[FEATURE] Add option to disable automatic worktree creation in desktop app

[admin-biztax]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When using the Claude Code desktop app, a new git worktree is automatically
created for each conversation. There is no supported setting to disable this behavior.

Proposed Solution

Add a supported configuration option in settings.json to disable automatic
worktree creation. For example:

"worktreeEnabled": false

Environment:

• OS: Windows 11
• App: Claude Code Desktop

Alternative Solutions

No response

Priority

Critical - Blocking my work

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Use Case Example

No response

Additional Context

No response

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. [FEATURE] Option to disable automatic git worktree creation for linked repositories #21236
2. Add option to disable automatic worktree creation in Desktop app #42234
3. [BUG] Option to disable automatic worktree creation for solo developers (for the standalone macOS interface) #12513

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

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[0xbrainkid]

An option to disable automatic worktree creation in the Desktop app is a reasonable control — the worktree isolation feature is valuable for multi-session workflows but the current automatic behavior creates worktrees without explicit user request, which has contributed to several data loss incidents when cleanup goes wrong (#48927 — .git directory destroyed, #46444 — uncommitted work deleted, #48811 — worktrees created at null paths).

From an agent capability and safety perspective, worktree creation is a side-effect that changes the state of the user's git repository. Side-effects of this type should be opt-in, not opt-out. The user asking for "help with this code" did not necessarily consent to having a new git worktree created on their behalf.

The configuration option:

{
  "worktree": {
    "autoCreate": false,
    "location": ".worktrees/<name>"
  }
}

autoCreate: false means the Desktop app does not create worktrees automatically — they must be explicitly requested. When autoCreate: true (the current default), the location field controls where they are created (addressing the .claude/worktrees/ placement bug in #48967).

Two additional safeguards worth bundling with this:

1. Worktree creation confirmation. When automatic creation would happen, offer a "Create isolated worktree for this session?" confirmation rather than creating silently. This preserves the capability for users who want it while giving users who do not want it the chance to decline.

2. Cleanup safety. Any worktree cleanup must require either explicit user action or must verify .git exists in the main repo after cleanup (as recommended in #48927 comments).

[github-actions]

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.