[BUG] VSCode Extension "Previous Conversations" dropdown is empty while CLI --resume shows conversations correctly

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?

Description: The "Previous Conversations" dropdown menu in the Claude Code VSCode extension panel appears empty, even though previous conversations exist and can be accessed via the CLI.

I had previously used claude with the claude pycharm extension using the pycharm built-in terminal. It worked fine there. But when I went to use it in vscode using the vscode extension and the claude panel, I noticed that previous conversations there never appeared in the menu even after selecting Resume Conversation from the "/" menu. But if I start claude into the vscode terminal using "claude --resume" it does list the conversations.

What Should Happen?

Expected Behavior: The "Previous Conversations" dropdown should display the same conversation history that is accessible via claude --resume in the terminal. Actual Behavior: The dropdown shows no previous conversations, even though they exist and are accessible via the CLI. Verification: Running claude --resume in a terminal successfully shows a list of all previous conversations and allows resuming them, confirming that the conversation history is properly stored.

Error Messages/Logs

No error messages

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce:

• Have previous Claude Code conversations in your history (confirmed working via CLI)
• Open VSCode with Claude Code extension installed
• Open the Claude Code panel
• Click on the "Previous Conversations" dropdown at the top of the panel
• Observe that the dropdown is empty

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

first time using vscode extension

Claude Code Version

claude code version 2.0.37

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Other Linux

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

Additional Context:
VSCode has been restarted multiple times

• The issue is consistent across sessions

Workaround: Using claude --resume in the terminal works correctly as a temporary workaround.