Sprint 4 - New Commands Not Discoverable Until Cache Clear
Context
Sprint 4 added the /sprint-diagram command to projman plugin. The command file was properly created with correct YAML frontmatter, added to the installed location, and committed to git.
Problem
After completing Sprint 4, running /sprint-diagram returned:
Unknown skill: projman:sprint-diagram
Investigation showed:
- File exists at
~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/.../commands/sprint-diagram.md - YAML frontmatter is correct (identical to working commands)
- Other commands (
/sprint-status,/sprint-plan) work fine - Session restart did NOT fix the issue
Root Cause
Claude Code caches plugin files at ~/.claude/plugins/cache/.
The cache was created on Jan 27 14:58 - BEFORE sprint-diagram was added. Claude Code uses this cached version instead of the installed files, even after session restart.
~/.claude/plugins/cache/leo-claude-mktplace/projman/3.2.0/commands/
├── sprint-status.md ✓ (in cache)
├── sprint-plan.md ✓ (in cache)
├── sprint-close.md ✓ (in cache)
└── sprint-diagram.md ✗ (NOT in cache - added after cache created)
Key insight: Session restart alone does NOT refresh the cache. The cache persists across sessions.
Solution
-
Clear the plugin cache:
rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/cache/leo-claude-mktplace/ -
Restart Claude Code - cache will be rebuilt from installed files
-
Verify command works:
/sprint-diagram
Prevention
Add to sprint-close workflow:
-
If sprint added new commands:
- Document which commands were added
- Clear cache before testing:
rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/cache/<marketplace>/ - Restart session
- Test each new command
- Only THEN mark sprint verified
-
Update post-update.sh script to include cache clearing option
-
Add to CLAUDE.md mandatory rules:
AFTER PLUGIN UPDATES - CLEAR CACHE AND RESTART rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/cache/leo-claude-mktplace/ # Then restart Claude Code
Impact
- Multiple session restarts didn't fix the issue
- Hours spent debugging
- User frustration
- Initial lesson learned was incorrect (said "session restart" when actual fix is "cache clear")
Tags
cache, skill-discovery, plugin-cache, workflow-gap, sprint-4, projman, commands, debugging
Tags: cache, skill-discovery, plugin-cache, workflow-gap, sprint-4, projman, commands, debugging