[BUG] Selecting a custom workspace location outside of the repo does not work
Status Fixed / completed
Reported on v2.1.118
Maintainer reply ✓ Yes — amorriscode
Activity 5 comments · opened Apr 27, 2026 · closed May 21, 2026
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (amorriscode, contributor)
responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.
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?
Claude code for Mac desktop version. Latest as of 4/27
In settings i set a custom worktree location that is outside of my repository, so let's say my home dir on Mac, and it still creates work trees in the root of my repository.
What Should Happen?
It should create worktrees in the location that I request.
Error Messages/Logs
NoneSteps to Reproduce
Open Claude Code for Mac, desktop version.
Change the default store location to be your home directory. While the repository is the directory within the home directory
Create a new claude session with the worktree checkbox checked and ask it to make a change
Claude Model
Sonnet (default)
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.118 (Claude Code)
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
_No response_
5 Comments
Found 3 possible duplicate issues:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
This sounds like a boundary-of-place problem.
If selecting a custom workspace location outside the repo does not work, the user is being offered a scope control that does not actually take effect. That is more serious than a path-picker bug because workspace location determines what the agent treats as its operational world.
When that control fails, users can end up reasoning about one workspace while the tool remains anchored to another. That creates confusion around file visibility, command effects, and trust in every subsequent action.
I would frame it as a workspace-authority issue:
A custom workspace selector should either move the boundary or fail loudly. Silent refusal makes the environment itself harder to reason about.
Confirming this is still broken in Claude.app 1.5354.0 (macOS 26.3.1, Apple Silicon).
Repro
/Users/<user>/projectsclaude/Users/<user>/projects/<myproject>Expected: worktree at
/Users/<user>/projects/<name>/(sibling to<myproject>)Actual: worktree at
/Users/<user>/projects/<myproject>/<name>/(inside the repo)Useful diagnostic
The Branch prefix setting _is_ honored — the resulting branch was
claude/silly-rosalind-8d4c9b. So the app reads at least some Worktree settings at session-creation time; onlyWorktree locationis being silently ignored. That points at a path-resolution / fallback bug in the worktree creation code path specifically, not a general "settings not loaded" issue.Possibly relevant
Both the original reporter's path (home dir) and mine (
/Users/<user>/projects) happen to be ancestors of the repo. Worth checking whether the bug also triggers when the custom path is not on the same ancestor chain as the repo (e.g./tmp/worktrees).Bug persists across full app restart. The bot-suggested duplicates (#27282, #29716, #34458) are a sibling-directory feature request, a hooks bug, and a react-native-specific stale issue respectively — none describe this regression. Please don't auto-close.
Will take a look, thanks for reporting
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