CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR

Updated October 18, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR is a Claude Code environment variable: Holds a directory path the desktop app passes for its skills plugin; the client reads it into the desktop-skills plugin directory, then clears it from the environment. First appears in v2.1.302, not named in that release's changelog. Added between v2.1.301 and v2.1.303 and still present in v2.1.303. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.303
Added	Added between v2.1.301 and v2.1.303
Category	Plugins and skills
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

claude-code-env-vars-v2-1-303

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIR: Local cache directory for downloaded plugins.
CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIR_WATCH
CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_SEED_DIR: Seed directory for pre-installed plugins.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BUNDLED_SKILLS
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_POLICY_SKILLS: Disables policy-enforced skills.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_BACKGROUND_PLUGIN_REFRESH: Enables automatic background plugin refresh when the runtime detects updates are needed.
CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS
CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_KEEP_MARKETPLACE_ON_FAILURE: Preserves the local marketplace plugin cache when git pull fails.

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR do?

Holds a directory path the desktop app passes for its skills plugin; the client reads it into the desktop-skills plugin directory, then clears it from the environment. First appears in v2.1.302, not named in that release's changelog.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR?

Added between v2.1.301 and v2.1.303 and still present in v2.1.303.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_DESKTOP_SKILLS_PLUGIN_DIR=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.