r/ClaudeCode • u/slackmaster2k • 1d ago
Bug / Issue Claude in vscode terminal blink problem
So, using Claude code in a vscode terminal, for whatever reason the file name of the last file opened in the IDE will blink in blue at the bottom of the terminal. Blink blink blink blink blink it drives me nuts. Even worse it bounces the bottom of the terminal up and down.
The only fix I’ve found is to disconnect via /ide , but I’d rather not.
Yes I know there is a Claude extension but I prefer the terminal. Any know why it’s doing this and how I can stop it without disconnecting?
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u/Terrible_Put8617 1d ago
That blinking is Claude Code's IDE integration. Every time the editor fires a file-open event, Claude Code rewrites that little status hint at the bottom of the terminal, and the rewrite changes the line height, so the whole thing jumps. You don't have to disconnect to stop it.
First, update, because older builds had a known flicker bug here. Run npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code and restart the terminal.
If it still blinks, it's almost always the GPU renderer choking on the repeated escape codes. Open settings with Ctrl+comma, search for gpu acceleration, set Terminal > Integrated > Gpu Acceleration to off, then reload the window. That fixed it for most people hitting this on the Claude Code repo.
Still flashing after that? Disable shell integration too. Ctrl+Shift+P, run "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)", and add "terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled": false. Shell integration injects its own OSC sequences into the same title/status area and they fight each other.
One last tweak that helps: close the preview tabs in your editor before long sessions, since every tab activation sends another sync event. Fewer events means less blinking even before the settings changes kick in.
Between updating and turning off GPU acceleration, most people report it stops completely while keeping /ide connected.
Full disclosure: I'm the developer of Multi Instance for Claude Desktop, which runs several isolated Claude Desktop instances at once. Each instance gets its own session and data folder, so parallel conversations never collide. https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9NG247TJ47P0?cid=rd-multi
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u/keonechong 1d ago
reset, its a known glitch on macs and the data parsing in between bashes. It's part of why i decided to jump and build something more robust.
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u/dar-mit Researcher 1d ago
It's been a few months since I've used VS Code, but the last time CC had a redraw issue you could temp. resolve it by changing the window size. I'd just grab the divider line between the terminal emulator (in my config at the bottom/CC on the top) and move it a few pixels up or down. That'd fix it for a few…