[FEATURE]

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Title: Stale gitStatus snapshot causes over-complicated tool usage and incorrect branch assumptions

Description:

### Problem
Claude Code provides a gitStatus snapshot at conversation start, but this becomes stale if users switch branches. Claude treats this snapshot as current truth, leading to:

• Incorrect branch assumptions
• Over-complicated searches for simple file lookups
• Questioning users instead of verifying live state

### Example
User on branch dt6-1148, but gitStatus showed dt6-1146. User asked for plan file in ~/.claude/plans/dt6-1148-*.md. Claude:

• Ran 10+ searches across home directory
• Read wrong plan files
• Questioned user when corrected
• Should have been: ls ~/.claude/plans/ → read file

Proposed Solution

### Suggested Fix
Add to system prompt:
gitStatus: Snapshot from session start - may be stale.
When branch context matters, verify with git branch --show-current

Or add a live GetGitStatus tool Claude can call when needed.

Environment: Linux, claude-sonnet-4-5, latest Claude Code
Priority: Medium (usability issue with workarounds)

Alternative Solutions

Workaround

Added custom instructions to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md:

Session Start Protocol

The gitStatus snapshot at conversation start may be stale.

1. When branch context matters for the task, verify current branch:

git branch --show-current

1. For simple file lookups (known locations like ~/.claude/plans/):

• Use ls first before complex searches
• Read directly if path is known

1. Trust user corrections immediately:

• If user says "you're wrong about X", verify X right away
• Don't question - just check and proceed

This instructs Claude to verify live branch state and use simpler commands, but requires each user to add custom instructions. A system-level fix would benefit all users.

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_