[BUG] & (background mode) shortcut intermittently ignored — runs in foreground instead
Resolved 💬 6 comments Opened Mar 17, 2026 by alignmktg Closed May 15, 2026
Description
The & shortcut for background mode (documented in /help under Shortcuts) intermittently fails to trigger. When it doesn't work, the command runs in the foreground as if & wasn't typed.
Expected behavior
Prefixing a prompt with & should reliably run the task in the background, allowing the user to continue interacting.
Actual behavior
Sometimes & is ignored and the task runs in the foreground, blocking interaction. No error message — it just doesn't background.
Reproduction
Intermittent. No reliable repro steps identified yet — it fails unpredictably.
Environment
- Claude Code v2.1.77
- macOS (Darwin 25.3.0)
- Terminal: Ghostty + tmux
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