[BUG] spinnerVerbs setting ignored by VS Code extension

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?

The spinnerVerbs setting in ~/.claude/settings.json has no effect when using Claude Code via the VS Code extension. The default spinner verbs (e.g. "Vibing", "Honking", "Cooking", "Concocting", "Moseying", "Sussing", "Finagling") continue to appear despite the setting being configured to replace them.

What Should Happen?

Only "Thinking" should appear as a spinner verb.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "spinnerVerbs": {
    "mode": "replace",
    "verbs": ["Thinking"]
  }
}

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.87

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

The same setting was previously applied successfully when using the CLI in a standalone terminal