Use ShardStitch with Claude Desktop.

Claude Desktop can receive a repository handoff through a project instruction file, and this profile also documents a local MCP configuration. Verify which route the active desktop workspace is actually using.

After-death behavior: Partial. ShardStitch can hand in via CLAUDE.md and MCP, but after-death session state recovery is not listed as verified for Claude Desktop.

Integration paths.

Hand-off in

CLAUDE.md.

MCP

Auto-configured through Claude Desktop's claude_desktop_config.json.

Session recovery

Partial: project file and MCP are available; verify what desktop session data was captured.

Setup path.

Run ShardStitch inside the project.

Write or review CLAUDE.md in the intended project and confirm the Desktop workspace points at that folder. If using MCP, verify the server is enabled and connected in the active configuration.

Write the Claude Desktop handoff.

Install the MCP server into Claude Desktop and keep CLAUDE.md as the project handoff file.

Start clean.

Before code changes, ask Claude Desktop to identify the handoff file and summarize the current goal, unresolved check, and files it will inspect.

Limits to know.

A local instruction file and MCP connection do not reconstruct a remote chat that was never captured. Desktop configuration can differ by machine or profile, so verify the active workspace instead of assuming a global setup.

Best use case.

Using Claude Desktop as the next reader of a recovered repo state.

FAQ.

Does CLAUDE.md reconnect Claude Desktop to the old conversation?

No. It provides project instructions and continuation context for a new session. Conversation history and current repository state remain separate and should be verified independently.

Get ShardStitch

Resume this workflow.

For a tool switch from Claude Code to Desktop, put the packet in the project, open that exact folder in Desktop, and confirm the connected MCP server if you need in-session ShardStitch actions. Otherwise the file route is sufficient.

Read the project memo through a permitted Desktop file or MCP workflow and verify what the active session can actually access.

Primary source and delivery boundary.

Claude Desktop local MCP setup (checked September 27, 2026). Anthropic documents configuring local MCP servers for Desktop. Confirm the server is connected in the active client; that connection is not evidence that an old conversation was recovered.

Tool-specific troubleshooting

For symptom-specific diagnostics and recovery steps, use the focused guide: Troubleshoot Claude Desktop.