Claude Code v2.1.157: Auto-Load Plugins from .claude/skills, Improved Agents & Worktrees

Claude Code v2.1.157 ships automatic plugin loading from .claude/skills directories, a new scaffolding command, and substantial improvements to claude agents, worktree management, and terminal stability. Here's what's changed.

Plugin System Upgrades

• Auto-loading: Plugins placed in .claude/skills are now loaded automatically — no marketplace required.
• Scaffolding: Run claude plugin init <name> to generate a new plugin skeleton in .claude/skills.
• Autocomplete: Tab-completion for /plugin arguments now covers subcommands, installed plugin names, and plugins from known marketplaces.

Agents & Worktrees

• The agent field in settings.json is now honored for dispatched sessions. Use --agent <name> to override.
• EnterWorktree can switch between Claude-managed worktrees mid-session.
• Claude-managed worktrees are left unlocked after the agent finishes, enabling git worktree remove / prune cleanup.
• claude agents slash-command autocomplete now matches substrings in the dispatch input.

Fixed Issues (20+)

• Images: Zero-byte or corrupt images attached via paste, MCP, or dialog no longer crash the request — they become a text placeholder.
• Sandbox: Network permission prompts no longer appear in auto/bypass-permissions mode on desktop, IDE extensions, or SDK.
• Agents: Fixed completed sessions not retiring when an idle subagent was parked or had leaked a backgrounded shell. Pressing Esc now correctly cancels a slow "opening…" list.
• Worktrees: Background agent worktrees under .claude/worktrees/ are no longer orphaned after the 30-day job retention sweep.
• Sleep/Wake: Re-attached sessions now correctly report the current date.
• Clipboard: Copy-on-select in claude agents now works inside tmux with set-clipboard on (regression in 2.1.153).
• Resume: --resume now reports background subagents that were running when the previous process exited. The session picker no longer leaves contents on the terminal after exiting fullscreen mode.
• Worktree paths: --worktree and --worktree --tmux now return to the current linked worktree instead of the canonical repo root.
• /model picker: Fixed incorrect "Newer version available" hint when the selected model is the newest in its family; pinned-model row shows description instead of raw ID.
• Fullscreen UI: Fixed literal markdown markers appearing in in-progress messages, terminal freezing after security dialog approval, duplicate lines in scrollback after redraws.
• Right-click paste: No longer duplicates clipboard in VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf integrated terminals.
• WSL: Fixed image paste (alt+v keybinding), screenshot paste on Windows 11, and drag-and-drop from Windows Explorer.
• IDE: Clicking Stop now correctly stops a running background subagent. Fast mode indicator now appears on Opus 4.8 in VS Code.

Other Changes

• Performance: Eliminated redundant message-rendering recomputations for long and resumed conversations.
• /terminal-setup now disables GPU acceleration in VS Code/Cursor/Windsurf integrated terminals to prevent garbled text.
• Telemetry: tool_decision events now include tool_parameters (bash commands, MCP/skill names) when OTEL_LOG_TOOL_DETAILS=1.
• Feature of the Week credit-claim status now appears as a notification in the status area instead of a line above the prompt.
• Removed: The "bash commands will be sandboxed" startup banner and "/ide for …" startup hint toast.
• Workflow trigger: Pressing backspace right after a trigger keyword now dismisses the request (like alt+w) instead of deleting a character. Added a "Workflow keyword trigger" setting in /config to prevent the word "workflow" from triggering a dynamic workflow.