codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Agent runtime CWD/worktree is not rebound when navigating between project chats [5 comments, 3 participants]

Title: Agent runtime CWD/worktree is not rebound when navigating between project chats

Severity: High / data integrity and business-context integrity risk

When working across multiple projects, clicking into an existing chat under a different project does not appear to update the agent tool runtime CWD. The UI can indicate I am in one project, but shell/tool calls may still execute from a previous project’s repo.

In my case, I was navigating between projects including:

• MyAISpeakEasy
• Eventryx
• ArticleMngrSLN

But the agent runtime still reported and operated from:

C:\Users\Richard\source\repos\MyAISpeakEasy

Expected: When I open or switch to a chat associated with a project, the agent runtime CWD should be rebound to that project’s workspace/repo. The visible project context, chat context, runtime CWD, Git worktree root, and project-scoped tool context should all match.

Actual: The visible project/chat context can differ from the shell/tool CWD. This means I may believe I am working in Eventryx or ArticleMngrSLN, while agent commands, file operations, Git operations, and project-scoped tooling are still targeting MyAISpeakEasy.

Why this matters: Each project has its own CWD and Git worktree. If project navigation changes the visible context but not the runtime CWD, generated files, configuration changes, setup scripts, git status checks, staging, commits, or other repo-affecting operations can silently affect the wrong repository.

This also affects project-scoped tools. For example, the ContentTraker plugin relies on the current working directory to associate a local project/repo with a ContentTraker workspace. That ContentTraker workspace represents the business-domain knowledge for the application.

If the runtime CWD is stale, ContentTraker setup or lookup operations can associate the wrong application with the wrong ContentTraker workspace, or retrieve business-domain context for the wrong project. That can lead the agent to reason from incorrect domain knowledge while making code or configuration changes.

This is especially dangerous in agent workflows because the assistant may autonomously edit files, run commands, configure tooling, inspect Git state, or use business-domain context based on the stale CWD.

Suggested invariant: Chat/project context == agent runtime CWD == Git worktree root == project-scoped tool context

Suggested fixes:

1. Rebind the agent runtime CWD whenever a chat/project is opened.
2. If an existing runtime cannot be safely rebound, block tool execution and require a new runtime/session for that project.
3. Clearly display the active runtime CWD near the chat/tool area.
4. Warn when the visible project does not match the runtime CWD.
5. Before file, Git, or project-scoped tool operations, automatically verify:
   • pwd
   • git rev-parse --show-toplevel
   • any project binding file used by the tool, such as .contenttraker/project-binding.json
6. Prevent staging, commits, setup scripts, file edits, and project-scoped tool setup/lookups when the runtime worktree does not match the visible project.

Repro:

1. Open a chat in Project A, for example MyAISpeakEasy.
2. Confirm the runtime CWD with pwd or git rev-parse --show-toplevel.
3. Navigate to an existing chat under Project B, for example Eventryx or ArticleMngrSLN.
4. Ask the agent to report CWD or run a repo-specific/project-scoped command.
5. Observe that the runtime may still be in Project A, despite the UI showing Project B.

Impact: High. This can cause incorrect file edits, dirty worktrees in unrelated repos, accidental setup/configuration in the wrong project, accidental staging or commits from the wrong repository, incorrect ContentTraker workspace association, and incorrect business-domain context being used during agent work.

Concrete example: A ContentTraker configuration/readiness check was requested while I believed I was working in another project context, but the runtime CWD was still:

C:\Users\Richard\source\repos\MyAISpeakEasy

Because ContentTraker uses the current working directory and .contenttraker/project-binding.json to associate a repo with the application’s business-domain workspace, the operation targeted the MyAISpeakEasy project context rather than the intended project.