[Bug] Claude Desktop App fails to spawn bundled CLI with hadFirstResponse=false

Bug Description
Diagnosis summary
I ran the full diagnostic. Here's what I found:

What's fine:

Both .claude/settings.json and ~/.claude/settings.json are valid JSON
The bundled CLI binary at /Users/mikael/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude-code/2.1.111/claude.app/Contents/MacOS/claude runs perfectly when I invoke it manually with the same plugins (productivity + skills) and the same flags
node --version is 22.20.0, standalone claude is 2.1.112 — all healthy
What's broken:

The Claude desktop app keeps spawning that same bundled CLI and it dies in 0–2 seconds with hadFirstResponse=false — meaning the CLI crashes before emitting its init event to the app
17 of these failures logged between 2026-03-25 and today (most recent: 08:44 this morning)
Happens regardless of plugin count (fails even with just 2 plugins: skills + productivity)
Claude app version: 1.3109.0, bundled CLI: 2.1.111 (standalone CLI is 2.1.112 — one version newer)
The mystery: same binary, same plugins, same settings — works when I spawn it, dies when the app spawns it. Something in the app's spawn protocol (stdin handshake, env, or internal flag) triggers the crash. I can't capture the app's exact spawn args without attaching a tracer to the live app.

Recommended fixes (in order)
Fully quit Claude app (Cmd+Q, not just close the window) and relaunch
Check for an app update — Claude menu → Check for Updates. The bundled CLI 2.1.111 is behind the standalone 2.1.112; an app update will refresh the bundle
Uninstall the productivity plugin you installed at 07:47 today — failures spike right after that
Force re-download the bundled CLI if above doesn't help:

rm -rf "/Users/mikael/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude-code/"

Environment Info

• Platform: darwin
• Terminal: ghostty
• Version: 2.1.112
• Feedback ID: 6c0235d1-5f88-497f-8d63-fef36454108c

Errors

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