Claude in Chrome: MCP bridge doesn't reconnect when Chrome restarts

Bug Description

When Chrome is quit and reopened (or the extension is toggled off/on), the Claude Code session with --chrome flag does not reconnect to the new native host bridge sockets. The only workaround is to restart the entire Claude Code session.

Root Cause Analysis

The --chrome flag appears to only scan for bridge sockets in /tmp/claude-mcp-browser-bridge-{username}/ at session startup. When Chrome launches later (or relaunches), new native host processes create new sockets, but the running Claude Code session never discovers them.

Timeline from debugging session:

• Claude Code started at 12:55 with --chrome — no bridge sockets existed yet
• Chrome opened later, native hosts created sockets at 13:15 (76309.sock, 76310.sock)
• mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp returns "No Chrome extension connected" indefinitely
• lsof confirms the main Claude process has no connection to the bridge sockets
• Restarting Claude Code (so it starts after the sockets exist) fixes the issue

Steps to Reproduce

1. Quit Chrome completely
2. Start Claude Code with claude --chrome
3. Open Chrome (extension is enabled, native host processes spawn, sockets created in /tmp/claude-mcp-browser-bridge-{user}/)
4. Try any mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tool → "No Chrome extension connected"
5. Toggling the extension off/on, quitting and reopening Chrome — none of these help
6. Only restarting Claude Code (after Chrome is already running) fixes it

Expected Behavior

The Claude Code session should watch for new bridge sockets (e.g., via filesystem polling or inotify/kqueue) and auto-connect when Chrome's native host processes appear. Alternatively, the native host should be able to signal the existing Claude session.

Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.69
• Chrome: 145.0.7632.159
• Extension: Claude in Chrome (Beta) v1.0.57
• macOS: 15.3 (Darwin 24.3.0, Apple Silicon)
• Node.js: v25.3.0
• Native host manifest: com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension.json (correct extension ID)
• Bridge socket path: /tmp/claude-mcp-browser-bridge-{username}/

Diagnostic Details

Native host script at ~/.claude/chrome/chrome-native-host correctly points to /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/claude-code/2.1.69/claude --chrome-native-host.

Native host manifest at ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension.json has correct allowed_origins matching the extension ID.

claude mcp list shows no claude-in-chrome entry (the name is reserved/internal), confirming it's handled by the --chrome flag internally.

Workaround

Ensure Chrome is running before starting Claude Code with --chrome. If Chrome needs to be restarted, restart the Claude Code session as well.