name

self-reload-plugins

description

Self-recover from MCP/plugin disconnects by triggering `/reload-plugins` on Claude's own running terminal session via AppleScript. Use when the user says "reload my plugins", "reload plugins", "mcp server dropped", "chrome-devtools disconnected", "refresh my tools", "can you reload plugins yourself", "self-reload", or when you detect that an expected MCP tool/plugin is missing or has stopped responding mid-session.

self-reload-plugins

Finds the macOS terminal window whose title contains "Claude" (case-insensitive) and dispatches /reload-plugins into it, so Claude can recover from a dropped MCP server or crashed plugin without asking Ethan to type it manually.

How it works

scripts/reload.sh searches known terminal apps in this priority order:

iTerm2 — iterates windows / tabs / sessions, finds the first one whose title contains "claude", then calls tell ... to write text "/reload-plugins" directly on that session. No focus change, no keystroke. Cleanest path.
Terminal.app — iterates windows / tabs, matches on custom title or name, raises the matching window with set frontmost, then System Events keystroke + Return.
Ghostty, WezTerm, kitty, Alacritty — queries the System Events accessibility tree for an AXWindow whose title contains "claude", runs perform action "AXRaise", then keystrokes into that process.

If no Claude-titled window is found anywhere, the script exits non-zero with a clear error message to stderr. There is no blind-frontmost fallback — that was removed so /reload-plugins can't accidentally land in a Chrome address bar or text editor.

Title requirement

The Claude Code terminal MUST have "Claude" somewhere in its window or tab title for this skill to find it. Claude Code's own output often sets a matching title, but if yours doesn't, configure one via:

bash/zsh: PROMPT_COMMAND='printf "\033]0;Claude\007"' or precmd() { print -Pn "\e]0;Claude\a" }.
iTerm2: Profiles → General → Tab title → "Claude".
Terminal.app: View → Show Tab Bar, then right-click the tab → Edit Title.
Ghostty/WezTerm/kitty/Alacritty: their respective title config options, or an OSC-0 escape from the shell prompt as above.

Usage

bash ~/.claude/skills/self-reload-plugins/scripts/reload.sh

No arguments. On success, the script prints the app and window title it targeted to stdout, e.g.:

Sent /reload-plugins to iTerm2 window/tab: "ethan — claude — 120×40"

On failure, exits non-zero with a stderr message explaining no Claude-titled window was found.

When to use

A previously-working MCP tool is now missing from the available tool list mid-session.
An MCP plugin emitted a disconnect error (e.g. Telegram bun crash, chrome-devtools dropped, context7 unreachable).
User explicitly asks you to reload plugins yourself.

After running, expect the Claude CLI to process /reload-plugins and re-announce its MCP servers. If the reload happens inside this same running session, the newly-loaded tools become available without restart.

Prerequisites

Whatever process runs osascript (ultimately the Claude Code CLI, via the Bash tool) needs macOS Automation permission to control "System Events" and, for each targeted terminal, that terminal's app ("iTerm2", "Terminal", "Ghostty", etc.). On a fresh machine these are gated by TCC and will produce a permission prompt or a silent failure.

Pre-allowing via TCC so the first run doesn't block is covered in the TCC pre-allow feedback memory under ~/.claude/projects/-Users-ethansarif-kattan/memory/ — check there if the script errors with -1743 or similar errAEEventNotPermitted.

Caveats

No blind-frontmost fallback. If no Claude-titled window exists, the script refuses to dispatch. This is deliberate: blind keystroking into whatever happens to be front is dangerous (wrong app receives the command).
Keystroke path still focus-dependent. For Terminal.app and the generic/AX path, we raise the matched window first, but keystroke delivery still goes to "whatever the process receives next." The 150ms delay before keystroking usually suffices; if focus is stolen between raise and keystroke, the keys land in the wrong place. iTerm2's native write text is immune.
No confirmation of success. The script can't verify that Claude actually processed /reload-plugins. Check the next turn's tool list to confirm plugins came back.
iTerm2 search cost. We loop all windows → tabs → sessions. For Ethan's typical workload (a handful of iTerm2 windows) this is sub-100ms. If you have dozens of sessions and this becomes slow, short-circuit by checking tab titles only (skip the session-name fallback) or by caching the matched session ID.
Terminal.app do script intentionally avoided — it opens a new tab instead of typing into the current one, which is not what we want.

name

self-reload-plugins

description

self-reload-plugins

How it works

scripts/reload.sh searches known terminal apps in this priority order:

iTerm2 — iterates windows / tabs / sessions, finds the first one whose title contains "claude", then calls tell ... to write text "/reload-plugins" directly on that session. No focus change, no keystroke. Cleanest path.
Terminal.app — iterates windows / tabs, matches on custom title or name, raises the matching window with set frontmost, then System Events keystroke + Return.
Ghostty, WezTerm, kitty, Alacritty — queries the System Events accessibility tree for an AXWindow whose title contains "claude", runs perform action "AXRaise", then keystrokes into that process.

Title requirement

bash/zsh: PROMPT_COMMAND='printf "\033]0;Claude\007"' or precmd() { print -Pn "\e]0;Claude\a" }.
iTerm2: Profiles → General → Tab title → "Claude".
Terminal.app: View → Show Tab Bar, then right-click the tab → Edit Title.
Ghostty/WezTerm/kitty/Alacritty: their respective title config options, or an OSC-0 escape from the shell prompt as above.

Usage

bash ~/.claude/skills/self-reload-plugins/scripts/reload.sh

No arguments. On success, the script prints the app and window title it targeted to stdout, e.g.:

Sent /reload-plugins to iTerm2 window/tab: "ethan — claude — 120×40"

On failure, exits non-zero with a stderr message explaining no Claude-titled window was found.

When to use

A previously-working MCP tool is now missing from the available tool list mid-session.
An MCP plugin emitted a disconnect error (e.g. Telegram bun crash, chrome-devtools dropped, context7 unreachable).
User explicitly asks you to reload plugins yourself.

Prerequisites

Caveats

No blind-frontmost fallback. If no Claude-titled window exists, the script refuses to dispatch. This is deliberate: blind keystroking into whatever happens to be front is dangerous (wrong app receives the command).
Keystroke path still focus-dependent. For Terminal.app and the generic/AX path, we raise the matched window first, but keystroke delivery still goes to "whatever the process receives next." The 150ms delay before keystroking usually suffices; if focus is stolen between raise and keystroke, the keys land in the wrong place. iTerm2's native write text is immune.
No confirmation of success. The script can't verify that Claude actually processed /reload-plugins. Check the next turn's tool list to confirm plugins came back.
iTerm2 search cost. We loop all windows → tabs → sessions. For Ethan's typical workload (a handful of iTerm2 windows) this is sub-100ms. If you have dozens of sessions and this becomes slow, short-circuit by checking tab titles only (skip the session-name fallback) or by caching the matched session ID.
Terminal.app do script intentionally avoided — it opens a new tab instead of typing into the current one, which is not what we want.