isolating-worktrees

Worktree Isolation

Overview

Git worktrees provide isolated workspaces, but Claude Code has characteristics that can cause changes to "bleed" to the wrong worktree:

1. cwd resets between Bash calls - Each Bash tool invocation starts in the original working directory
2. Subagents don't inherit verified context - They start with zero knowledge of parent's location
3. No automatic verification - Nothing enforces you're in the right place before git operations

This skill provides protocols to ensure ALL changes stay in the intended worktree.

The Problem

Why Changes Bleed

# WRONG - This DOES NOT work in Claude Code
cd /path/to/worktree
git status  # This runs in ORIGINAL directory, not worktree!

Each Bash tool call is independent. The cd command affects only that shell session, which ends immediately. The next Bash call starts fresh in the original working directory.

Subagent Context Loss

When you spawn a subagent with:

Work from: /path/to/worktree

This is just text. The subagent has no verified context about which directory it should use. If it runs git commit, it commits wherever Claude Code's process is running - likely your main branch.

The Solution: Verification Protocol

Rule 1: Always Chain Commands

WRONG:

cd /path/to/worktree
git add .
git commit -m "message"

RIGHT:

cd /path/to/worktree && git add . && git commit -m "message"

Or use git's -C flag:

git -C /path/to/worktree add .
git -C /path/to/worktree commit -m "message"

Rule 2: Verify Before Every Git Operation

Before ANY git write operation (add, commit, push, merge, etc.), run verification:

cd /path/to/worktree && \
  echo "=== WORKTREE VERIFICATION ===" && \
  echo "Current directory: $(pwd)" && \
  echo "Git root: $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)" && \
  echo "Branch: $(git branch --show-current)" && \
  echo "Expected: /path/to/worktree on branch-name" && \
  echo "============================"