Desktop app: chat history disappears ("no messages yet") after restart, session data appears intact

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?

After working in a project conversation for an extended session (several hours),
scrolling to the top of the chat stopped partway through the conversation instead
of reaching the beginning. After fully restarting the desktop app, the same
conversation now shows "no messages yet" — completely blank, with no way to
access the earlier history via any visible history/sessions panel.

What Should Happen?

The full chat history should remain visible and scrollable after an app restart,
and there should be a way to browse/select past conversations within a project
if a session list exists.

Error Messages/Logs

No error message was shown in the UI. The conversation simply renders as empty 
("no messages yet") with no visible error or loading indicator stuck mid-state.
[If you have access to app logs (often under a Help/About/Logs menu, or a local 
log file), attach them here — I don't have visibility into where those are 
stored on your machine.]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a project conversation and work in it over an extended session,

including a few in-session model switches via /model.

1. Close the desktop app (not just the window — fully quit).
2. Reopen the app and navigate to the same project/conversation.
3. Observe: scrolling to the top does not reach the actual start of the

conversation.

1. Fully restart the app again.
2. Reopen the same conversation.
3. Observe: conversation now shows "no messages yet."

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.224

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

this is on the desktop app