upload_image tool: 'Unable to access message history to retrieve image'

Bug Description

The mcp__claude-in-chrome__upload_image tool consistently fails with:

Unable to access message history to retrieve image

When attempting to upload a screenshot (captured via the computer tool's screenshot action) to a file input element on a web page.

Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.71
• Chrome: 145.0.0.0
• OS: macOS Darwin 24.6.0
• Session: Regular terminal (not tmux/Claude Squad)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Take a screenshot using computer tool → get screenshot ID (e.g., ss_4216dwwk0)
2. Find a file input on the page using find tool → get ref (e.g., ref_55)
3. Call upload_image with the imageId and ref
4. Error: "Unable to access message history to retrieve image"

Additional Context

• Other Chrome tools work fine: computer (screenshot/click), javascript_tool, find, read_page, tabs_context_mcp
• read_console_messages also intermittently fails with "Browser extension is not connected" even though other tools work
• This is a regression — upload_image was working in previous sessions/versions
• Tested with freshly captured screenshots in the same conversation — same error

Expected Behavior

upload_image should retrieve the screenshot data from the conversation and upload it to the specified file input element.

Workaround

Using AppleScript to interact with macOS native file dialogs triggered by clicking upload buttons.