[BUG] Project-scope `enabledPlugins` is silently ignored when Claude Code is launched from a subdirectory

What's Wrong?

enabledPlugins set in a project's .claude/settings.json is only applied when Claude Code is launched from the directory that directly contains .claude/. From any subdirectory of the project, the project-scope enabledPlugins entry is silently ignored — even though the plugin still appears in claude plugin list, just with the wrong Status.

The docs (Configure team marketplaces, Install plugins) explicitly advertise enabledPlugins at project scope as a way to share plugin configuration via .claude/settings.json checked into the repo.

What Should Happen?

Project-scope enabledPlugins should be applied consistently regardless of which subdirectory of the project Claude Code is launched from. This matches the behavior of other Claude Code features (CLAUDE.md discovery, project root detection, etc.) which walk up from CWD.

Steps to Reproduce

# 1. Install a plugin from the official marketplace at user scope.
claude plugin install frontend-design@claude-plugins-official --scope user

# 2. Disable it at user scope, so the project-scope override has a visible effect.
claude plugin disable frontend-design@claude-plugins-official --scope user

# 3. Confirm baseline: disabled at user scope.
claude plugin list | grep -A3 'frontend-design@'
# Expect: Status: ✘ disabled

# 4. Create a fresh project that enables the plugin at project scope.
REPRO=$(mktemp -d)
cd "$REPRO" && git init -q && git commit -q --allow-empty -m init
mkdir -p .claude subdir/nested
cat > .claude/settings.json <<'JSON'
{
  "enabledPlugins": {
    "frontend-design@claude-plugins-official": true
  }
}
JSON

# 5. From the project root: project override is honored.
(cd "$REPRO" && claude plugin list | grep -A3 'frontend-design@')
# Actual:   Status: ✔ enabled    ← correct

# 6. From a subdirectory: project override is silently ignored.
(cd "$REPRO/subdir"        && claude plugin list | grep -A3 'frontend-design@')
(cd "$REPRO/subdir/nested" && claude plugin list | grep -A3 'frontend-design@')
# Actual:   Status: ✘ disabled   ← BUG: project setting is ignored
# Expected: Status: ✔ enabled

Error Messages/Logs

# From repo root  ($REPRO):
  ❯ frontend-design@claude-plugins-official
    Version: unknown
    Scope: user
    Status: ✔ enabled

# From subdirectory  ($REPRO/subdir):
  ❯ frontend-design@claude-plugins-official
    Version: unknown
    Scope: user
    Status: ✘ disabled

# From nested subdirectory  ($REPRO/subdir/nested):
  ❯ frontend-design@claude-plugins-official
    Version: unknown
    Scope: user
    Status: ✘ disabled

No error or warning is emitted in either case.

Claude Code Version

2.1.144 (Claude Code)

Is this a regression?

I don't know.

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Other Linux (Ubuntu 24.04 / kernel 6.8.0-111-generic)

Terminal/Shell

zsh

Additional Information

Related (but not duplicate) open issues:

• #46612 — feature request that motivates fixing this; opening line says project-scope enabledPlugins is "buggy, frequently ignored". Does not isolate the subdirectory-launch trigger documented here.
• #28554 — different symptom (re-install loop), but same underlying area.
• #49669 — adjacent bug, worktree-specific path resolution.
• #51118, #45323 — enabledPlugins in managed/org settings, auto-install path.