[FEATURE] Auto-cleanup tmpclaude-* temporary files

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Jan 13, 2026 by orange29233 Closed Feb 27, 2026

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

## 📋 Problem Description

Claude Code generates temporary files with the pattern tmpclaude-*-cwd during operation. These files store session
state information such as the current working directory path. However, they are not automatically cleaned up after
the session ends, causing them to accumulate in the project directory over time.

### Examples of Temporary Files
``
tmpclaude-6a71-cwd
tmpclaude-d988-cwd
tmpclaude-76f1-cwd
tmpclaude-4836-cwd
... (can accumulate to dozens of files)
``

## 🔍 Current Behavior

  • ✅ Temporary files are created during Claude Code operations
  • ❌ These files persist in the project directory after session ends
  • ❌ Files accumulate over time (10+ files in my case)
  • ❌ Users must manually clean them: rm -f tmpclaude-*
  • ✅ Already in .gitignore, confirming they shouldn't be tracked

## 💡 Suggested Improvement

Implement automatic cleanup of temporary files when sessions end.

## 🔗 Related Issues

This is a quality-of-life improvement that affects all Claude Code users. Similar tools (VS Code, Webpack, etc.)
implement automatic temp file cleanup as standard practice.

## 🙏 Additional Notes

These temporary files are harmless but annoying. Auto-cleanup would significantly improve the user experience and make
Claude Code more polished and professional.

---

Thank you for considering this improvement! 🚀

Proposed Solution

Proposed Solutions

#### Option 1: Cleanup on Session Exit (Recommended)

  • Delete all tmpclaude-* files when Claude Code session ends
  • Simple and effective

#### Option 2: Use OS Temporary Directory

  • Store temp files in system temp folder instead of project root:
  • Windows: %TEMP%
  • Linux/Mac: /tmp
  • More professional approach

#### Option 3: Session-Based Cleanup

  • Clean up old temp files before starting a new session
  • Use a single persistent temp file per session

#### Option 4: Periodic Cleanup

  • Implement automatic cleanup mechanism that runs periodically
  • Remove temp files older than X hours/days

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Critical - Blocking my work

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_

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