[BUG] Welcome screen stops appearing in all project directories after rapid session launches

Environment

• Claude Code Version: 2.1.39
• OS: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
• Platform: win32
• Terminal: Git Bash (xterm-256color)

Description

The welcome screen stopped appearing when launching new Claude Code sessions in project directories with CLAUDE.md files. This occurred suddenly after multiple rapid session launches/exits.

Expected Behavior

When launching claude in a project directory that contains a CLAUDE.md file, the welcome screen should display with project information and quick start commands.

Actual Behavior

• Welcome screen shows correctly in the parent directory (C:\Users\Mina)
• Welcome screen does NOT show in any subdirectory projects (e.g., C:\Users\Mina\obs, C:\Users\Mina\projects\godtier)
• Claude Code otherwise functions normally - can read files, execute commands, etc.
• Issue started at approximately 2026-02-13 01:06 AM

Reproduction Steps

1. Launch Claude Code multiple times in quick succession with /exit commands
2. After ~7-8 rapid session launches/exits in the same directory
3. Close Claude Code completely
4. Launch Claude Code in a different project directory with CLAUDE.md
5. Welcome screen no longer appears in ANY project directory

Timeline (from history.jsonl)

01:05 - Multiple rapid /exit commands in obs directory
01:06 - First report of welcome screen disappearing in godtier project
01:06+ - Welcome screen no longer appears in any project directory

What I've Tried

• [x] Verified CLAUDE.md files exist in project directories
• [x] Cleared project cache directories (~/.claude/projects/*)
• [x] Cleared global cache (~/.claude/cache/*)
• [x] Confirmed file count hasn't changed
• [x] Checked that git status shows no unexpected changes
• [x] Welcome screen still works in parent directory but not in any subdirectories

Additional Context

• This affects ALL project subdirectories simultaneously
• Started after multiple rapid session launches/exits
• No configuration changes were made
• No version updates occurred at the time of the issue
• Possible state corruption in Claude Code's project detection or initialization logic

Logs

Debug logs available in ~/.claude/debug/ if needed.