open overnight, before you restart)? That snapshot is the one that will tell us whether it’s orphans or a different leak.

One data point from your current snapshot: a single extension-host (user) is already at 812 MB. With 150+ extensions that’s on the high side of expected baseline, which means any leak on top has a lot of headroom to grow.

Windows and Cmd+Q. Leaving 2 to 5 windows open overnight with that many extensions almost guarantees a pile-up of orphan processes by morning. Use Cmd+Q in the evening instead of just closing the window. This is a known issue. When you close a window, orphan processes can ignore SIGTERM and keep running.

Terminal issue in your second post. Your screenshot shows SGR mouse tracking escape sequences (<35;38;5M...) being printed as text. That means a TUI tool (looks like mprocs, overmind, turbo TUI, or bun dev with a multi-process UI, based on the Processes / platform UP box at the top) enabled mouse reporting and then exited or crashed, leaving the terminal stuck in that mode. That’s why every mouse move prints escape codes and you can’t select text.

Can you share:

1. The exact command or tool you were running at the top of that terminal?
2. Whether the same thing happens if you run it in iTerm2 or Terminal.app vs Cursor’s integrated terminal?

If it reproduces only in Cursor’s integrated terminal, start a separate thread with the repro and a short video if possible, so I can file it independently.

The orphaned extension host bug is in our backlog. I can’t share an ETA yet. When a fix starts rolling out, I’ll reply in the thread.

[Jack_McGregor]

Sorry, I missed this reply.

Yeah, maybe 150+ extension is a bit much, I’ve had them all on all the time and never had an issue, but will trim the fat.

For the ps aux snapshot, I can’t do anything when Cursor causes CPU to spike, I have to force shut off the mac.

For the cursor issues, I’ve recently started using mprocs so it’s likely that, which is annoying because it’s hella usseful. It doesn’t happen often so I’ll start by massively reducing my extensions and closing cursor overnight. I can’t share the exact command because I can’t remember. I’ve only seen it in Cursor’s terminal, not the others.

Thanks for all your help, I’ll let you know again with more info if it keeps happening

[Jack_McGregor]

I just cleaned out my extensions, so many were disabled but still installed. Most left over from projects from years ago before I made the switch to Cursor. Down to about 70 now (I know, I know, too many but I like them), will keep you posted if it keeps happening

new extension list

andys8.jest-snippets
anthropic.claude-code
antmdvs.vscode-react-hooks-snippets
anysphere.cursorpyright
anysphere.remote-ssh
arcanis.vscode-zipfs
azemoh.one-monokai
bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss
cardinal90.multi-cursor-case-preserve
cesium.gltf-vscode
christian-kohler.npm-intellisense
christian-kohler.path-intellisense
csstools.postcss
databricks.neon-local-connect
dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
digitalbrainstem.javascript-ejs-support
dineug.vuerd-vscode
dsznajder.es7-react-js-snippets
dzannotti.vscode-babel-coloring
editorconfig.editorconfig
eg2.vscode-npm-script
equinusocio.vsc-material-theme
equinusocio.vsc-material-theme-icons
eriklynd.json-tools
esbenp.prettier-vscode
file-icons.file-icons
formulahendry.auto-rename-tag
github.vscode-github-actions
github.vscode-pull-request-github
grapecity.gc-excelviewer
haydenbleasel.vercel-vscode
hbenl.vscode-test-explorer
humao.rest-client
innwin.i18n-arb-editor
jasonnutter.search-node-modules
jawandarajbir.react-vscode-extension-pack
jeronimoekerdt.color-picker-universal
kakumei.ts-debug
kamikillerto.vscode-colorize
kevinrose.vsc-python-indent
mechatroner.rainbow-csv
mermaidchart.vscode-mermaid-chart
mrmlnc.vscode-duplicate
ms-python.debugpy
ms-python.python
ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl
ms-vscode.test-adapter-converter
ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next
mtxr.sqltools
naumovs.color-highlight
nixon.env-cmd-file-syntax
oderwat.indent-rainbow
philsinatra.nested-comments
phplasma.csv-to-table
q.typescript-mono-repo-import-helper
quicktype.quicktype
rbbit.typescript-hero
streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker
syler.sass-indented
tal7aouy.icons
tobiasalthoff.atom-material-theme
tommasoronchin.impeccable-universal
tomoki1207.pdf
unifiedjs.vscode-mdx
usernamehw.errorlens
vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons
weijunyu.vscode-json-path
wmaurer.change-case
xabikos.javascriptsnippets
xabikos.reactsnippets
yoavbls.pretty-ts-errors
yzhang.markdown-all-in-one
zxh404.vscode-proto3

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for cleaning things up. 70 extensions is already more reasonable, and a lot of them auto-activate even when it feels like they aren’t being used.

About ps aux during the spike, I get it, it’s hard to catch the moment when the machine is already not responding. A couple options:

• Run this in a separate iTerm or Terminal.app window (not in Cursor) in a loop, so it writes to a file every 30 seconds:

  while true; do date >> ~/cursor-ps.log; ps aux | grep "[C]ursor Helper (Plugin)" | grep "extension-host" >> ~/cursor-ps.log; sleep 30; done
  

  In the morning after a spike (even after a force reboot), check ~/cursor-ps.log to see what was happening right before it died. You’ll see orphaned hosts at 90%+ CPU if that’s what it is.
• Or before you go to sleep, check Activity Monitor and see how many Cursor Helper (Plugin) processes are running. If it’s way more than the number of open windows, that’s likely it.

About mprocs, yeah, it probably left the terminal in mouse-tracking mode after the crash. That’s not a Cursor bug (it can happen in iTerm too), but if you can reproduce it only in Cursor’s integrated terminal with mprocs and not in iTerm or Terminal.app, start a separate thread and we’ll take a look.

About the orchestrator orphaned-host bug, it’s known and in the backlog. I can’t share an ETA yet. When it moves forward, I’ll reply here. Keep me posted.

[Jack_McGregor]

Amazing, thanks Dean. I’ll run that and try and track it. And the extension bug is back too so I’ll monitor for that and hopefully catch some useful information.

[damnitrahul (Rahul Raj)]

Facing the same issue , multiple times every day.

I’ve noticed that this only happens when i’m using Cursor Chat. When i’m using Claude Code - And still checking changes in Cursor this never happens.

Please fix this - This will make me move away from Cursor.

here’s the output for ps aux

❯ ps aux | grep "extension-host" | grep -v grep

nitrogen         49805   2.2  0.7 1888952576 140240   ??  S    11:09AM   2:35.17 Cursor Helper (Plugin): extension-host (user) site \[1-9\]                      

nitrogen         50062   1.2  0.6 1883837008 113104   ??  S    11:09AM   1:41.86 Cursor Helper (Plugin): extension-host (always-local) site \[1-11\]                      

nitrogen         50063   0.5  0.4 1867075296  73904   ??  S    11:09AM   1:00.02 Cursor Helper (Plugin): extension-host (agent-exec) site \[1-12\]                      

nitrogen         50061   0.5  0.4 1867173776  80640   ??  S    11:09AM   1:06.31 Cursor Helper (Plugin): extension-host (retrieval) site \[1-10\]                      

❯ cursor --list-extensions

(node:95326) \[DEP0040\] DeprecationWarning: The \`punycode\` module is deprecated. Please use a userland alternative instead.

(Use \`Cursor --trace-deprecation ...\` to show where the warning was created)

aaron-bond.better-comments

anthropic.claude-code

anysphere.remote-ssh

astro-build.houston

biomejs.biome

bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss

davidanson.vscode-markdownlint

dbaeumer.vscode-eslint

dsznajder.es7-react-js-snippets

eamodio.gitlens

esbenp.prettier-vscode

formulahendry.auto-rename-tag

github.github-vscode-theme

github.vscode-github-actions

github.vscode-pull-request-github

graphql.vscode-graphql

graphql.vscode-graphql-syntax

jock.svg

ms-playwright.playwright

pkief.material-icon-theme

redhat.vscode-yaml

rvest.vs-code-prettier-eslint

sheltonlouis.astro-snippets

streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker

tyriar.sort-lines

usernamehw.errorlens

wakatime.vscode-wakatime

xabikos.javascriptsnippets

yoavbls.pretty-ts-errors

yzhang.markdown-all-in-one

zhuangtongfa.material-theme

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the report and for ps aux. It’s helpful, but it looks like it was taken in a normal state. All extension-host processes are at low CPU (2.2 / 1.2 / 0.5 / 0.5%) and total RSS is about 400 MB. That doesn’t match the orphan-process busy-loop pattern (about 94% CPU per process) I mentioned earlier in the thread. So in this snapshot, memory hasn’t leaked yet.

To understand what’s happening on your side, I need a snapshot taken during the spike, before you restart Cursor. Here’s an easy way to capture it. Run this in a separate Terminal.app, not the integrated terminal in Cursor, and leave it running in the background:

while true; do date >> ~/cursor-ps.log; ps aux | grep "[C]ursor Helper (Plugin)" | grep "extension-host" >> ~/cursor-ps.log; sleep 30; done

When you hit the next spike (or after a force restart, the log will still be there), please paste the last 5 to 10 entries from ~/cursor-ps.log here.

Also, a few questions:

1. What Cursor version are you on? Cursor > About Cursor > Copy
2. When you say it happens only in Cursor Chat, how long is the chat at that moment? Dozens of messages, hundreds? And roughly how big is the project (number of files)?
3. How many Cursor windows do you usually have open? Do you quit with Cmd+Q or just close the window with the X button?

About “Please fix this”, the issue is known and in the backlog, but there’s no ETA. When there’s an update on a fix, I’ll post in the thread. Your data will help confirm if this is the same scenario or a separate chat-related leak.

[jax8 (jax)]

i use herd+cursor as my local dev enviroment, and i install php84

this afternoon i found oom happend and now i have to change to phpstorm

it appears like when i enable extensions, two php84 process start and use more and more memory till my macmini shutdown

everytime i diable all extensions, it goes well