plugin install fails on Windows when git is installed under user home directory (false "git not on PATH" error)

[Keson74]

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?

/plugin install throws git-subdir plugin source requires git to be
installed and on PATH even when git is correctly installed and visible
via where.exe git, Get-Command git, and PowerShell.

What Should Happen?

Root Cause

In claude.exe (v2.1.114), the which('git') implementation (function
ox7) runs where.exe git to locate git, then passes results through a
filter (KD6) that removes any path located under the current working
directory:

function KD6(H) {
let $ = process.cwd().toLowerCase();
return H.filter((q) => {
let K = path.resolve(q).toLowerCase();
return path.dirname(K).toLowerCase() !== $ && !K.startsWith($ +
path.sep)
})
}

When the user's working directory is their home folder
(C:\Users<name>) and git is installed at the default user-local
location (C:\Users<name>\AppData\Local\Programs\Git), all paths
returned by where.exe git are under the home directory and get
filtered out, making git appear not found.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Git for Windows using the per-user installer (default on
   many machines) → installs to
   C:\Users<name>\AppData\Local\Programs\Git
2. Launch Claude Code CLI from or with cwd set to C:\Users<name> (the
   home directory)
3. Run /plugin install
4. Error: git-subdir plugin source requires git to be installed and on
   PATH

Note: where.exe git, Get-Command git, and git --version all succeed —
git is genuinely on PATH.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

1. Install Git for Windows using the per-user installer (default on many machines) → installs to C:\Users<name>\AppData\Local\Programs\Git 2. Launch Claude Code CLI from or with cwd set to C:\Users<name> (the home directory) 3. Run /plugin install 4. Error: git-subdir plugin source requires git to be installed and on PATH Note: where.exe git, Get-Command git, and git --version all succeed — git is genuinely on PATH.

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

No response

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. [Bug] Marketplace update fails to find git on Windows: "Command 'git' not found or is in an unsafe location" #42135
2. Anthropic marketplace does not detect git on Windows despite git being installed #29609
3. Git not detected in Claude Code desktop app on Windows despite correct installation #34496

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
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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[0xbrainkid]

The which('git') implementation filtering out any path under the current working directory is a platform-specific bug: on Windows, when the user's home directory is the working directory (or a parent of it), and git is installed under the user home (e.g., C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Programs\Git\bin\git.exe), the filter incorrectly removes it.

The filter's intent was presumably to prevent shim scripts or project-local git wrappers from being picked up as the "real" git. But the implementation (path.toLowerCase().startsWith(cwd.toLowerCase())) is too broad on Windows where:

• Users commonly install git under their home profile directory
• The cwd may be the home directory itself or a subdirectory
• The filter eliminates a perfectly valid system-installed git that happens to live under the home path

The correct fix: Change the filter to only exclude git executables that are in the project's own directory tree (i.e., paths under the project root / .git / node_modules), not paths under the home directory.

// Current (too broad):
H.filter((q) => !q.toLowerCase().startsWith(process.cwd().toLowerCase()))

// Fixed (only exclude project-local git, not user-installed git):
const projectRoot = getProjectRoot(); // or use a tighter definition
H.filter((q) => !q.toLowerCase().startsWith((projectRoot + path.sep).toLowerCase()))

Alternatively: if %USERPROFILE% or %APPDATA% is in the path, always allow it as a valid system-installed git regardless of cwd.

This is the same class of path resolution mismatch as the WSL UNC path false-positive (#49119) — a regex/comparison that is correct for one environment is wrong for another platform's directory structure.

[github-actions]

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

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.