.claude/rules.md file not automatically read at session start

Problem

The .claude/rules.md file is not being consistently read at the beginning of sessions, despite documentation suggesting project-specific rules should be automatically respected.

Expected Behavior

• Claude should automatically read .claude/rules.md at the start of every session
• Rules in this file should take highest priority over default behavior
• User shouldn't need to manually remind Claude to check rules

Actual Behavior

• .claude/rules.md exists with clear instructions including: "Before answering ANY question or performing ANY action in this repository, Claude MUST read this entire file first"
• Claude proceeds with tasks without reading the file
• User must explicitly instruct Claude to "check the rules" multiple times
• Even then, Claude often ignores the instruction until repeatedly reminded

Impact

• Claude uses incorrect workflows (e.g., wrong PR creation commands)
• Violates project conventions repeatedly (e.g., missing required PR settings like auto-complete, squash merge)
• Wastes user time correcting mistakes that should have been prevented
• Undermines confidence in the .claude/rules.md feature

Example Scenario

User has comprehensive .claude/rules.md file specifying:

• Specific PR creation workflow with required parameters
• Required PR description format
• Policy configuration requirements

Despite:

1. Rules file existing with explicit instructions
2. Rules file header stating it MUST be read before ANY action
3. User explicitly instructing "check your rules first" before taking action

Claude still proceeded without reading the rules and created PR incorrectly, requiring manual correction.

Request

Make .claude/rules.md truly automatic through one of these approaches:

• System-level prompt injection that automatically includes rules content at session start
• Mandatory pre-task file reading that cannot be skipped
• Hard requirement to read rules file before any tool execution

The current implementation appears to rely on Claude voluntarily reading the file, which is unreliable.