[BUG] Small blank-line gap appears above the input box in VS Code integrated terminal (Windows), persists across updates

Environment

• OS: Windows 11 (10.0.26200)
• Terminal: VS Code integrated terminal (VS Code UI language: Japanese), shell: PowerShell
• Claude Code version: first noticed on v2.1.245, still present after updating to v2.1.250
• Model/mode: Sonnet 5, auto mode on

Description

A small blank-line gap appears just above the input box (near the mode/effort status row, e.g. ● high · /effort, and the auto mode on (shift+tab to cycle) · ... hint line below the box). Once it shows up, typed text renders visually shifted/misaligned relative to the input line. The exact point it started is unclear, but it has persisted across multiple sessions and across a CLI version update (v2.1.245 → v2.1.250).

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Claude Code inside VS Code's integrated terminal on Windows.
2. Use it normally for a while (multiple turns, /clear, mode switches, etc.).
3. At some point an extra blank line appears between the status/hint rows and the input box.

Troubleshooting already tried (did not help)

• Closing the terminal tab entirely and opening a brand-new terminal, then relaunching claude (not just /clear).
• Resizing the VS Code terminal panel (to force a redraw).
• Updating the CLI (v2.1.245 → v2.1.250) — the auto-update itself succeeded, but the layout issue was unchanged before/after.

Expected behavior

No extra blank line between the status/hint rows and the input box; input text stays aligned directly under the input prompt.

Additional context

I searched existing issues for a duplicate and found some related-but-not-identical reports, all already closed:

• #22845 — excessive line spacing on Windows, but from the v2.1.17 era (closed as fixed long before this version).
• #26631 — blank screen on typing, but specifically triggered by maximizing/restoring the VS Code panel on macOS (closed as not planned).
• #66191 — large blank gap (60–80% of viewport) between the welcome screen and the input prompt, but only at startup (closed as duplicate).

None of these match this specific symptom (a small persistent gap that appears during an ongoing session, not just at startup, and survives a version update), so filing this as a separate report.

I also submitted this via /feedback in-session; opening this issue as well since the in-app feedback channel and GitHub issues aren't guaranteed to reach the same triage path.