[BUG] Claude Desktop 3P: disabling Cowork also removes Chat and Home still attempts Cowork sessions

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?

In Claude Desktop 3P using Claude Apps Gateway, disabling Cowork also prevents Chat from being exposed even when Chat is explicitly enabled.

With this managed configuration:

desktop:
  chatTabEnabled: true
  coworkTabEnabled: false

/user/bootstrap correctly reports:

chat: available
cowork: blocked_by_org_admin

However, Claude Desktop does not show the Chat/Cowork selector or otherwise expose Chat from Home.

Sending a message from Home → New instead attempts to start a Cowork session and returns:

Cowork sessions have been disabled by your organization

If I change only coworkTabEnabled to true, restart Claude Desktop, and sign back in, the Chat/Cowork selector appears and Chat works normally.

I also tested with Claude Code both enabled and disabled. Code does not affect the result; the failure occurs specifically when Cowork is disabled.

What Should Happen?

chatTabEnabled and coworkTabEnabled should operate independently.

With:

desktop:
  chatTabEnabled: true
  coworkTabEnabled: false

Claude Desktop should provide a Chat-only Home experience.

Cowork should be unavailable, while Home → New should start a normal Chat conversation rather than attempting to create a Cowork session.re also occurs with Claude Code enabled.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use Claude Desktop in a 3P deployment through Claude Apps Gateway.

1. Configure the user with:

desktop:
  chatTabEnabled: true
  coworkTabEnabled: false

1. Confirm that the Managed Configuration Report shows Chat enabled and Cowork disabled.

1. Confirm /user/bootstrap reports:

chat: available
cowork: blocked_by_org_admin

1. Fully exit and restart Claude Desktop.

1. Open Home and select New.

1. Observe that there is no Chat/Cowork selector and Chat is not otherwise exposed.

1. Enter a message and send it.

1. Observe the error:

Cowork sessions have been disabled by your organization

1. Change only the Cowork setting:

desktop:
  chatTabEnabled: true
  coworkTabEnabled: true

1. Restart Claude Desktop.

1. Observe that the Chat/Cowork selector now appears and Chat works normally.

I also reproduced the failure with:

desktop:
  chatTabEnabled: true
  coworkTabEnabled: false
  isClaudeCodeForDesktopEnabled: true

so Claude Code being enabled does not resolve the issue.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

I believe this may have worked previously, but I cannot confirm a specific working Desktop release.

Claude Code Version

2.1.228 (Claude Code),

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

<img width="1204" height="804" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/689eff4f-cdac-4d24-a8b9-8523d080b4ff" />
<img width="1202" height="803" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1541a44f-4082-4a2a-a363-364e394eb589" />

Claude Desktop version:

1.28929.0 (d1a6bc)

Deployment:

Claude Desktop 3P
Claude Apps Gateway

The gateway policy appears to resolve correctly. The Managed Configuration Report contains the expected settings, and /user/bootstrap explicitly reports Chat as available while Cowork is blocked_by_org_admin.

Observed behavior matrix:

Chat enabled + Cowork enabled
→ Chat/Cowork selector appears
→ Chat works

Chat enabled + Cowork disabled
→ Chat/Cowork selector disappears
→ Home → New still attempts Cowork
→ "Cowork sessions have been disabled by your organization"

I tested both with Claude Code enabled and disabled; this did not change the result.

I have attached a screenshot of the failing state showing:

• Home open
• Code enabled and visible
• no Chat/Cowork selector
• the Home composer
• the resulting "Cowork sessions have been disabled by your organization" error

I can also provide additional sanitized bootstrap/configuration information if useful.