gemini-cli - 💡(How to fix) Fix Embedded Gemini CLI Terminal Freezes/Glitches After Background Process Commands on Windows

What happened?

While using the embedded Gemini CLI terminal inside the application on Windows, the terminal becomes glitched/frozen after executing certain shell commands related to process management or local build execution.

In my case, the issue occurred after Gemini CLI attempted to run:

taskkill /F /IM node.exe

After this command:

• the terminal entered a stuck "Thinking..." state
• terminal interaction became unstable
• subprocess/background process handling appeared desynchronized
• the UI still showed active background processes
• the session did not recover correctly
• command execution/input became unreliable

This issue appears more frequently during workflows where Docker is intentionally avoided and Gemini CLI attempts to fully execute/build projects natively on the local Windows system.

The embedded terminal seems unable to properly recover from certain long-running or subprocess-related shell commands.

What did you expect to happen?

I expected the embedded Gemini CLI terminal to properly handle shell/process-management commands without freezing or entering a broken state.

Expected behavior:

• Gemini CLI should continue functioning normally after subprocess commands
• terminal input/output should remain responsive
• background processes should clean up correctly
• the UI should stay synchronized with the actual terminal state
• long-running or native local build workflows should not permanently break the terminal session

The workflow should behave similarly to running the same commands inside a normal external PowerShell/Windows terminal.

Client information

Run gemini to enter the interactive CLI, then run the /about command.

> /about
#                                                                                                                                                  │
│ About Gemini CLI                                                                                                                                │
│                                                                                                                                                 │
│ CLI Version                                       0.42.0                                                                                        │
│ Git Commit                                        68e2196d5                                                                                     │
│ Model                                             gemini-3-flash-preview                                                                        │
│ Sandbox                                           no sandbox                                                                                    │
│ OS                                                win32                                                                                         │
│ Auth Method                                       Signed in with Google                                                  │
│ Tier                                              Gemini Code Assist for individuals                                                            │
│                                                                                                                                                 │

Login information

Using Gemini CLI with Google account authentication.

Anything else we need to know?

Attached screenshot shows the issue occurring after Gemini CLI attempted to run:

taskkill /F /IM node.exe

The terminal then entered a stuck/glitched state while still showing:

"3 Background processes"

The UI remained partially responsive, but terminal execution and subprocess handling appeared desynchronized from the actual process state.

This may be related to:

• PTY/session handling
• subprocess cleanup
• Windows terminal integration
• background process synchronization
• embedded shell state recovery

The issue becomes especially noticeable during native local execution workflows where Docker is intentionally avoided and Gemini CLI attempts to build/install projects directly on the host system.