[Bug] Claude in Chrome MCP connection fails - "Browser extension is not connected"

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26300
• Claude Code version: 2.1.69
• Chrome: Latest (up to date)
• Shell: bash (Git Bash on Windows)

Bug Description

The Claude in Chrome MCP connection suddenly stopped working. All mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tool calls return:

Browser extension is not connected. Please ensure the Claude browser extension is installed and running...

Key Details

• Worked yesterday, stopped working today with no changes on my end
• Chrome sidebar Claude works fine — the extension itself is functional, only the MCP bridge to Claude Code is broken
• Tried: uninstall/reinstall extension, restart Chrome, restart Claude Code — same result
• tabs_context_mcp with createIfEmpty: true also fails

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude in Chrome extension
2. Open Chrome with claude.ai logged in
3. Run Claude Code and call any mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tool
4. Get "Browser extension is not connected" error every time

Expected Behavior

MCP connection should be established and browser automation tools should work as they did previously.

Additional Context

This appears to be an intermittent issue — it worked fine the day before with the same setup. No Chrome updates or Claude Code updates were applied between working and non-working states.