claude-restart

Restart Claude Code sessions to reload skills or manage context.

3|Updated Oct 17, 2025

Search Tags:#developer tools #context #claude #session management #skill management #environment #restart

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/ManuelKugelmann/BitBot --skill claude-restart

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: claude-restart
Source: https://github.com/ManuelKugelmann/BitBot/tree/main/.bitbot/internal/container/templates/bitbot-dev/.claude/skills/claude-restart
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ManuelKugelmann/BitBot --skill claude-restart

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires tmux, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Provides a quick and controlled way to refresh Claude's environment. This is essential for applying new skill definitions, clearing accumulated context, or troubleshooting by starting with a clean slate, all without manual setup.

Core Features & Use Cases

Skill Reload: Instantly load newly added or modified skills and configuration.
Context Management: Choose to resume with existing context, compact it, or start a completely fresh session.
Use Case: After developing a new skill, use this to restart Claude and make the new skill immediately available for use.

Quick Start

Restart Claude to reload skills and resume your current session. .claude/skills/claude-restart/scripts/claude-restart.sh resume

Frequently Asked Questions about claude-restart

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I reload skills after adding new ones to Claude?▼

Restart Claude Code using the claude-restart Skill with the resume mode to reload newly added or modified skills without losing your current context. Run `.claude/skills/claude-restart/scripts/claude-restart.sh resume` to apply skill changes instantly.

What's the best way to clear Claude's accumulated context?▼

Claude-restart provides three modes: resume preserves context, compact reduces accumulated tokens, and clear starts a completely fresh session. Choose clear mode when you need a blank slate or troubleshoot by discarding all prior conversation history.

Can I restart Claude without losing my current work?▼

Yes. Claude-restart's resume mode restarts the session while preserving your existing context, allowing you to reload skills and refresh the environment without losing prior messages or state.

Do I need tmux installed to use claude-restart?▼

Yes, tmux is a dependency for claude-restart. It manages the Claude session lifecycle, enabling graceful termination and controlled restart without manual setup.

When should I use compact mode instead of clear mode?▼

Use compact mode to optimize context size and improve performance when accumulated tokens slow responses but you want to keep recent conversation history. Use clear mode only when you need a completely fresh start for troubleshooting or a new workflow.

How does claude-restart detect and terminate the Claude session?▼

Claude-restart discovers the Claude process ID, detects the session ID from the running environment, then performs a self-pkill restart workflow to gracefully terminate and relaunch the session with your chosen mode.