Feature request: /cd command to change working directory mid-session

[Zycroft]

Feature Request

Add a built-in /cd command that changes Claude Code's working directory mid-session.

Problem

Currently, Claude Code's working directory (workspace.current_dir) is set at session start and cannot be changed during a session. This is problematic when:

1. Working with git worktrees - Users create a worktree and want to switch to it without restarting Claude
2. Navigating monorepos - Moving between packages/services in a large codebase
3. Context switching - Moving to a different project directory during a session

The shell's cd command resets after each Bash invocation, so it doesn't persist. Custom commands can't modify the internal workspace state.

Current Workaround

Users must exit and restart Claude Code in the new directory:

cd /path/to/new/dir && claude

This loses conversation context and is disruptive to workflow.

Proposed Solution

Add a built-in /cd <path> command that:

1. Validates the target directory exists
2. Updates workspace.current_dir internally
3. Updates the statusline to reflect the new directory
4. Persists the new directory for all subsequent tool calls

Example Usage

/cd ../my-worktree
/cd ~/projects/other-repo
/cd ..

Additional Context

• The statusline hook reads from data.workspace.current_dir, so updating this internal state would automatically fix statusline display
• This would make Claude Code much more flexible for users who work across multiple directories in a session

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. Feature Request: Ability to change working directory during Claude session #3473
2. [FEATURE] Allow project context to follow working directory changes (git worktree workflow) #16089
3. Cannot work with git worktrees due to directory restriction #2841

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
• To prevent auto-closure, add a comment or 👎 this comment

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[TimothyZhang7]

+1
It will be very helpful when working on a monorepo

[marns]

+1 this feature would also greatly increase the utility of the VS Code plugin since there's no way to scope context and pwd within a project there

[Nubaeon]

Additional Use Case: External Orchestration of Multi-Repo Sessions

Beyond the worktree and monorepo cases mentioned, there's a significant orchestration use case:

AI-to-AI or service-to-AI orchestration across repositories

When an external orchestrator (another AI agent, CI system, or workflow engine) manages a Claude Code session that needs to operate across multiple repositories:

1. Orchestrator spawns Claude Code in repo A
2. Work completes, orchestrator needs Claude to switch to repo B
3. Currently requires terminating session (losing context) or clunky workarounds

Why this matters:

• Multi-repo codebases (microservices, monorepo-adjacent architectures) often need coordinated changes
• External orchestration systems can't currently "steer" a Claude session to a different project without killing context
• Epistemic continuity across repos is valuable — understanding gained in repo A informs work in repo B

Proposed enhancement to /cd:

Consider also exposing this via environment variable or CLI flag for programmatic control:

# Orchestrator could signal directory change
export CLAUDE_CWD=/path/to/new/repo
# Or via some IPC mechanism

This would enable external systems to manage multi-repo workflows without losing session state.

[loganrosen]

This is a dupe of #3473.