[desktop] Add /reload-plugins command for in-process plugin refresh (parity with CLI)
Title
[desktop] Add /reload-plugins command for in-process plugin refresh (parity with CLI)
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Body
Summary
The Claude Code CLI supports /reload-plugins, which refreshes skills, agents, hooks and MCP servers in-process without restarting the session. The Desktop App does not expose this command, so the only way to pick up plugin updates is to fully quit (Cmd+Q) and reopen the app — which loses the current session context.
Please bring /reload-plugins (or an equivalent menu item / keyboard shortcut) to the Desktop App.
Current behavior (Desktop App)
- An external marketplace publishes new skills
- Claude Desktop auto-updates the local cache under
~/.claude/plugins/cache/<marketplace>/<plugin>/<version>/— new skill files are on disk installed_plugins.jsoncorrectly points at the new version- The active Desktop session still shows the old skill list, because the in-memory registry was loaded at startup and is never refreshed
- Workaround:
Cmd+Qthe whole app and reopen — destroys all open conversations' runtime state
Expected behavior
Running /reload-plugins (or Settings → Plugins → Reload, or Cmd+Shift+R style shortcut) should re-scan the local plugin cache and refresh the active registry without killing the session. Same semantics the CLI already has.
Why this matters
- Plugin marketplaces with automated releases push updates frequently; quitting the app every time is disruptive
- Plugin contributors iterate many times per day — hot reload is essential DX
- The feature already exists in the CLI, so parity is the minimal ask
Suggested implementation
- Wire the existing CLI
/reload-pluginshandler into the Desktop slash-command registry - Optionally: surface a "Reload plugins" button in Settings → Plugins and a keyboard shortcut
- Respect scope: user-scope vs project-scope plugins should both refresh
Environment
- Claude Desktop App on macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Marketplaces installed via
/plugin marketplace add <git-url>
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Reporter: Victor Sá — Engineer @ Mercado Libre Brazil
Personal email: victoredo@gmail.com
Personal GitHub: @dev-vrsa
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