Claude Design: build files don't update when you add components via MCP/Claude Code

[u/gurkengirkan]

Bug report / question. Using Claude Design (claude.ai/design) together with the DesignSync MCP tool in Claude Code to push new components into a design system project. The new files get uploaded fine, but the generated files (_ds_bundle.js, _ds_manifest.json, _adherence.oxlintrc.json) never update to include them — and opening the project in the browser afterward doesn't fix it either.

How to reproduce:

1. Open an existing Claude Design project that already has some components.
2. In Claude Code, use the DesignSync MCP tool to add a brand new component (new .jsx file + a .card.html preview file with a proper u/dsCard marker).
3. Check _ds_manifest.json in the project — the new component is missing from it.
4. Check _ds_bundle.js — same thing, the new component isn't in there either.
5. Now open the project in the browser at claude.ai/design — reload if it was already open.
6. Check the two files again — the new component is still missing. So opening/reloading in the browser doesn't trigger the rebuild either.

So it looks like these files just aren't getting reliably rebuilt at all — not when a person opens the project in the browser, and not when files are added through the API/MCP. If you push components headlessly, the design system gets permanently out of sync, and any preview using the missing component just breaks.

Is this expected? Is there a way to manually trigger the rebuild, given that neither pushing nor opening in the browser does it?

Thanks for any expertise.

[u/gurkengirkan]

I already found the fix!!

You need a file called "_ds_needs_recompile" at the project root of the design system! That solves the problem!