Allow starting a new session without restoring the last project directory

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When opening Claude Code desktop app, it always restores the last used project directory. There is no way to:

Start a new session in a neutral/generic directory without manually switching

• Choose a working directory at session start
• Configure a persistent default working directory via settings.json
• Expected behavior: Either provide a setting like defaultWorkingDirectory in settings.json, or allow starting the app without auto-restoring the last project (e.g. a "no project" state or a prompt to choose).

Proposed Solution

Add one or more of the following options:

Option A — settings.json support:

{
"defaultWorkingDirectory": "D:/claude/general"
}
When set, new sessions open in this directory instead of restoring the last project.

Option B — Startup behavior setting:

{
"startupBehavior": "lastProject" | "defaultDirectory" | "ask"
}
lastProject — current behavior (restore last project)
defaultDirectory — always open in defaultWorkingDirectory
ask — prompt the user to choose a folder at startup
Option C — "No project" state:
Allow opening a new session without any project context (similar to opening a text editor without a file). The user can then navigate to a directory as needed during the session.

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Configuration and settings

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_