Mid-session hook configuration reload (settings.json + hook-script bodies)

[TroyBertolino]

Feature request

Add a mechanism for mid-session hook configuration reload so edits to
~/.claude/settings.json or hook-script bodies take effect without exiting
the session and re-launching via claude --resume.

Use cases

1. Iterating on hook scripts during development. Current loop:
   edit hook script → exit session → claude --resume → test → repeat.
   The exit/resume round-trip is the single biggest friction point in
   authoring SessionStart, UserPromptSubmit, Stop, and PostToolUse hooks.

2. Picking up settings.json edits made by parallel sessions or by
   skill-driven config changes (e.g., an update-config skill that
   adds a permission rule mid-session — currently the change doesn't
   take effect until next session).

3. Recovering from a misconfigured hook without losing in-flight
   session context. A blocking UserPromptSubmit hook with a typo
   currently requires session restart, which discards conversation
   memory built up over hours of work.

Proposed UX (any one of these would close the gap)

• /reload-hooks built-in slash command — explicit, operator-
  triggered, predictable. Lowest implementation cost.
• Automatic file-watcher on settings.json + hook-script paths —
  zero-friction; matches nodemon / watchexec precedent.
• SIGHUP-equivalent process signal — Unix-idiomatic; matches
  nginx -s reload, systemctl reload, shell hash -r. Useful for
  tooling integration (e.g., a watcher process external to Claude Code).

Prior art

• nginx -s reload / systemctl reload <unit> (signal-based config reload)
• Shell hash -r (PATH cache invalidation)
• nodemon / watchexec / air (file-watcher dev loops)
• VS Code "Reload Window" command

Acceptance criteria

• Mechanism re-reads ~/.claude/settings.json (and project-local
  settings.local.json) without restarting the session.
• Hook scripts referenced by the new config are invoked correctly
  on the next matching event.
• In-flight session state (conversation history, memory, working
  directory) is preserved across the reload.
• Failure mode is graceful — a malformed settings.json does not
  crash the session; old config remains active until reload succeeds.

Filed from

Operator-friction encountered during hook-driven workflow development
in @TroyBertolino's private project (2026-05-03).

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. /reload-plugins does not reload hook scripts — stale hooks persist until session restart #55008
2. Feature Request: Add /reloadSettings command to reload configuration without restart #5513
3. MCP servers, hooks, and plugins should auto-reload when config changes — no restart needed #24057

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[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically closed as a duplicate of #55008.

If this is incorrect, please re-open this issue or create a new one.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[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.