TUI renderer switch (`/tui fullscreen`) silently reverts current-session model
Description
Running /tui fullscreen mid-session silently reverts the current session's runtime model to a previously used model, even though the persisted default in ~/.claude/settings.json still points at the newer choice. The user gets no warning and no confirmation prompt — subsequent responses come from the old model until they explicitly re-check via /model.
Environment
- Claude Code: 2.1.212
- macOS: 26.5.2 (build 25F84)
- Terminal: VS Code / Cursor integrated (
TERM=xterm-256color,TERM_PROGRAM=vscode3.12.17)
Steps to reproduce
- Start a session where the persisted default is Opus 4.7.
- Run
/modeland pick Opus 4.8 (1M context). Confirmation printsSet model to Opus 4.8 (1M context)and~/.claude/settings.jsonnow contains\"model\": \"opus[1m]\". - Run
/tui fullscreen(renderer switch). - Run
/modelagain — it reportsKept model as Opus 4.7.
Expected
Current-session model stays at whatever was selected before the TUI switch (Opus 4.8, matching settings.json).
Actual
Runtime model reverts to Opus 4.7 for the current session while settings.json still holds \"model\": \"opus[1m]\". New sessions still start on Opus 4.8 (persistence is intact); only the live session is affected.
Impact
Silent model downgrade. No visible cue that the model changed. Any responses in the same session after /tui fullscreen come from a different (older, less capable) model than the user believes they're using.
Workaround
Re-run /model and re-select the intended model after any /tui toggle. Or start a fresh session.
Note
claude --help in 2.1.212 doesn't expose a --tui / --renderer / --fullscreen CLI flag, so this issue is scoped to the interactive slash-command path.
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