🚨Claude Code VSCode Extension Does Not Detect Custom Slash Commands From .claude/commands

🖥️ Environment

Extension: Claude Code
Identifier: anthropic.claude-code
Version: 2.1.153
VSCode: Latest
OS: Windows

❌ Problem

Custom slash commands inside:

.claude/commands/

are not being detected inside the Claude Code VSCode extension.

The same commands work correctly in terminal Claude Code.

Inside VSCode chat:

/handoff

returns:

Unknown command: /handoff

📁 Current Project Structure

PROJECT_ROOT/
├── .claude/
│   ├── commands/
│   │   ├── handoff.md
│   │   └── handoffpass.md
│   └── handoff.md
├── CLAUDE.md
├── frontend/
└── backend/

🛠️ Commands Created

.claude/commands/handoff.md

---
description: Save current session state into handoff file
---

Analyze the entire conversation and workspace.

Create a structured session snapshot.

Include:

# Current Goal
# Completed Work
# Modified Files
# Important Decisions
# Current Issues
# Attempted Fixes
# Backend Changes
# Frontend Changes
# Commands Run
# Next Step

Save output into:

.claude/handoff.md

Overwrite the file completely (do not append).

After saving, respond:

"Handoff saved. Use /handoffpass to continue in a new session."

.claude/commands/handoffpass.md

---
description: Restore previous session from handoff
---

Read the file:

.claude/handoff.md

Use it as full context of the previous session.

Then:

1. Summarize key state internally
2. Continue work from "Next Step"
3. Do NOT ask the user to re-explain anything

Start directly from where the system left off.

✅ Expected Behavior

The VSCode extension should automatically detect custom slash commands from:

.claude/commands/

and allow usage like:

/handoff
/handoffpass

exactly like terminal Claude Code.

❌ Actual Behavior

VSCode extension returns:

Unknown command: /handoff

even after:

• 🔄 Reload Window
• 🔄 Restart VSCode
• 🔄 Restart Claude extension
• 🔄 Reopen workspace
• 🔄 Recreate command files
• ✅ Verify markdown frontmatter
• ✅ Verify commands work in terminal Claude Code

🔍 Additional Observation

This appears to be specific to the VSCode extension because terminal Claude Code loads the exact same commands correctly.

Possibly the extension:

• is not scanning .claude/commands
• caches commands incorrectly
• only loads commands on startup
• or currently does not support project slash commands

🧪 Reproduction Steps

1. Create:

.claude/commands/handoff.md

1. Add valid command markdown with frontmatter

2. Open Claude Code extension chat in VSCode

3. Run:

/handoff

1. Observe:

Unknown command: /handoff

while terminal Claude Code works correctly.

🙏 Request

Please confirm whether:

• custom project slash commands are officially supported in VSCode
• there is an additional setup step required
• or this is currently a bug in the extension

Thanks 🚀