[BUG] Navigating left to the task list, then right into a new task, breaks the session with a misleading "login required" error

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?

Navigating out of a task pane and back into a new one causes Claude Code to lose its session state. Instead of reporting a session problem, the CLI stops the task and tells me I need to log in again. My credentials are valid the whole time — suspending the process and restarting it recovers the session with no re-authentication at all.

The misleading error sent me down a long false trail: I spent hours debugging my VPN, proxy mode, balancer strategy and exit-node region, because the message pointed at authentication rather than at session state.

Negative Control

If I do NOT press Left after finishing a task, and instead suspend the session with Ctrl+Z, exit Claude Code, and start it again, everything works normally — no authentication is requested. This isolates the trigger to the Left/Right navigation between the task list and task panes, and rules out expired or invalid credentials.

Notes

The UI flicker on the Left transition may mark the point where session state is dropped.

Environment

• Claude Code version: 2.1.235 (Claude Code)
• OS: Pop!_OS 22.04, kernel 6.17.9, x86_64
• Terminal: GNOME
• Install method: npm global
• Auth: subscription (browser OAuth) PRO

What Should Happen?

Navigating from a task pane to the overview list and back into a task should preserve the active session. Moving between panes is pure UI navigation — it should not touch authentication state or terminate a running task.

If session state genuinely cannot be restored, the CLI should say that plainly, and it should distinguish between two very different failures:

1. Session state lost or unrecoverable — the message should name the session as the problem and point at claude --continue as the recovery path.
2. Credentials actually invalid or expired — only then should the CLI ask the user to log in.

Right now both surface as the same login-required message, which sends users to debug the wrong layer entirely. In my case the credentials on disk were valid the whole time, and restarting the process proved it — but the error told me to re-authenticate, so I spent hours auditing VPN routing, proxy mode, balancer strategy and exit-node region before discovering the real trigger was a UI keypress.

At minimum, the error text should mention that a restart or claude--continue may recover the session, so users are not pushed toward re-authentication when authentication was never the problem.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a task in Claude Code and let it run to completion.
2. From the task pane, press Left to go back to the overview showing all

tasks (completed and pending). The UI flickers briefly during this
transition.

1. Start a new task.
2. Press Right to enter the task pane.
3. The task stops and the CLI reports that login is required.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.235 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Other Linux

Terminal/Shell

GNOME

Additional Information

_No response_