# Restart Claude

> Use when the user asks to restart Claude Code, or after changing settings/hooks/keybindings.

- Skill: `zylos-ai/restart-claude` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add zylos-ai/restart-claude`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/zylos-ai/restart-claude/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: zylos-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/zylos-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/zylos-ai/restart-claude

---


# Restart Claude Code Skill

Restart Claude Code session - sends /exit and lets activity-monitor daemon handle the restart.

## When to Use

- After changing Claude Code settings, hooks, or keybindings
- When Claude needs to reload configuration
- To clear temporary state without upgrading
- User explicitly asks to restart

## Pre-Restart Checklist

Before sending `/exit`, complete these steps **in order**:

### 1. Stop background tasks

Check for running background agents (Task tool). If any are active, stop them to avoid orphaned work.

### 2. Sync memory

Update memory files (state.md, sessions/current.md, etc.) to preserve important context that would otherwise be lost on restart.

### 3. Write a session handoff summary

Write a brief message covering:
- **What was being worked on** (active tasks, user requests in progress)
- **Current state** (what's done, what's pending, any blockers)
- **What the next session should pick up** (if anything)

### 4. Send the handoff summary

Send the full handoff summary to the internal `void` channel via C4:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | node ~/zylos/.claude/skills/comm-bridge/scripts/c4-send.js "void" "session-handoff"
<handoff summary>
EOF
```

The `void` channel is record-only: the message is stored in C4 conversation
history (so the restarted session's startup hook, `c4-session-init`, includes
it in startup context) but is never delivered to any real channel or display
surface.

Do not send the full handoff summary to the active external user channel
(Telegram, Lark, Feishu, HXA, etc.). Handoff summaries are operational context
for the next agent session and may contain task state from outside the current
conversation. If the user is actively waiting, send only a short user-facing
notice to their current `reply via` path, without internal task inventory or
cross-channel context.

### 5. Enqueue /exit

```bash
node ~/zylos/.claude/skills/comm-bridge/scripts/c4-control.js enqueue --content "/exit" --priority 1 --block-queue-until-idle
```

## How It Works

1. **Enqueue /exit**: Puts `/exit` into the control queue (priority=1, block_queue_until_idle)
2. **Block subsequent messages**: block_queue_until_idle prevents other messages from being dispatched
3. **Deliver when idle**: Dispatcher delivers `/exit` to tmux when Claude is idle
4. **Daemon restart**: activity-monitor detects exit and restarts Claude