diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 40e7d05..9b6eb3e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -144,8 +144,21 @@ export EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TOKEN=your-token
 
 # Increase timeout for slow endpoints (milliseconds)
 export EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TIMEOUT_MS=3000000
+
+# Load Claude Code settings (comma-separated: user, project, local)
+export EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES=user
 ```
 
+The `EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES` variable controls which [Claude Code settings](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/settings) are loaded during summarization. By default, no settings are loaded (SDK isolation mode). Accepts a comma-separated list of:
+
+| Value | Settings file | Description |
+|-------|---------------|-------------|
+| `user` | `~/.claude/settings.json` | Global user settings (e.g. `awsCredentialExport` for Bedrock) |
+| `project` | `.claude/settings.json` | Shared project settings (version-controlled) |
+| `local` | `.claude/settings.local.json` | Local project overrides (typically gitignored) |
+
+**Recommended:** Leave empty or use `user` only. The `project` and `local` sources also load CLAUDE.md files and MCP servers into the summarization context, which can interfere with summary quality.
+
 These settings only affect episodic-memory's summarization calls, not your interactive Claude sessions.
 
 ### What's Affected
diff --git a/dist/summarizer.js b/dist/summarizer.js
index f24cb83..ae94ba5 100644
--- a/dist/summarizer.js
+++ b/dist/summarizer.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { SUMMARIZER_CONTEXT_MARKER } from './constants.js';
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_BASE_URL: Custom API endpoint
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TOKEN: Auth token for custom endpoint
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TIMEOUT_MS: Timeout for API calls (default: SDK default)
+ * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES: Comma-separated list of Claude Code setting sources to load (default: none)
  */
 function getApiEnv() {
     const baseUrl = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_BASE_URL;
@@ -26,6 +27,18 @@ function getApiEnv() {
         ...(timeoutMs && { API_TIMEOUT_MS: timeoutMs }),
     };
 }
+/**
+ * Get setting sources for SDK configuration.
+ * Parses EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES as comma-separated list.
+ * Default: empty (no settings loaded). Set to 'user' to load user settings (e.g., awsCredentialExport for Bedrock)
+ */
+function getSettingSources() {
+    const sources = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES;
+    if (!sources) {
+        return undefined;
+    }
+    return sources.split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+}
 export function formatConversationText(exchanges) {
     return exchanges.map(ex => {
         return `User: ${ex.userMessage}\n\nAgent: ${ex.assistantMessage}`;
@@ -39,6 +52,10 @@ function extractSummary(text) {
     // Fallback if no tags found
     return text.trim();
 }
+/**
+ * Call Claude API to generate a summary.
+ * Uses the configured model and settings, with automatic fallback on errors.
+ */
 async function callClaude(prompt, sessionId, useFallback = false) {
     const primaryModel = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_MODEL || 'haiku';
     const fallbackModel = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_MODEL_FALLBACK || 'sonnet';
@@ -50,6 +67,8 @@ async function callClaude(prompt, sessionId, useFallback = false) {
             max_tokens: 4096,
             env: getApiEnv(),
             resume: sessionId,
+            // Load settings to pick up API config (e.g., awsCredentialExport for Bedrock)
+            settingSources: getSettingSources(),
             // Don't override systemPrompt when resuming - it uses the original session's prompt
             // Instead, the prompt itself should provide clear instructions
             ...(sessionId ? {} : {
diff --git a/src/summarizer.ts b/src/summarizer.ts
index 85ba8d0..2a7e1b3 100644
--- a/src/summarizer.ts
+++ b/src/summarizer.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { SUMMARIZER_CONTEXT_MARKER } from './constants.js';
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_BASE_URL: Custom API endpoint
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TOKEN: Auth token for custom endpoint
  * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_TIMEOUT_MS: Timeout for API calls (default: SDK default)
+ * - EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES: Comma-separated list of Claude Code setting sources to load (default: none)
  */
 function getApiEnv(): Record<string, string | undefined> | undefined {
   const baseUrl = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_BASE_URL;
@@ -31,6 +32,19 @@ function getApiEnv(): Record<string, string | undefined> | undefined {
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get setting sources for SDK configuration.
+ * Parses EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES as comma-separated list.
+ * Default: empty (no settings loaded). Set to 'user' to load user settings (e.g., awsCredentialExport for Bedrock)
+ */
+function getSettingSources(): string[] | undefined {
+  const sources = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_CLAUDE_CODE_SETTING_SOURCES;
+  if (!sources) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return sources.split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+}
+
 export function formatConversationText(exchanges: ConversationExchange[]): string {
   return exchanges.map(ex => {
     return `User: ${ex.userMessage}\n\nAgent: ${ex.assistantMessage}`;
@@ -46,6 +60,10 @@ function extractSummary(text: string): string {
   return text.trim();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Call Claude API to generate a summary.
+ * Uses the configured model and settings, with automatic fallback on errors.
+ */
 async function callClaude(prompt: string, sessionId?: string, useFallback = false): Promise<string> {
   const primaryModel = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_MODEL || 'haiku';
   const fallbackModel = process.env.EPISODIC_MEMORY_API_MODEL_FALLBACK || 'sonnet';
@@ -58,6 +76,8 @@ async function callClaude(prompt: string, sessionId?: string, useFallback = fals
       max_tokens: 4096,
       env: getApiEnv(),
       resume: sessionId,
+      // Load settings to pick up API config (e.g., awsCredentialExport for Bedrock)
+      settingSources: getSettingSources(),
       // Don't override systemPrompt when resuming - it uses the original session's prompt
       // Instead, the prompt itself should provide clear instructions
       ...(sessionId ? {} : {