explanation in comments

.changeset/dry-paws-know.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"claude-dev": minor
+---
+
+fixed bug where certain terminal commands would lock you out of a task

src/integrations/terminal/TerminalProcess.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { EventEmitter } from "events"
 import { stripAnsi } from "./ansiUtils"
 import * as vscode from "vscode"
+import { Logger } from "@services/logging/Logger"
 
 export interface TerminalProcessEvents {
 	line: [line: string]
@@ -34,7 +35,41 @@ export class TerminalProcess extends EventEmitter<TerminalProcessEvents> {
 			let isFirstChunk = true
 			let didOutputNonCommand = false
 			let didEmitEmptyLine = false
+			let firstChunkTimeout: NodeJS.Timeout
+
+			const timeoutMs = 500
+
+			const onTimeout = () => {
+				// In rare cases (e.g. running the same command twice like `npm run build`),
+				// the shell integration stream enters a broken state where no data is ever emitted.
+				// We never even get the first chunk, which bricks the UI and locks the user out.
+				// Interestingly, the stream still gets created, and future commands (like `ls`) will work,
+				// suggesting the stream itself isn't one-shot—but certain shell states break its behavior.
+				// To recover, we add a timeout waiting for the first chunk.
+				// If it doesn’t arrive in time, we assume the terminal is broken, dispose it,
+				// and emit an error so the user can safely retry in a clean terminal.
+
+				Logger.debug(
+					`[TerminalProcess.run] First chunk timeout hit — terminal likely in bad state. Terminating terminal.`,
+				)
+				try {
+					terminal.dispose()
+				} catch (err) {
+					Logger.debug(`[TerminalProcess.run] Failed to dispose terminal: ${String(err)}`)
+				}
+				this.emit(
+					"error",
+					new Error("The command ran successfully, but we couldn't capture its output. Please proceed accordingly."),
+				)
+				this.emit("completed")
+				this.emit("continue")
+			}
+
+			firstChunkTimeout = setTimeout(onTimeout, timeoutMs)
+
 			for await (let data of stream) {
+				clearTimeout(firstChunkTimeout)
+
 				// 1. Process chunk and remove artifacts
 				if (isFirstChunk) {
 					/*