[BUG] Claude Desktop (Code tab, macOS): claude://code/new link shows its folder but starts the session in a scratch workspace

Summary

A claude://code/new?q=…&folder=<path> link opens the new-session screen with the prompt filled in, and the screen shows <path> as the folder. When the prompt is sent from that screen, the session starts in a freshly minted scratch workspace instead of <path>. If you click any other session, then New session, and send from there, the same draft starts in <path>.

Environment

• Claude desktop app 2.2553.1 (Code tab), Claude Code 2.1.275
• macOS 14.8.7

Steps to reproduce

1. Have a local git repo at ~/dev/<repo> that has been used for earlier Code sessions.
2. Run open "claude://code/new?q=Reply%20with%20only%20the%20output%20of%20pwd.&folder=%2FUsers%2F<user>%2Fdev%2F<repo>".
3. On the new-session screen that opens, confirm the folder shown is <repo>, then press send.

Expected

The session starts in ~/dev/<repo> and pwd prints it.

Actual

The session starts in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/scratch-workspaces/…/scratch-<date>-<id>. main.log shows trust saved for the right folder, then a scratch workspace minted at send:

13:05:49 LocalSessions.saveTrust: cwd=/Users/<user>/dev/<repo>
13:05:49 Saved workspace trust for /Users/<user>/dev/<repo>
13:05:59 LocalSessions.createScratchWorkspace
13:05:59 [CCD] minted scratch workspace …/scratch-2026-09-18-<id>
13:05:59 Starting local session local_<id> in …/scratch-2026-09-18-<id>

Nothing is logged between saveTrust and createScratchWorkspace.

Controlled runs

Same link each time, with a one-line prompt:

| Run | Before sending | Link to send | Started in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | nothing | 10s | scratch |
| 2 | clicked other sessions, came back via New session | 94s | <repo> |
| 3 | nothing, stayed on the screen | 65s | scratch |
| 4 | nothing, screen showed <repo> as the folder | 10s | scratch |
| 5 | clicked one other session, then New session | 67s | <repo> |

So it is not the prompt content and not timing. Sending from the screen the link opened loses the folder. Reloading that screen keeps it.

Other observations

• It happens for one repo (5 of 6 links since 2026-09-16), while 7 of 7 links to other repos on the same machine landed correctly. I could not tell what distinguishes that repo. It has two extra git worktrees and many earlier sessions.
• A session that lands in scratch starts in Manual even with "permissions": {"defaultMode": "auto"} in ~/.claude/settings.json. The same link reloaded as above starts in Auto.
• Workaround in use: a first line in the prompt telling the sender to click another session, then New session, before sending.