[BUG] Plugin Cache Not Invalidated When Files Are Deleted

[Sean-Sekora]

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Bug Report: Plugin Cache Not Invalidated on Marketplace Update

Summary

Plugin cache at ~/.claude/plugins/cache/<marketplace>/<plugin>/ is not properly invalidated when updating plugins through the marketplace, causing deleted commands to persist in the UI.

Environment

• Claude Code Version: v2.1.7
• Platform: macOS (Darwin 25.2.0)
• Marketplace Type: Custom GitLab marketplace
• Affected Plugin: plan@sekora-ai (version 0.1.0)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install a plugin from a custom marketplace with a command file (e.g., commands/implement-plan.md)
2. Verify command appears in autocomplete (e.g., /plan:implement-plan and /implement-plan)
3. In the plugin repository:
   • Delete the command file (commands/implement-plan.md)
   • Commit and push changes to remote
4. Update the marketplace: claude plugin marketplace update
5. Update the plugin through UI: Navigate to /plugin → Marketplaces → Select plugin → "Update now"
6. Restart Claude Code
7. Check autocomplete for deleted command

Expected Behavior

After updating the plugin from the marketplace, deleted commands should:

• Be removed from autocomplete suggestions
• Not appear in the plugin's installed components list
• Be removed from ~/.claude/plugins/cache/<marketplace>/<plugin>/commands/

Actual Behavior

Deleted commands persist in:

• Autocomplete suggestions (/plan:implement-plan and /implement-plan (plugin:plan@sekora-ai))
• Plugin UI's "Installed components" list shows: describe, implement-plan, implement, list, review, save
• Cache directory still contains the deleted file: ~/.claude/plugins/cache/sekora-ai/plan/0.1.0/commands/implement-plan.md

The plugin update mechanism appears to preserve the cache even when files are removed from the source repository.

Attempted Solutions (All Failed)

• ✗ Updated marketplace multiple times via UI and CLI
• ✗ Updated plugin multiple times via "Update now" button
• ✗ Restarted Claude Code multiple times
• ✗ Marked plugin for update and updated

Workaround

Manually clear the plugin cache and reinstall:

# Remove the entire plugin cache
rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/cache/sekora-ai

# Re-add marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add [email protected]:sekora-ai/claude-code/claude-code-marketplace.git

# Reinstall the plugin through UI or CLI
# The plugin now reflects the current state of the repository

Impact

• Severity: Medium
• User Impact: Users see stale commands that no longer exist, leading to confusion
• Developer Impact: Plugin developers cannot effectively remove or rename commands without users manually clearing cache
• Workaround Available: Yes (manual cache deletion)

Expected Fix

Plugin update mechanism should:

1. Compare cached plugin state with marketplace version
2. Remove files that no longer exist in the new version
3. Update files that have changed
4. Add new files
5. Properly invalidate and rebuild the cache

Alternatively, provide a --clear-cache flag for plugin updates:

claude plugin update <plugin-name> --clear-cache

Additional Notes

• This issue specifically affects the commands/ directory, but may affect other plugin components (agents, etc.)
• The plugin uses "commands": ["./commands"] in plugin.json for auto-discovery
• Git commit removing the file: 8b8eff0 - "docs: consolidate implement-plan into implement command"
• Remote repository correctly shows file as deleted
• Marketplace appears to update successfully (shows "✓ Updated 1 marketplace")

What Should Happen?

Expected Fix

Plugin update mechanism should:

1. Compare cached plugin state with marketplace version
2. Remove files that no longer exist in the new version
3. Update files that have changed
4. Add new files
5. Properly invalidate and rebuild the cache

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install a plugin from a custom marketplace with a command file (e.g., commands/implement-plan.md)
2. Verify command appears in autocomplete (e.g., /plan:implement-plan and /implement-plan)
3. In the plugin repository:
   • Delete the command file (commands/implement-plan.md)
   • Commit and push changes to remote
4. Update the marketplace: claude plugin marketplace update
5. Update the plugin through UI: Navigate to /plugin → Marketplaces → Select plugin → "Update now"
6. Restart Claude Code
7. Check autocomplete for deleted command

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

v2.1.7

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

No response