### Preflight Checklist - [x] I have searched [existing issues](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20label%3Abug) 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? Excerpt from Claude Chat: That's completely understandable — the desktop app is much more comfortable to work in. Since everything is correctly installed

[BUG] ERROR "Install Git, Git for Windows is required to run local sessions..."

Open 💬 0 comments Opened Jul 1, 2026 by Fortrangirl

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?

Excerpt from Claude Chat:
That's completely understandable — the desktop app is much more comfortable to work in.
Since everything is correctly installed and configured, this is genuinely a bug in the Claude desktop app's Git detection on Windows. The best path forward is to report it directly to Anthropic so they can fix it.
File a bug report here:
github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/new
Include these key facts:

Windows, Git 2.55.0.windows.1
bash.exe confirmed at C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe
CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH set in both settings.json and as a Windows System environment variable
Node.js v24.14.0, npm 11.9.0
Claude Code works fine via Git Bash terminal (claude command)
Desktop app still shows "Git is required for local sessions"

The fact that it works in the terminal but not the desktop app is very clear evidence it's a detection bug, not a configuration problem on your end. You've done everything right.

What Should Happen?

Error message should not popup when entering Claude Code from the Desktop app.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Install Claude for desktop
Install Git, JS node, and whatever else
Open Claude for desktop
Select Claude Code

Get the error message.
Fix all your paths in settings.json and git
Restart computer.
Get same results.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude Code version 2.1.198.

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

I am trying to avoid using the terminal. I want to use the desktop. Thanks!

View original on GitHub ↗