By name: recover description: Scan for orphaned worktrees and stale branches after crashes or abandoned sessions. Offers safe cleanup options.
/recover — Worktree & Branch Cleanup
Scan for orphaned worktrees, stale branches, and partial work left behind by crashed or abandoned Claude Code sessions. Read-only by default — reports findings and waits for approval before cleanup.
When to Use
- After a system crash or forced session termination
- When parallel session hooks warn about stale processes
- When you find commits on unknown branches
- Periodic hygiene (monthly or after heavy parallel work)
Instructions
1. List all worktrees
git worktree list --porcelain
Identify:
- Active worktrees: Have a running session
- Orphaned worktrees: Directory exists but no session is using it
- Stale entries: Git tracks a worktree but the directory is gone
2. Inspect orphaned worktrees
For each orphaned worktree:
git -C <worktree-path> status --short
git -C <worktree-path> branch --show-current
git -C <worktree-path> log --oneline -3
git log main..<branch-name> --oneline
Classify each as:
- CLEAN: No unmerged commits, no uncommitted changes — safe to remove
- HAS COMMITS: Unmerged commits exist — needs merge decision
- HAS CHANGES: Uncommitted work — needs save decision
- BOTH: Unmerged commits AND uncommitted changes — needs careful handling
3. List stale branches
git branch --no-merged main
git remote prune origin --dry-run
git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate --format='%(refname:short) %(committerdate:relative) %(subject)' refs/heads/
Classify:
- MERGED: Already in main — safe to delete
- STALE: Last commit >7 days ago, not merged — flag for review
- ACTIVE: Recent commits — leave alone
4. Check for prunable git state
git worktree prune --dry-run
5. Report
RECOVER — [DATE]
WORKTREES:
- Active: [N]
- Orphaned: [N]
- [path] — [status] — [branch] — [last commit]
- Stale entries: [N]
BRANCHES:
- Merged (safe to delete): [list]
- Stale (>7 days, not merged): [list]
- Active: [list]
PROPOSED ACTIONS:
1. [action] — [target] — [reason]
OVERALL: [CLEAN / N items need attention]
6. Cleanup (with approval only)
Only proceed when explicitly approved. Options:
- Remove orphaned worktree (CLEAN):
git worktree remove <path> - Merge unmerged commits:
git merge <branch> --no-ff - Cherry-pick specific commits:
git cherry-pick <hash> - Delete merged branches:
git branch -d <branch> - Delete stale branches (confirmed discard):
git branch -D <branch> - Prune stale entries:
git worktree prune - Prune remote refs:
git remote prune origin
Design Principles
- Read-only by default. Report, wait for approval.
- Preserve work. Default to merge/cherry-pick over discard.
- Specific. Show exact commit hashes, file lists, branch names.
- Fast. Git commands only. Under 15 seconds for scan.