[BUG] Desktop (Windows + WSL): new session screen doesn't load WSL skills or show Files/Git panels until the session starts

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

On the NEW session screen of Claude Code Desktop (Windows, WSL environment selected), two things are missing until the session has started:

1) Custom skills stored in WSL (~/.claude/skills) don't appear in the "/" autocomplete. Typing "/epci" shows nothing.
Isolation test: copying one of these skills to the Windows-side C:\Users\<me>\.claude\skills makes it appear immediately on the new session screen. So the pre-session screen only scans the Windows skills directory, not the WSL one, even though WSL is the selected environment.

2) The top-right buttons opening the Changes/Git panel and the Files panel are not displayed, so I can't browse files or Git history before the first prompt.

Once the session is running, everything works: all WSL skills are listed in "/", and both panels are available.

What Should Happen?

When a WSL environment and project are selected on the new session screen:

• Skills should be loaded from the WSL ~/.claude/skills (and the project's .claude/skills), so they're available in "/" autocomplete before the first prompt.
• The Files and Changes/Git panels should be available, so I can browse the project and drag & drop files into the first prompt (as I do in VS Code). The first prompt is the one where file context matters most.

Error Messages/Logs

None displayed.

Steps to Reproduce

1. On Windows, put a custom skill in ~/.claude/skills inside WSL (not in C:\Users\<me>\.claude\skills).
2. Open Claude Code Desktop, start a new session, select the WSL environment (Ubuntu-26.04), a project and a branch.
3. Type "/" + the skill name → not suggested. Top-right Files and Changes/Git buttons are absent.
4. Send any first message to start the session.
5. Type "/" again → the WSL skill is now listed; both panel buttons are visible.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

: 2.26454.2.: 2.26454.2.

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Additional Information

_No response_