[BUG] VS Code terminal: Cmd+shortcuts broken since v2.1.83 (regression)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

When running Claude Code CLI (v2.1.83) in VS Code's integrated terminal on macOS, all Cmd+key shortcuts are broken. Pressing Cmd+T types "T", Cmd+Y types "Y", etc. Only Cmd+P, Cmd+Shift+P and some others still work (these are on VS Code's always-intercept list). Shortcuts work correctly in all other editor tabs, in non-Claude terminals, and in external terminals like iTerm2.

VS Code's keyboard troubleshooter ("Developer: Toggle Keyboard Shortcuts Troubleshooting") shows the keybindings are matched via "Soft dispatching" but the events "cannot be dispatched", causing the bare letter to leak through to Claude's input.

This is a regression: v2.1.81 works correctly, v2.1.83 is broken. Confirmed by symlinking between versions in ~/.local/share/claude/versions/.

• macOS 15.5 (Darwin 25.3.0, arm64)
• VS Code 1.112.0
• Claude Code 2.1.83 (CLI, no VS Code extension)
• terminal.integrated.sendKeybindingsToShell: false
• terminal.integrated.allowChords: true

What Should Happen?

Cmd+key shortcuts in VS Code's integrated terminal should be intercepted by VS Code and executed as normal keybindings while Claude's TUI is running, as they were in v2.1.81.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude Code v2.1.83
2. Open VS Code's integrated terminal
3. Run claude to start a session
4. Press Cmd+T, or Cmd+Y
5. Observe: the bare letter ("T", "Y") is typed into Claude's input instead of the shortcut executing
6. Press Cmd+P - this still works (VS Code always-intercept list)
7. Exit Claude, press Cmd+T in the same terminal - works again

8 Downgrade to v2.1.81 (ln -sf ~/.local/share/claude/versions/2.1.81 ~/.local/bin/claude), run claude - shortcuts work correctly
The issue is specific to VS Code's integrated terminal. Cmd+shortcuts work fine in iTerm2 with the same Claude version.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

2.1.81

Claude Code Version

2.1.83

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

_No response_