window-inherit-working-directory gets stuck after some time

[uloco]

Issue Description

After having ghostty open for some time (probably over night), the issue starts happening. At some point the working directory is stuck on the directory the tab was left open. All my new tabs from this tab will point to the same directory even when I switch directories. Creating new tabs and cd from there works correctly as it should, but the old tab behaves the same after that, too. So it must be something related to the old tab, where the working directory detection and inheritance gets stuck. This also applies to splits or windows.

ghostty-window-inherit-bug.mov

Expected Behavior

With my current configuration, windows, splits and tabs should always use the current directory and not get stuck in an old directory I used when I left the tab open.

Actual Behavior

Working directory stops working for tabs that are left open for some time

Reproduction Steps

Hard to reproduce unfortunately since it happens randomly. Manually setting my mac to sleep did not reproduce this issue. But It happens like a couple of times per week, it's quite annoying.

Ghostty Logs

logs when opening a new split from the stuck terminal (and in another directory)

2025-09-04 08:49:07.748328+0200 0x10dfbda  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=32
2025-09-04 08:49:07.751785+0200 0x10dfbda  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] found Ghostty resources dir: /Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/Resources/ghostty
2025-09-04 08:49:07.751964+0200 0x10dfbda  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] shell integration automatically injected shell=termio.shell_integration.Shell.zsh
2025-09-04 08:49:07.752314+0200 0x10dfbda  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=19
2025-09-04 08:49:07.757365+0200 0x14bacb1  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] started subcommand path=/usr/bin/login pid=60132
2025-09-04 08:49:08.813934+0200 0x14bacb4  Info        0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] OSC 1 (change icon) received and ignored icon=../clypp-mobile
2025-09-04 08:49:08.813980+0200 0x14bacb4  Error       0x0                  65996  0    ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: change_window_icon

Ghostty Version

Ghostty 1.1.3

Version
  - version: 1.1.3
  - channel: stable
Build Config
  - Zig version: 0.13.0
  - build mode : builtin.OptimizeMode.ReleaseFast
  - app runtime: apprt.Runtime.none
  - font engine: font.main.Backend.coretext
  - renderer   : renderer.Metal
  - libxev     : main.Backend.kqueue

OS Version Information

macOS 15.6.1 (24G90)

(Linux only) Display Server

None

(Linux only) Desktop Environment/Window Manager

No response

Minimal Ghostty Configuration

cursor-style = block
cursor-style-blink = false
shell-integration-features = no-cursor
initial-window = true
window-position-x = 0
window-position-y = 0
window-height = 70
window-width = 320
window-inherit-working-directory = true

Additional Relevant Configuration

No response

I acknowledge that:

• I have reviewed the FAQ and confirm that my issue is NOT among them.
• 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.

[rhodes-b]

i leave ghostty running for upwards of 30+ days at a time and have never seen this

you also dont need to set window-inherit-working-directory the default behavior is true

[uloco]

Thank you, the config flag was just there to make sure. I don’t know what is going on :/

[mitchellh]

Can you try the latest tip release and see if this still happens?

The pwd is reported by the shell, so it could be there too. I don't see yet how time would affect either though.

[mitchellh]

Actually, one idea: pwd reporting sends a hostname. If the shell is sending a local IP and your IP changes but the shell isn't updating to that, it may result in us ignoring the hostname. That'd be logged though. Ghostty checks the hostname on every call.

[uloco]

yes indeed I can reproduce this behavior when switching from my wifi to mobile hotspot. So it probably was happening "over night" because I was going to the office in the morning (not every day) and connecting to a new wifi with an already open terminal. I did not provide the whole log, since it was already happening.

here is the log where i change the wifi during the recording and could reproduce the issue repetitively.
this is not on the tip release, just the same as above.

2025-09-05 10:37:11.151882+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=32
2025-09-05 10:37:11.157784+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] found Ghostty resources dir: /Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/Resources/ghostty
2025-09-05 10:37:11.157969+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] shell integration automatically injected shell=termio.shell_integration.Shell.zsh
2025-09-05 10:37:11.158321+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=19
2025-09-05 10:37:11.163352+0200 0x19b5491 Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] started subcommand path=/usr/bin/login pid=22493
2025-09-05 10:37:11.182055+0200 0x10dfbda Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] failed to get pin for clicked point
2025-09-05 10:37:11.188241+0200 0x10dfbda Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] failed to get pin for clicked point
2025-09-05 10:37:11.754249+0200 0x19b5494 Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] OSC 1 (change icon) received and ignored icon=/Source
2025-09-05 10:37:11.754284+0200 0x19b5494 Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: change_window_icon
2025-09-05 10:37:21.401623+0200 0x19b5494 Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] pty fd closed, read thread exiting
2025-09-05 10:37:21.403545+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] surface closed addr=308040000
2025-09-05 10:37:22.425838+0200 0x19b27ad Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] OSC 1 (change icon) received and ignored icon=cd
2025-09-05 10:37:22.425913+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: change_window_icon
2025-09-05 10:37:22.461919+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_handler] OSC 7 host must be local
2025-09-05 10:37:22.462418+0200 0x19b27ad Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] OSC 1 (change icon) received and ignored icon=
2025-09-05 10:37:22.462449+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: change_window_icon
2025-09-05 10:37:22.466404+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_handler] OSC 7 host must be local
2025-09-05 10:37:22.466592+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC callback: terminal.osc.Command{ .end_of_command = terminal.osc.Command.Command__struct_20675{ .exit_code = 0 } }
2025-09-05 10:37:22.466612+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: end_of_command
2025-09-05 10:37:22.466647+0200 0x19b27ad Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_handler] OSC 7 host must be local
2025-09-05 10:37:23.512963+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=32
2025-09-05 10:37:23.515901+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] found Ghostty resources dir: /Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/Resources/ghostty
2025-09-05 10:37:23.516094+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] shell integration automatically injected shell=termio.shell_integration.Shell.zsh
2025-09-05 10:37:23.516418+0200 0x10dfbda Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:ghostty] known but unimplemented action action=19
2025-09-05 10:37:23.523343+0200 0x19b57a4 Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:io_exec] started subcommand path=/usr/bin/login pid=22701
2025-09-05 10:37:23.540464+0200 0x10dfbda Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] failed to get pin for clicked point
2025-09-05 10:37:23.540574+0200 0x10dfbda Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] failed to get pin for clicked point
2025-09-05 10:37:23.547552+0200 0x10dfbda Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:surface] failed to get pin for clicked point
2025-09-05 10:37:24.135912+0200 0x19b57a7 Info 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] OSC 1 (change icon) received and ignored icon=~/Source
2025-09-05 10:37:24.135947+0200 0x19b57a7 Error 0x0 65996 0 ghostty: [com.mitchellh.ghostty:stream] unimplemented OSC command: change_window_icon