Screen blanks on return from external editor (Ctrl-G → Neovim → ZZ)
Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened May 1, 2026 by mlongval Closed May 4, 2026
Description
When using the external editor feature (Ctrl-G) to compose a prompt in Neovim, the Claude Code TUI screen goes blank on return — the previously rendered conversation (all of Claude's replies above the prompt) disappears. Only the input area remains visible.
This is disorienting because the user loses context mid-conversation and has no reference for completing their reply.
Steps to reproduce
- Start a Claude Code session with an active conversation (several exchanges visible)
- Press Ctrl-G to open the external editor (Neovim, configured via
$EDITOR) - Write or edit the prompt in Neovim
- Save and exit with
ZZ - Observe: the TUI returns to the prompt, but the conversation history area above is blank
Expected behaviour
The conversation history should remain rendered and visible after returning from the external editor.
Environment
- OS: Linux (Ubuntu, kernel 6.17.0-20-generic)
- Shell: bash/zsh
- Editor: Neovim
- Terminal: Gnome-Terminal (Ptyxis)
- Claude Code version: current
Notes
The prompt text itself is preserved correctly — only the rendered display of prior conversation is lost.
This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗