[BUG] cd command dropped from ssh if target directory matches local directory

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 an ssh command is issued for a remote host if the target directory matches the current local directory the cd command is omitted.

What Should Happen?

Claude should include cd to the target directory on ssh

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

This script will demonstrate the issue. It will hang trying to do the first cat, it will succeed on the 2nd.

# Create marker files with distinct content
echo "MARKER-TARGET: You are reading from /tmp/ssh-cd-bug-test/target" > "$TARGET_DIR/proof.txt"
echo "MARKER-OTHER: You are reading from /tmp/ssh-cd-bug-test/other" > "$OTHER_DIR/proof.txt"

echo "Created:"
echo "  $TARGET_DIR/proof.txt"
echo "  $OTHER_DIR/proof.txt"
echo

# Verify ssh localhost works
echo "Verifying ssh localhost..."
if ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=5 localhost "echo SSH_OK" 2>/dev/null | grep -q "SSH_OK"; then
    echo "  ssh localhost: OK"
else
    echo "  ERROR: ssh localhost failed."
    echo "  This test requires passwordless SSH to localhost."
    echo "  Fix: ssh-copy-id localhost"
    exit 1
fi

# Verify the marker files are readable over SSH
echo "Verifying marker files over SSH..."
REMOTE_CHECK=$(ssh localhost "cd $TARGET_DIR && cat proof.txt" 2>&1)
if echo "$REMOTE_CHECK" | grep -q "MARKER-TARGET"; then
    echo "  Remote read of target/proof.txt: OK"
else
    echo "  ERROR: Could not read target/proof.txt over SSH"
    echo "  Output: $REMOTE_CHECK"
    exit 1
fi

echo
echo "=== Setup complete ==="
echo
echo "Now reproduce the bug:"
echo
echo "  TEST 1 - Bug case (local cwd matches remote target):"
echo "    cd $TARGET_DIR"
echo "    claude"
echo "    Ask: \"ssh to localhost, cd to $TARGET_DIR, and cat proof.txt\""
echo "    Expected: ssh includes 'cd $TARGET_DIR && cat proof.txt'"
echo "    Bug:      ssh omits cd, runs 'cat proof.txt' in ~, gets 'No such file'"
echo
echo "  TEST 2 - Control (local cwd does NOT match remote target):"
echo "    (still in $TARGET_DIR)"
echo "    Ask: \"ssh to localhost, cd to $OTHER_DIR, and cat proof.txt\""
echo "    Expected: ssh includes 'cd $OTHER_DIR && cat proof.txt' - works correctly"
echo
echo "  Cleanup: bash $(dirname "$0")/teardown-test.sh"

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.0.25

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Ubuntu/Debian Linux

Terminal/Shell

iTerm2

Additional Information

_No response_