[BUG] VS Code extension doesn't sync conversation names after CLI /rename command

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:

When renaming a conversation using the /rename command in the CLI, the VS Code extension's conversation dropdown continues to display the old name, while the CLI correctly shows the new name.

Expected Behavior:

Both CLI /resume and VS Code extension dropdown should display the same conversation name after a rename operation.

Actual Behavior:

• /resume command in CLI shows the correct new name ✅
• VS Code extension dropdown shows the old name ❌
• Both lists contain the same number of sessions - only the labels differ
• Even after reloading VS Code window or closing/reopening VS Code, the dropdown still shows the old name
• The session is correctly identified (same position in list, same metadata), only the display name is stale

Workaround:

None found. The VS Code extension dropdown never updates to reflect CLI-based renames.

Environment:

• OS: Windows (win32)
• Claude Code version: 2.0.76
• VS Code version: 1.107.1

Additional Context:

This is a synchronization issue specific to conversation names/labels, not a cache issue affecting the entire session list. The extension appears to cache conversation display names separately and never re-reads them from the session metadata files, even though the CLI correctly reads the updated names from disk.

Severity: Medium - Creates confusion when managing conversations across CLI and UI workflows, as the same conversation appears with different names in different interfaces.

Related Issues:

• #8667 mentions caching issues but refers to different sessions/data, not just label mismatches

What Should Happen?

What Should Happen:

When a conversation is renamed via the CLI /rename command:

1. The session metadata file should be updated on disk (✅ this works - confirmed by CLI /resume)
2. The VS Code extension should either:

• Option A: Automatically detect the metadata change and refresh its conversation list
• Option B: Re-read session metadata from disk when the conversation dropdown is opened
• Option C: At minimum, refresh the list when VS Code window is reloaded

The conversation name should be consistent across all interfaces (CLI and VS Code UI) since they share the same underlying session storage.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open a terminal in your project directory
2. Start Claude Code CLI:

```bash
claude

1. Have a conversation (send at least one message)
2. Note the initial conversation name shown in the prompt or when you start the conversation
3. Rename the conversation:

/rename new-conversation-name

1. Verify the rename in CLI:

• Exit the conversation (Ctrl+C or /exit)
• Run /resume to list conversations
• Result: The conversation shows the new name ✅

1. Check in VS Code extension:

• Open VS Code
• Open the Claude Code extension panel
• Click on the conversation dropdown/list
• Result: The same conversation shows the old name ❌

1. Attempt to refresh:

• Reload VS Code window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")
• Or close and reopen VS Code completely
• Check the conversation list again
• Result: Still shows the old name ❌

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.0.76

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

_No response_