[BUG] Duplicate Memory Files Loaded When Working Directory Is Within User Home on Windows

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?

When using Claude Code for VS Code on Windows with a workspace located under the user's home directory (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\Projects\), memory files from ~/.claude/ are loaded twice—once as "User" memory and once as "Project" memory—doubling token consumption.

What Should Happen?

Memory files should be loaded once

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Step 1: Create User memory files

Create the following directory and files:

C:\Users\<your-username>\.claude\CLAUDE.md
C:\Users\<your-username>\.claude\rules\example-rule.md
Example content for CLAUDE.md:

User Instructions

• This is a test memory file
• Contains personal preferences

Example content for rules\example-rule.md:

Example Rule

• Test rule content

Step 2: Open a workspace within your home directory

Open VS Code and select a folder located under your user home directory:

C:\Users\<your-username>\Desktop\Projects\
(or any subfolder under C:\Users\<your-username>\)

Step 3: Start Claude Code

Open Claude Code panel in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Claude Code: Open")

Step 4: Run /context command

Type /context in Claude Code chat

Step 5: Observe duplicate memory files

In the output, under "Memory Files" section, you will see the same files listed twice:

Once with Type "User"
Once with Type "Project"
Both entries point to the same physical file (only path casing may differ: C:\Users\ vs c:\Users\).

Step 6: Verify the fix (optional)

Close VS Code, reopen with a workspace on a different drive (e.g., D:\Projects\), run /context again—duplicates will be gone.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.12

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Non-interactive/CI environment

Additional Information

Root Cause Analysis
Claude Code recursively searches for memory files from the current working directory up to (but not including) the root. When the workspace is under C:\Users\<username>\, the ~/.claude/ folder is discovered both:

As User memory (from ~/.claude/)
As Project memory (from recursive parent directory search)
Suggested Fix
Deduplicate memory files by canonical path before loading, or skip loading Project memory when it resolves to the same physical location as User memory.