[BUG] Claude Code appears twice in VSCode sidebar after extension update

[CodingMarkus]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Claude Code appears twice in VSCode sidebar after extension update

Description

After updating the Claude Code VSCode extension, Claude Code appears twice in the sidebar — once in the Activity Bar (left) and once in the Secondary Sidebar (right). Both entries are visible simultaneously, even though the when clauses in the extension's package.json are designed to be mutually exclusive.

What Should Happen?

• Only one Claude Code entry should appear — either in the Activity Bar or the Secondary Sidebar, depending on VSCode support.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce

1. Update the Claude Code VSCode extension to the latest version
2. Observe the sidebar — Claude Code appears in both the Activity Bar and Secondary Sidebar

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

2.1.70

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

Root Cause Analysis

The extension registers two sidebar contributions in package.json:

"activitybar": [
  {
    "id": "claude-sidebar",
    "title": "Claude Code",
    "icon": "resources/claude-logo.svg",
    "when": "claude-code:doesNotSupportSecondarySidebar"
  }
],
"secondarySidebar": [
  {
    "id": "claude-sidebar-secondary",
    "title": "Claude Code",
    "icon": "resources/claude-logo.svg",
    "when": "!claude-code:doesNotSupportSecondarySidebar"
  }
]

The when conditions rely on the context key claude-code:doesNotSupportSecondarySidebar, which does not appear to be set correctly after the update. As a result, both entries are displayed.

Workaround

Right-click the unwanted entry in the sidebar and select "Hide". Yet they both have the same name and don't are the same.

Environment

• OS: macOS 15.7.1
• VSCode: 1.96.4
• Claude Code Extension: 2.1.70 (updated on 2026-03-06)

[github-actions]

Found 1 possible duplicate issue:

1. Sidebar icon missing in Cursor due to secondary sidebar detection #31375

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

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[CodingMarkus]

This is no dupe of #31375

#31375 is about the icon not showing up at all. This issue is about the icon showing up twice. How is that the same?

Also #31375 only happens when using Cursor and I'm not even using that, so totally unrelated.

[jakezien]

I have the same issue, and not sure if connected but the Claude extension can't find my web sessions

[adamajane]

I'm also experiencing the same issue; one icon redirects you to the Claude Code chat window, and the other to an overview of my local and remote sessions.

[Pikktee]

The issue happens to me only in cursor, also see here:
https://forum.cursor.com/t/duplicate-claude-code-icons-in-activity-bar-cannot-hide-one-v2-6-20/155427

[ThornsW]

我也遇到了一样的问题

我的解决办法是修改Claude code的package.json文件（/.vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.92-linux-x64/package.json）

这是最简单的方法（我是强迫症），剩下的就等官方修复吧

[CodingMarkus]

@ThornsW I don't have to patch the file to hide one of both, I can just right click the sidebar and uncheck one of both in the context menu (as I already mentioned as work around in my original bug report). But the bug is that even without doing that, only one of both should ever be visible at the same time.