VS Code Copilot Failing with "Sorry, no response was returned"
Users of Visual Studio Code, particularly those leveraging GitHub Copilot, have reported encountering an error message: "Sorry, no response was returned." This issue prevents Copilot from providing code suggestions and assistance, significantly hindering developer productivity. The problem seems to manifest when using specific Claude LLM models within the Copilot environment, specifically models such as Claude Haiku 4.5, Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4, and Claude Sonnet 4.5. The underlying MCP tool is failing to be called correctly by these models.
Root Cause Analysis
The root cause appears to stem from a failure to fetch custom instructions for the user's organization. The error log provides a detailed stack trace indicating a problem within the Copilot chat extension related to retrieving organizational custom instructions. The error message specifically mentions Error: Failed to fetch custom instructions for org IvanMurzak. This suggests that Copilot relies on these custom instructions to tailor its suggestions and behavior, and when it cannot retrieve them, it results in the "no response" error. The linked Visual Studio Code issues further point to broader problems with the VS Code environment itself, potentially impacting extension functionality and network connectivity.
Solution and Workarounds
Unfortunately, a direct fix for this issue is not immediately available to end-users, as it appears to be related to the underlying infrastructure and code of either the GitHub Copilot extension or Visual Studio Code itself. The primary resolution depends on updates and fixes from the Microsoft and GitHub teams. However, here are potential steps to consider:
- Check for Updates: Ensure that both Visual Studio Code and the GitHub Copilot extension are updated to the latest versions. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that may address the issue.
- Review Custom Instructions (If Applicable): If you have custom instructions configured for your organization, review them for any potential errors or inconsistencies that might be causing the retrieval failure. While unlikely, ensuring their validity is a good practice.
- Network Connectivity: Verify that your network connection is stable and that there are no firewall rules or proxy settings that might be interfering with the Copilot extension's ability to communicate with the GitHub servers.
- Restart VS Code: A simple restart of Visual Studio Code can sometimes resolve temporary glitches and refresh the extension's state.
- Reinstall the Copilot Extension: As a last resort, try uninstalling and reinstalling the GitHub Copilot extension. This can help ensure that the extension is properly installed and configured.
While waiting for an official fix, monitor the linked Visual Studio Code issues for updates and potential workarounds. These issues may provide additional context and insights into the problem.
Contributing to the Solution
As indicated in the community discussion, if you believe you have a fix for this issue, you can contribute by forking the repository, implementing your fix, and then creating a pull request. The contribution guidelines are available in the repository's README file. This collaborative approach can help expedite the resolution of the problem.
Related Considerations
It is important to note that this issue may be related to broader problems within the Visual Studio Code environment, as indicated by the linked issues. Therefore, it is essential to keep your VS Code installation up-to-date and monitor the VS Code issue tracker for any relevant updates or resolutions. Additionally, consider exploring alternative code completion and assistance tools if the issue persists and significantly impacts your workflow.