VS Code sidebar shows version number instead of session name for past conversations

Description

The VS Code sidebar "Past Conversations" panel shows the Claude Code version number (e.g. "2.1.76") as the label for every session, even when the session has been renamed via /rename.

The customTitle data is already stored in the JSONL file:

{"type":"custom-title","customTitle":"clarify-codeowners-communication","sessionId":"58c55e7e-..."}
{"type":"agent-name","agentName":"clarify-codeowners-communication","sessionId":"58c55e7e-..."}

But the sidebar ignores this and shows the version number for all entries, making it impossible to distinguish between sessions visually.

Expected behavior

The sidebar should display the customTitle (set via /rename) as the session label. Unnamed sessions could fall back to the first prompt text or a timestamp.

Current behavior

All sessions show "2.1.76" (or whatever the current CLI version is), regardless of whether they have a custom title.

Screenshots

!VS Code sidebar showing version numbers

(All entries show "2.1.76" instead of session names)

Possibly related

• #35085 (fetchSessions() 64KB head/tail reader misses title data)
• #32150 (session titles revert to last-prompt text)
• #29088 (large first messages cause sessions to be invisible)

The 64KB head buffer limit in fetchSessions() (#35085) might explain this: if the custom-title entry is written late in the session (after a /rename mid-conversation), it could fall outside the buffer and never be read.

Environment

• Claude Code: 2.1.76
• VS Code (macOS)
• Platform: darwin