Session context lost: --continue and --resume do not restore prior conversation context

Summary

When using claude --continue or claude --resume to resume a previous session, the prior conversation context is not restored. The session starts fresh as if it were a new conversation, losing all accumulated context from the previous session.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a long working session with claude (e.g. a multi-hour development session with significant context built up — files read, decisions made, code written)
2. Exit the session (close terminal or type /exit)
3. Attempt to resume with claude --continue or claude --resume
4. Observe that the resumed session has no memory of the prior conversation

Expected Behavior

--continue / --resume should restore the conversation history from the most recent session so work can pick up where it left off without re-establishing context.

Actual Behavior

Session starts completely fresh. All prior conversation context is lost. The user must re-explain their entire project, decisions made, and current state.

Impact

This is a significant productivity loss for users doing extended work sessions. A multi-hour or multi-day session worth of context — file contents read, architectural decisions, in-progress work state — is irrecoverable. The --continue and --resume flags appear to exist specifically to solve this problem but are not working as intended.

Environment

• Platform: Windows 11 Pro (10.0.26200)
• Shell: git-bash
• Claude Code version: (latest as of 2026-04-04)

Workaround

None currently. The memory system (file-based ~/.claude/projects/) helps preserve some context across sessions but does not substitute for full conversation history restoration.

🤖 Bug report submitted via Claude Code session