process.title is set to version number instead of "claude", breaking tmux window names
Resolved 💬 5 comments Opened Apr 17, 2026 by tim-hilde Closed May 30, 2026
Description
When Claude Code starts, it sets process.title to its version string (e.g. 2.1.112). On macOS (and Linux), Node.js propagates this to the OS-level process name via pthread_setname_np() / prctl(). Tools that read the process name — most notably tmux's automatic-rename — then display the version number as the window name instead of claude.
Steps to reproduce
- Open a tmux session with
automatic-renameenabled (the default) - Run
claudein a pane - Observe the window name becomes e.g.
2.1.112instead ofclaude
Expected behavior
Window name shows claude (or claude code).
Actual behavior
Window name shows the version string, e.g. 2.1.112.
Root cause
process.title is being set to the version number. The fix is a one-liner:
// before
process.title = version; // e.g. "2.1.112"
// after
process.title = "claude";
Notes
- This is distinct from #21409 (which is about OSC 2 escape sequences for the terminal emulator title bar) — this bug affects the OS process name, which is what tmux reads for window naming.
- Workaround: wrap
claudein a shell function that manually renames the tmux window and disablesautomatic-renamefor the duration of the process.
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