fix: non-blocking Claude calls, validate directory exists before start

src/bot.ts

@@ -54,16 +54,15 @@ export function createBot(token: string, ownerId: number): Bot {
       await ctx.answerCallbackQuery({ text: `Starting "${resolved.name}"...` });
       await ctx.reply(`Starting session "${resolved.name}" in ${resolved.path}...`);
 
-      try {
+      claude.createSession(
-        const { sessionId, result } = await claude.createSession(
+        "You are now connected via Telegram. Briefly confirm you're ready and state the project directory.",
-          "You are now connected via Telegram. Briefly confirm you're ready and state the project directory.",
+        resolved.path,
-          resolved.path,
+      ).then(({ sessionId, result }) => {
-        );
         manager.createSession(resolved.name, resolved.path, sessionId);
-        await ctx.reply(`Session "${resolved.name}" created.\n\n${result}`);
+        ctx.reply(`Session "${resolved.name}" created.\n\n${result}`);
-      } catch (err) {
+      }).catch((err) => {
-        await ctx.reply(`Failed to create session: ${err}`);
+        ctx.reply(`Failed to create session: ${err}`);
-      }
+      });
     }
   });
 

src/handlers/commands.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { type Context, InlineKeyboard } from "grammy";
+import { existsSync } from "fs";
 import { SessionManager } from "../services/session-manager.js";
 import { ClaudeService } from "../services/claude.js";
 
@@ -20,6 +21,12 @@ export function registerCommands(
       return;
     }
 
+    // Validate that directory exists (skip for bookmarks — already validated on save)
+    if (!existsSync(resolved.path)) {
+      await ctx.reply(`Directory not found: ${resolved.path}`);
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (manager.getAllSessions()[resolved.name]) {
       await ctx.reply(
         `Session "${resolved.name}" already exists. Use /switch ${resolved.name}`,
@@ -29,16 +36,16 @@ export function registerCommands(
 
     await ctx.reply(`Starting session "${resolved.name}" in ${resolved.path}...`);
 
-    try {
+    // Run Claude session creation without blocking the bot
-      const { sessionId, result } = await claude.createSession(
+    claude.createSession(
-        "You are now connected via Telegram. Briefly confirm you're ready and state the project directory.",
+      "You are now connected via Telegram. Briefly confirm you're ready and state the project directory.",
-        resolved.path,
+      resolved.path,
-      );
+    ).then(({ sessionId, result }) => {
       manager.createSession(resolved.name, resolved.path, sessionId);
-      await ctx.reply(`Session "${resolved.name}" created.\n\n${result}`);
+      ctx.reply(`Session "${resolved.name}" created.\n\n${result}`);
-    } catch (err) {
+    }).catch((err) => {
-      await ctx.reply(`Failed to create session: ${err}`);
+      ctx.reply(`Failed to create session: ${err}`);
-    }
+    });
   };
 
   onCommand["stop"] = async (ctx) => {

src/handlers/message.ts

@@ -28,18 +28,17 @@ export function createMessageHandler(
     manager.setStatus(activeName, "busy");
     await ctx.replyWithChatAction("typing");
 
-    try {
+    // Run Claude call without blocking the bot's event loop
-      const result = await claude.sendMessage(text, session.sessionId);
+    claude.sendMessage(text, session.sessionId).then(async (result) => {
       const response = result || "(empty response)";
       const chunks = splitMessage(response);
-
       for (const chunk of chunks) {
         await ctx.reply(chunk);
       }
-    } catch (err) {
+    }).catch((err) => {
-      await ctx.reply(`Error: ${err}`);
+      ctx.reply(`Error: ${err}`);
-    } finally {
+    }).finally(() => {
       manager.setStatus(activeName, "idle");
-    }
+    });
   };
 }