[BUG] /chrome command reports "Extension not detected" on WSL despite working MCP connection
What's Wrong?
The /chrome slash command incorrectly reports the Chrome extension as "Not detected" when running Claude Code in WSL2, even though the MCP bridge connection is fully functional.
The detection logic checks for the native messaging host config file at the Linux path:
~/.config/google-chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension.json
This file doesn't exist in WSL because Chrome runs on the Windows host. The MCP WebSocket bridge works cross-environment, but the file-based detection doesn't account for this.
What Should Happen?
/chrome should report the extension as connected when the MCP bridge is functional. On WSL, the detection should either:
- Fall back to testing the actual MCP bridge connection (e.g., calling
tabs_context_mcp) - Check the Windows-side path via
/mnt/c/Users/<user>/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/
Steps to Reproduce
- Install Claude Code in WSL2
- Install the Claude in Chrome extension in Chrome on the Windows host
- Run
/chromein Claude Code — status shows "Not detected" - Call
mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcpdirectly — connects successfully and returns tab data, proving the connection works
Error Messages/Logs
No error or stack trace — /chrome simply reports the extension as not detected. The MCP tools work fine when called directly.
Is this a regression?
Not a regression — this appears to have never worked correctly on WSL, despite the v2.1.0 changelog stating "Fixed Claude in Chrome support for WSL environments."
Additional Information
- The CHANGELOG.md for v2.1.0 states: "Fixed Claude in Chrome support for WSL environments" — but the
/chromestatus check was not updated to reflect this docs/en/chrome.mdstill states "WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is also not supported" which contradicts the changelog fix — see #2804- The root cause is that
/chromerelies on checking a local file path for the native messaging host config, which only exists on the Windows side in a WSL setup
This issue has 3 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗