[BUG] Worktree Lifecycle Failure: "No Branch" UI, .worktreeinclude Sync Skip, and "Zombie" Worktree States

[OsaMusa]

Problem (one or two sentences)

Roo Code fails to handshake with new Git worktrees, resulting in a "No Branch" UI status, silent failure of .worktreeinclude file syncing, and a "Ghost State" that prevents reusing worktree names for already deleted worktrees.

Context (who is affected and when)

This affects any user trying to manage multiple versions of their code simultaneously (worktrees) on a Windows computer. It specifically happens when creating a new workspace or trying to clean up an old one using the default folder settings. This was discussed with the support team on 4/16/2026, who confirmed the system is likely struggling to coordinate between the files being ignored and the cleanup of old project names.

Reproduction steps

1. Create a .worktreeinclude file in the root containing an ignored directory (e.g., venv/).

2. Create a folder (e.g., data_prep/) where some items are ignored (e.g., local_only/) but at least one file is tracked (e.g., prepare.py).

3. Create a new worktree using the Roo Code "Worktrees" settings.

4. Observe the Roo Home screen and the file explorer in the new window.

5. Delete the worktree via the Roo UI.

6. Attempt to create a new worktree with the exact same name.

Expected result

Roo Code should automatically detect the branch context upon initialization, successfully copy all assets listed in .worktreeinclude regardless of tracked sibling files, and purge the internal registry immediately upon deletion.

Actual result

The UI stays stuck on "No Branch," ignored directories fail to sync when parent folders contain tracked files, and a "Ghost State" prevents name reuse after deletion due to a registry disconnect.

Variations tried (optional)

• Confirmed paths via git check-ignore -v to ensure .gitignore patterns were correct.

• Performed git worktree list manually to confirm no other trees existed, but the "already exists" error persisted in the Roo UI.

• Attempted syncing directories with various structures; file syncing failed to function in all tested scenarios, even when the directory was 100% untracked.

App Version

3.52.1

API Provider (optional)

None

Model Used (optional)

No response

Roo Code Task Links (optional)

No response

Relevant logs or errors (optional)

[roomote-v0]

I have analyzed this issue and identified the root causes for all three reported problems. Here is my proposed implementation plan:

Root Cause Analysis

1. "No Branch" UI Status

The parseWorktreeOutput method in packages/core/src/worktree/worktree-service.ts correctly parses git worktree list --porcelain output, but the isCurrent detection relies on path comparison via normalizePath(). On Windows, this comparison can fail due to case sensitivity differences between the path returned by git (e.g., lowercase drive letter c:\...) and the cwd provided by VSCode (e.g., uppercase C:\...). When isCurrent is false for the actual current worktree, the UI cannot identify which worktree is active, resulting in the "No Branch" display.

2. .worktreeinclude Sync Skip

The findMatchingItems method in packages/core/src/worktree/worktree-include.ts only checks top-level directory entries. It requires items to match BOTH .worktreeinclude and .gitignore patterns. When a parent directory (e.g., data_prep/) contains a mix of tracked files (prepare.py) and ignored subdirectories (local_only/), the parent itself is NOT matched by .gitignore, so the intersection check fails. Nested paths like data_prep/local_only/ are never evaluated because the scan is shallow.

3. "Ghost State" / Zombie Worktrees

After deleteWorktree runs git worktree remove, there is no call to git worktree prune. If a worktree directory was partially cleaned up or the removal left stale references in .git/worktrees/, git still tracks the worktree internally. Attempting to create a new worktree with the same branch name then fails with an "already exists" error.

Proposed Changes

Fix 1: Case-insensitive path comparison on Windows (worktree-service.ts)

• Update normalizePath() to lowercase the path on Windows (process.platform === "win32"), ensuring case-insensitive comparison for isCurrent detection.

Fix 2: Recursive matching in findMatchingItems (worktree-include.ts)

• Refactor findMatchingItems to recursively walk the directory tree, testing each relative path (e.g., data_prep/local_only/) against both matchers.
• This allows nested ignored items inside partially-tracked parent directories to be correctly identified and copied.
• Continue skipping .git directories at any level.

Fix 3: Add git worktree prune calls (worktree-service.ts)

• Call git worktree prune at the start of createWorktree() to clean up any stale references before creating a new worktree.
• Call git worktree prune after git worktree remove in deleteWorktree() to ensure the internal registry is fully purged.
• Also call prune at the start of listWorktrees() so the UI always reflects a clean state.

Files Modified

1. packages/core/src/worktree/worktree-service.ts - Fixes 1 and 3
2. packages/core/src/worktree/worktree-include.ts - Fix 2
3. packages/core/src/worktree/__tests__/worktree-service.spec.ts - Updated tests
4. packages/core/src/worktree/__tests__/worktree-include.spec.ts - Updated tests for nested path matching

This approach addresses all three symptoms with targeted, minimal changes to the existing architecture.

Please mention @roomote in a comment saying that you approve this plan, and I'll proceed with the implementation.