macOS: new window, tab or split does not inherit current working directory

[grubersjoe]

Issue Description

On macOS since Ghostty 1.4.0: When opening a new tab I expect the new tab to inherit the working directory of the previously focused tab. However, the working directory of the new tab is always $HOME. The same applies for opening new windows or splits.

I did not configure working-directory, window-inherit-working-directory, tab-inherit-working-directory or split-inherit-working-directory so they all use their default value. For working-directory this is inherit per reference. Setting working-directory explicitly to inherit does not fix the issue.

Expected Behavior

The new working directory of the window, tab or split should be in the same as the previous focused window, tab or split.

Actual Behavior

The working directory in thew new window, tab or split is always the home directory.

Reproduction Steps

1. Open Ghostty 1.4 with empty config
2. Change into a directory
3. Focus the tab
4. Press <cmd+t> to open a new tab
5. Observe the new tab uses $HOME as working directory instead of the previous directory

Ghostty Version

Ghostty 1.4.0

Version
  - version: 1.4.0
  - channel: stable
Build Config
  - Zig version   : 0.17.0
  - build mode    : .fast
  - app runtime   : .none
  - font engine   : .coretext
  - renderer      : renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.Metal)
  - libxev        : kqueue

OS Version Information

macOS Golden Gate 27.0.1

Minimal Ghostty Configuration

(empty)

I acknowledge that:

• I have reviewed the FAQ and confirm that my issue is NOT among them.
• I have searched the Ghostty documentation and confirm there doesn't exist a configuration option that solves my issue.
• I have searched the Ghostty repository (both open and closed Discussions and Issues) and confirm this is not a duplicate of an existing issue or discussion.
• I have checked the "Preview" tab on all text fields to ensure that everything looks right, and have wrapped all configuration and code in code blocks with a group of three backticks (```) on separate lines.

[jcollie]

Do you have shell integration enabled? That's required for Ghostty to know what the current working directory is.

[grubersjoe]

I'm using Fish shell 4.9.3 and currently only have the following concerning shell integration:

shell-integration-features = no-cursor,sudo

However, adding shell-integration = fish, unfortunately, does not fix this:

shell-integration = fish
shell-integration-features = no-cursor,sudo

[jcollie]

@grubersjoe can you run hostname or scutil --get HostName, and to check log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.mitchellh.ghostty"' for OSC 7 uri contains an invalid hostname?

[grubersjoe]

indeed it does:

$ scutil --get HostName
QLNQ9Y999J Jo
$ log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.mitchellh.ghostty"'
Filtering the log data using "subsystem == "com.mitchellh.ghostty""
Timestamp                       Thread     Type        Activity             PID    TTL
2026-10-31 13:59:53.659691+0100 0xd6f9e0   Error       0x2fe2a3b            81826  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] unknown action action=43
2026-10-31 13:59:53.675532+0100 0xd6f9e0   Error       0x2fe2a3b            81826  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] unknown action action=22
2026-10-31 13:59:53.903207+0100 0xdb8923   Error       0x0                  81826  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] io_handler: OSC 7 uri contains an invalid hostname: error.InvalidHostName
2026-10-31 13:59:53.904006+0100 0xdb8923   Error       0x0                  81826  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] io_handler: OSC 7 uri contains an invalid hostname: error.InvalidHostName

[grubersjoe]

After setting the hostname to QLNQ9Y999J-Jo (no spaces) it works again like before. So that seems to be the issue

[ranyodh]

I have the same issue after upgrading to Ghostty 1.4.0 on macOS Tahoe 26.7.2
I am using zsh (macOS default). Confirmed that shell integration is working:

2026-10-30 12:06:46.025209-0400 0x7d652    Info        0x4f8d5f             41010  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] io_exec: found Ghostty resources dir: /Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/Resources/ghostty
2026-10-30 12:06:46.025388-0400 0x7d652    Info        0x4f8d5f             41010  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:default] io_exec: shell integration automatically injected shell=.zsh

Tried enabling window-inherit-working-directory, tab-inherit-working-directory and split-inherit-working-directory, but still see the same issue.

[adriantrunzo]

Unfortunately, I am also encountering this issue after updating to Ghostty 1.4.0. macOS 26.7.2 with zsh.

I tried deleting my zsh config, but no luck.

[adriantrunzo]

@ranyodh If you also encounter this issue in Terminal.app, try the solution I posted below. I found that I also had the issue with the built-in terminal, but never realized it because I only use Ghostty.

[nicholas-greenwood]

since shell-integration = fish didn't change it, i'd check the directory-reporting functions in the running shell before changing more settings

could you run these in the fish shell ghostty first opened, then paste the output?

functions __update_cwd_osc __fish_update_cwd_osc
functions --handlers-type variable

ghostty 1.4.0's integration registers __update_cwd_osc for PWD changes, and fish 4.9.3 has its own reporter

those definitions and handlers would show which reporting code is present and whether it's registered for directory changes

[bo2themax]

couldn't reproduce with zero config zsh and fish.

[adriantrunzo]

I was able to solve this problem by making sure my computer's hostname doesn't have whitespace. See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30029160/osx-terminal-new-tab-in-same-directory.

Specifically, scutil --get HostName returned a string with whitespace. scutil --set HostName "something-with-no-spaces" fixed the issue!

Ghostty 1.4.0 must have changed how it obtains/treats the hostname from the system. There is a related discussion in #9372.

[jcollie]

@ranyodh can you run hostname or scutil --get HostName, and to check log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.mitchellh.ghostty"' for OSC 7 uri contains an invalid hostname?

[jcollie]

#14970