`claude agents` banner hints "list sessions" but cmd only lists definitions (v2.1.139)

Resolved 💬 4 comments Opened May 12, 2026 by kelvinckkc Closed May 13, 2026

Summary

After backgrounding a session, the launch banner advertises claude agents as a way to "list sessions" — but running claude agents (or claude agents list) only prints the configured agent definitions. There is no documented subcommand or flag that lists active background sessions from a sibling shell.

Environment

  • Claude Code 2.1.139 (latest stable at time of report)
  • macOS Darwin 24.6.0
  • Single user, single daemon (/tmp/cc-daemon-502/95be5075/)
  • daemonColdStart: default (transient)

Repro

  1. From terminal A, start claude in a project directory and let it background (banner appears):

``
backgrounded · 52628302
claude agents list sessions
claude attach 52628302 open in this terminal
claude logs 52628302 show recent output
claude stop 52628302 stop this session
``

  1. Open a fresh terminal B (same user, same shell init).
  2. Run claude agents (or claude agents list, or claude agents --setting-sources user,project,local).

Expected

Output includes an "Active sessions" section listing the running backgrounded session(s), matching the banner hint. Ideally with the session ID, cwd, and status so claude attach <id> is discoverable.

Actual

17 active agents

User agents:
  architect · opus
  ...
Plugin agents:
  ...
Built-in agents:
  ...

Only configured agent definitions are printed. No session listing. claude agents list ignores the positional and prints the same output. claude --help lists no sessions / bg / background subcommand.

The daemon and bg session are clearly healthy — sockets exist under /tmp/cc-daemon-502/95be5075/{control.sock, pty/52628302.sock, rv/*.sock} and the panel is reachable from a foreground session (see workaround).

Workaround

From a foreground claude session:

  • Press to navigate into the FleetView agent panel, or
  • Run /tui default (or /tui fullscreen) — toggling the renderer re-mounts the TUI and lands on the panel since that was the last view.

Neither works from a sibling shell that has no foreground session.

Suggested fix

Either:

  1. Implement the list sessions behavior the banner advertises (likely the intent — the hint copy in the backgrounded banner is specific).
  2. Update the banner copy to point to whatever cmd actually lists sessions (or remove the line).

Either way the banner ↔ cmd contract should match so users can discover their own bg fleet without launching a foreground session first.

View original on GitHub ↗

This issue has 4 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗