[BUG] Error loop when submitting image without text message

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?

When uploading an image without typing any text and submitting, the system throws an error and continues to error repeatedly until Claude manages to recover and respond. This issue has occurred twice already.

Steps to reproduce:

Open a new message input
Attach/upload an image
Submit without typing any text
Expected behavior:
The system should accept the image-only message and respond normally.

Actual behavior:
The system throws an error immediately and enters an error loop — it keeps erroring on every subsequent attempt until Claude is somehow able to break out of the loop and respond.

Frequency: Reproduced twice

What Should Happen?

When uploading an image without typing any text and submitting, the system throws an error and continues to error repeatedly until Claude manages to recover and respond. This issue has occurred twice already.

Steps to reproduce:

Open a new message input
Attach/upload an image
Submit without typing any text
Expected behavior:
The system should accept the image-only message and respond normally.

Actual behavior:
The system throws an error immediately and enters an error loop — it keeps erroring on every subsequent attempt until Claude is somehow able to break out of the loop and respond.

Frequency: Reproduced twice

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Start a new conversation in Claude Code
Click the image/attachment button to upload an image
Select any image file
Do not type any text in the message input
Press Enter or click the Submit button
Result: System immediately throws an error and enters an error loop on every subsequent interaction until Claude recovers.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

claude code

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_