--- name: exit-worktree-cwd-override-merge-from-worktree description: | When ExitWorktree refuses with "cannot be called from a subagent with a cwd override," merge the worktree branch back to main using `git -C "" merge ` from inside the worktree, instead of trying to exit first. Git merge operates on branch refs and doesn't care about working directory. Use when: (1) you entered a worktree via EnterWorktree, did your work, and now want to merge back to main but ExitWorktree refuses with the cwd-override error; (2) you need to merge a branch in worktree A while you are physically cwd'd in worktree B; (3) any situation where the harness-managed cwd state blocks the directory change ExitWorktree would normally do. Avoids the trap of trying to chase the ExitWorktree refusal by navigating manually — the merge doesn't need the navigation. metadata: type: workaround --- # ExitWorktree cwd-override: merge from inside the worktree with `git -C` ## Problem You called `EnterWorktree(name="my-feature")` to set up an isolated branch. The harness moved your session's working directory into `.claude/worktrees/my-feature` on branch `worktree-my-feature`. You dispatched a subagent, the work landed, you ran reviews, and now you want to ExitWorktree(action="keep") to return to main so you can fast-forward main to the new commits. `ExitWorktree` refuses: ``` ExitWorktree cannot be called from a subagent with a cwd override (isolation: "worktree" or explicit cwd) — it would mutate the parent session's process-wide working directory. ``` You're stuck: you can't exit; you can't change directory from inside the tool calls; the merge command appears to require being on the target branch. ## Root cause `ExitWorktree`'s job is to revert the session's working directory. In some harness configurations (notably when the session itself was launched with a cwd override, or after EnterWorktree has nested-overridden the cwd), the tool can't safely mutate the process-wide cwd back. It refuses rather than corrupt parent state. But the BLOCKER assumed by the error message — "I need to be on main to merge into main" — is wrong for `git merge`. Git operates on branch REFS, not on working directory state. You can merge into main from anywhere as long as you tell git which repo to operate on. ## Fix Use `git -C ""` to invoke git as if you were in the main repo directory. The merge runs against main's HEAD ref, brings in the worktree branch's commits, and updates main's pointer — all without your shell ever cd'ing. ```bash # You're currently in C:/...repo/.claude/worktrees/my-feature # Main repo is at C:/...repo git -C "C:/.../repo" merge --ff-only worktree-my-feature # Or for a non-ff merge: git -C "C:/.../repo" merge --no-ff worktree-my-feature -m "Merge worktree-my-feature" ``` This works because: - `git -C ` is equivalent to `cd && git ...` but doesn't change YOUR shell's cwd - The merge target (main) is checked out in the main repo's working directory - The merge source (`worktree-my-feature`) is a branch ref in the shared `.git/` directory - No two checkouts of the same branch are needed; main stays checked out in main's working dir, the feature branch stays checked out in the worktree ## Verification After the merge, verify main advanced and the worktree branch is preserved: ```bash git -C "" log --oneline -3 # main now contains the merged commits git -C "" branch -v # both 'main' and 'worktree-my-feature' present git -C "" status # clean ``` If you want to push immediately: ```bash git -C "" push origin main ``` ## When NOT to use this - If ExitWorktree DOES work, just use it. This workaround is for when the cwd-override refusal happens. - If your merge has conflicts, you'll want to be ON the merging branch (main) interactively — the `git -C` approach still works, but you can't navigate to fix conflicts from inside the same shell. Resolve them by editing files (Edit tool works fine regardless of shell cwd). - If you're doing a rebase rather than a merge, the same `git -C` works. ## Notes - Don't try to use `EnterWorktree(path=)` to "switch" to the main worktree as a workaround — the main worktree typically isn't a *linked* worktree and isn't in the worktree registry the tool checks. - Don't try to `cd "
"` in a Bash tool call and then run plain `git merge` — Bash tool calls don't persist cwd between invocations on most platforms, and even when they do, the harness's process-wide cwd may not be what the next tool call sees. - The same `git -C` pattern works for `git log`, `git diff`, `git status`, etc. — any time you need to ask git about a repo other than the one your shell is currently in. ## Example (from skill-harness 2026-06-09) ```text 1. EnterWorktree(name="w2-cli-engineering") — session moves to .claude/worktrees/w2-cli-engineering 2. Implementer subagent commits a9bdacc, then f6201a8, on branch worktree-w2-cli-engineering 3. Reviews pass. 4. Try ExitWorktree(action="keep") — REFUSED ("cwd override"). 5. Workaround: git -C "/path/to/your/repo" merge --ff-only worktree-w2-cli-engineering → Fast-forward; main advanced f13b3fd → f6201a8 (2 commits, +521 insertions). 6. git -C "/path/to/your/repo" push origin main ``` The merge succeeded without ever exiting the worktree session. ## References - `git -C` documentation: https://git-scm.com/docs/git#Documentation/git.txt--Cltpathgt - Git worktree documentation: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-worktree