fix: centralize absolute path detection

src/renderer/store/utils/pathResolution.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Path resolution utilities for the store.
  */
 
-import { stripTrailingSeparators } from '@shared/utils/platformPath';
+import { isAbsoluteOrHomePath, stripTrailingSeparators } from '@shared/utils/platformPath';
 
 /**
  * Resolves a relative path against a base path, handling various path formats.
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { stripTrailingSeparators } from '@shared/utils/platformPath';
  */
 export function resolveFilePath(base: string, relativePath: string): string {
   // If already absolute, return as-is
-  if (isAbsolutePath(relativePath)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(relativePath)) {
     return relativePath;
   }
 
@@ -27,13 +27,7 @@ export function resolveFilePath(base: string, relativePath: string): string {
     cleanRelative = cleanRelative.slice(1);
   }
 
-  if (isAbsolutePath(cleanRelative)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(cleanRelative)) {
-    return cleanRelative;
-  }
-
-  // Tilde paths (~/) are home-relative absolute paths - pass through as-is
-  // The main process will expand ~ to the actual home directory
-  if (cleanRelative.startsWith('~/') || cleanRelative.startsWith('~\\') || cleanRelative === '~') {
     return cleanRelative;
   }
 
@@ -69,10 +63,6 @@ export function resolveFilePath(base: string, relativePath: string): string {
   return remainingRelative ? `${normalizedBase}${separator}${remainingRelative}` : normalizedBase;
 }
 
-function isAbsolutePath(input: string): boolean {
-  return input.startsWith('/') || input.startsWith('\\\\') || /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\/]/.test(input);
-}
-
 function normalizeSeparators(input: string, separator: '/' | '\\'): string {
   let output = '';
   let prevWasSeparator = false;

src/renderer/utils/claudeMdTracker.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  */
 
 import {
+  isAbsoluteOrHomePath,
   isPathPrefix,
   lastSeparatorIndex,
   normalizePathForComparison,
@@ -63,20 +64,6 @@ export function getDisplayName(path: string, _source: ClaudeMdSource): string {
   return path;
 }
 
-/**
- * Check if a path is absolute (starts with /).
- */
-function isAbsolutePath(path: string): boolean {
-  return (
-    path.startsWith('/') ||
-    path.startsWith('~/') ||
-    path.startsWith('~\\') ||
-    path === '~' ||
-    path.startsWith('\\\\') ||
-    /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\/]/.test(path)
-  );
-}
-
 /**
  * Join paths, handling various path formats properly.
  * Handles:
@@ -87,7 +74,7 @@ function isAbsolutePath(path: string): boolean {
  * - Paths with @ prefix: @apps/foo/bar.tsx (strips @ then joins)
  */
 function joinPaths(base: string, relative: string): string {
-  if (isAbsolutePath(relative)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(relative)) {
     return relative;
   }
 
@@ -99,7 +86,7 @@ function joinPaths(base: string, relative: string): string {
   if (cleanRelative.startsWith('@')) {
     cleanRelative = cleanRelative.slice(1);
   }
-  if (isAbsolutePath(cleanRelative)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(cleanRelative)) {
     return cleanRelative;
   }
 
@@ -239,7 +226,9 @@ export function extractUserMentionPaths(
   for (const ref of fileReferences) {
     if (ref.path) {
       // Convert to absolute if relative
-      const absolutePath = isAbsolutePath(ref.path) ? ref.path : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
+      const absolutePath = isAbsoluteOrHomePath(ref.path)
+        ? ref.path
+        : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
       paths.push(absolutePath);
     }
   }
@@ -525,7 +514,7 @@ function computeClaudeMdStats(params: ComputeClaudeMdStatsParams): ClaudeMdStats
   const responseRefs = extractFileRefsFromResponses(aiGroup.responses);
   for (const ref of responseRefs) {
     if (ref.path) {
-      const absPath = isAbsolutePath(ref.path) ? ref.path : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
+      const absPath = isAbsoluteOrHomePath(ref.path) ? ref.path : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
       allFilePaths.push(absPath);
     }
   }

src/renderer/utils/contextTracker.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@
  * This builds on claudeMdTracker.ts and extends it to track all context sources.
  */
 
-import { normalizePathForComparison, stripTrailingSeparators } from '@shared/utils/platformPath';
+import {
+  isAbsoluteOrHomePath,
+  normalizePathForComparison,
+  stripTrailingSeparators,
+} from '@shared/utils/platformPath';
 import { estimateTokens } from '@shared/utils/tokenFormatting';
 
 import { MAX_MENTIONED_FILE_TOKENS } from '../types/contextInjection';
@@ -447,20 +451,6 @@ interface ComputeContextStatsParams {
   directoryTokenData?: Record<string, ClaudeMdFileInfo>;
 }
 
-/**
- * Helper to check if a path is absolute.
- */
-function isAbsolutePath(path: string): boolean {
-  return (
-    path.startsWith('/') ||
-    path.startsWith('~/') ||
-    path.startsWith('~\\') ||
-    path === '~' ||
-    path.startsWith('\\\\') ||
-    /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\/]/.test(path)
-  );
-}
-
 /**
  * Helper to join paths, handling various path formats properly.
  * Handles:
@@ -471,7 +461,7 @@ function isAbsolutePath(path: string): boolean {
  * - Paths with @ prefix: @apps/foo/bar.tsx (strips @ then joins)
  */
 function joinPaths(base: string, relative: string): string {
-  if (isAbsolutePath(relative)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(relative)) {
     return relative;
   }
 
@@ -482,7 +472,7 @@ function joinPaths(base: string, relative: string): string {
   if (cleanRelative.startsWith('@')) {
     cleanRelative = cleanRelative.slice(1);
   }
-  if (isAbsolutePath(cleanRelative)) {
+  if (isAbsoluteOrHomePath(cleanRelative)) {
     return cleanRelative;
   }
 
@@ -679,7 +669,7 @@ function computeContextStats(params: ComputeContextStatsParams): ContextStats {
   const responseRefs = extractFileRefsFromResponses(aiGroup.responses);
   for (const ref of responseRefs) {
     if (ref.path) {
-      const absPath = isAbsolutePath(ref.path) ? ref.path : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
+      const absPath = isAbsoluteOrHomePath(ref.path) ? ref.path : joinPaths(projectRoot, ref.path);
       allFilePaths.push(absPath);
     }
   }
@@ -735,7 +725,7 @@ function computeContextStats(params: ComputeContextStatsParams): ContextStats {
       if (!fileRef.path) continue;
 
       // Convert to absolute path if needed
-      const absolutePath = isAbsolutePath(fileRef.path)
+      const absolutePath = isAbsoluteOrHomePath(fileRef.path)
         ? fileRef.path
         : joinPaths(projectRoot, fileRef.path);
 
@@ -768,7 +758,7 @@ function computeContextStats(params: ComputeContextStatsParams): ContextStats {
   for (const fileRef of responseRefs) {
     if (!fileRef.path) continue;
 
-    const absolutePath = isAbsolutePath(fileRef.path)
+    const absolutePath = isAbsoluteOrHomePath(fileRef.path)
       ? fileRef.path
       : joinPaths(projectRoot, fileRef.path);
 

src/shared/utils/platformPath.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ export function isWindowsishPath(filePath: string): boolean {
   return /^[A-Za-z]:\//.test(p) || p.startsWith('//');
 }
 
+/** True for filesystem-absolute paths and home-relative `~` paths. */
+export function isAbsoluteOrHomePath(filePath: string): boolean {
+  return (
+    filePath.startsWith('/') ||
+    filePath.startsWith('~/') ||
+    filePath.startsWith('~\\') ||
+    filePath === '~' ||
+    filePath.startsWith('\\\\') ||
+    /^[A-Za-z]:[\\/]/.test(filePath)
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Normalize for comparisons:
  * - Convert `\` → `/`

test/shared/utils/platformPath.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
-import { getRelativePathWithinPrefix, isPathPrefix } from '../../../src/shared/utils/platformPath';
+import {
+  getRelativePathWithinPrefix,
+  isAbsoluteOrHomePath,
+  isPathPrefix,
+} from '../../../src/shared/utils/platformPath';
 
 describe('platformPath Windows containment', () => {
   it('matches Windows drive paths case-insensitively and preserves child path style', () => {
@@ -35,4 +39,12 @@ describe('platformPath Windows containment', () => {
     expect(isPathPrefix('', '/Users/Alice/Repo/src/app.ts')).toBe(false);
     expect(getRelativePathWithinPrefix('', '/Users/Alice/Repo/src/app.ts')).toBe(null);
   });
+
+  it('detects absolute and home-relative paths across platforms', () => {
+    expect(isAbsoluteOrHomePath('/Users/Alice/Repo')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAbsoluteOrHomePath('C:\\Users\\Alice\\Repo')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAbsoluteOrHomePath('\\\\server\\share\\Repo')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAbsoluteOrHomePath('~/Repo')).toBe(true);
+    expect(isAbsoluteOrHomePath('src/app.ts')).toBe(false);
+  });
 });