[DOCS] `/tui` docs omit that running background shells and subagents block renderer switching
Documentation Type
Incorrect/outdated documentation
Documentation Location
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/fullscreen
Section/Topic
The "Enable fullscreen rendering" section and the /tui command documentation
Current Documentation
The /tui docs currently say:
Run/tui fullscreeninside any Claude Code conversation. The CLI saves thetuisetting and relaunches into fullscreen with your conversation intact, so you can switch mid-session without losing context. Run/tuiwith no argument to print which renderer is active.
And the command reference says:
/tui [default\|fullscreen]| Set the terminal UI renderer and relaunch into it with your conversation intact.fullscreenenables the flicker-free alt-screen renderer. With no argument, prints the active renderer
What's Wrong or Missing?
These pages do not document the v2.1.141 behavior change for /tui: if the current session still has running background shells, workflows, or subagents, Claude Code now refuses to relaunch and tells the user to wait for those tasks to finish instead of silently dropping them.
As written, "with your conversation intact" overstates what users can expect during a renderer switch and gives no guidance for the refusal path. That is especially confusing because similar safety behavior is documented elsewhere for backgrounding, but not on the /tui pages themselves.
Suggested Improvement
Add a short note to the /tui command docs and the fullscreen page clarifying that renderer switching is blocked while the current session has active background work.
Suggested wording:
If the current session has running background tasks such as background shells, workflows, or subagents,/tuirefuses to relaunch so those tasks are not dropped. Wait for them to finish, or inspect them with/tasks, then run/tuiagain.
This note should apply to both /tui fullscreen and /tui default.
Impact
Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand
Additional Context
Affected Pages:
| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/fullscreen | 23 | Says /tui fullscreen relaunches with the conversation intact |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands | 123 | /tui command reference omits the running-task restriction |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/terminal-config | 267 | Recommends switching renderers in the current session with the conversation intact |
Cross-reference:
| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/agent-view | 360 | Documents the analogous guardrail for backgrounding: active tasks are not silently abandoned and users should check /tasks |
Version context: v2.1.141 changelog entry: "Fixed /tui silently dropping running background shells and subagents — now refuses and asks to wait for them to finish"
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