Extension disconnects after inactivity, requires manual reload

[durapensa]

Problem Description

The Chrome extension frequently disconnects after periods of inactivity and requires manual reload to restore functionality. This impacts operational reliability and user experience.

Evidence & Patterns

Current Incident (2025-06-07)

• Gap detected: 40-minute gap in daemon logs (21:28→22:08)
• Extension restart: Automatic recovery at 22:09:24
• Symptom: mcp chrome_reload_extension timed out, system_health showed extension unavailable
• Recovery: Extension eventually recovered automatically (likely manual reload)

Expected vs Actual Behavior

• Expected: Extension maintains persistent connection during inactivity
• Actual: Extension disconnects, requiring manual reload at chrome://extensions/

Investigation Status

Completed Checks

• Extension logs show clean startup sequence after restart
• No errors in daemon exception/rejection logs
• Relay server remains healthy during disconnection
• Full functionality restored after recovery

Needs Investigation

• Chrome extension service worker lifecycle behavior during inactivity
• WebSocket connection handling during browser idle states
• Offscreen document persistence during extended inactivity
• Chrome's extension suspension policies and timers

Impact

• Frequency: "Many times after inactivity" (recurring operational issue)
• User Impact: Manual intervention required for recovery
• System Impact: Loss of automation capabilities during disconnection

Related Components

• Extension service worker lifecycle (background.js)
• WebSocket connection management (offscreen.js)
• Relay client connection handling (relay-client.js)
• Chrome extension suspension behavior

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Instructions: Update this issue with new findings using the investigation template in CLAUDE.md when disconnections are observed.

[durapensa]

New Evidence: Connection Issue During Test Development (2025-06-08)

Incident Details

• Time: During resource-tools.test.js development
• Symptom: Extension disconnected while running tests
• Recovery: Manual reload required at chrome://extensions/
• Context: Active development session with multiple test runs

Pattern Observation

This disconnection occurred during an active development session with frequent MCP tool calls, suggesting that the issue may not be limited to idle periods but can also occur during heavy usage.

Technical Details

• Multiple test clients were connecting/disconnecting rapidly
• MCP relay showed healthy status before disconnection
• Extension required manual intervention to restore functionality

[durapensa]

Additional Evidence: Daemon Restart Required (2025-06-08)

Update to Previous Incident

• Additional Action Required: Had to restart the daemon in addition to manual extension reload
• Command Used: \Restarting daemon...
  Daemon stopped successfully
  Daemon client socket closed
  Starting daemon...
  Spawning daemon: node /Users/dp/claude-chrome-mcp/cli/dist/daemon/daemon.js
  Daemon started successfully
• Recovery Sequence:
  1. Manual extension reload at chrome://extensions/
  2. Daemon restart via CLI
  3. Full connectivity restored

This suggests the disconnection may affect both the extension and daemon connectivity, requiring intervention at multiple levels.