Cursor CLI stays in Generating... for a long time before starting work, while Cursor IDE is fast with the same prompt and same model

[1ckpwee]

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor CLI

Describe the Bug

I see a major latency difference between Cursor CLI and Cursor IDE under the same conditions (same machine, same account, same model).
In CLI, requests often stay in Generating… for a long time before any real tool/file work starts. In IDE, similar requests respond quickly.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Set both Cursor CLI and Cursor IDE to the same model (e.g. Claude 4.6 Opus) and use the same account/network.
2. Open Terminal, go to your home directory (large workspace scope):
   cd /Users/xxx
3. Start a Cursor CLI chat session from this directory and send a normal coding request (same style as in IDE).
4. Observe CLI stays in Generating… for a long time before it starts doing file/tool work.
5. Now run the same request in Cursor IDE (same model, same prompt, same machine).
   IDE responds much faster and starts work quickly.

Expected: CLI response/startup latency should be close to IDE.
Actual: CLI stays in Generating… much longer before action begins.

Operating System

MacOS

Version Information

Cursor version: 2.5.26
Architecture: arm64
OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)
CLI binary: /usr/local/bin/cursor
CLI version: 2026.02.27-e7d2ef6

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

[deanrie]

Hey, thanks for the detailed report.

One thing that stands out is that you’re running the CLI from your home directory (cd /Users/xxx). That gives the CLI a very large workspace scope, which likely adds a lot of overhead while it scans and indexes the directory tree before it starts doing real work. The IDE usually has a smaller workspace scope, just the project folder you opened, which explains the speed difference.

Try running the CLI from the specific project directory instead:

cd /Users/xxx/my-project
cursor

This should noticeably reduce the “Generating…” wait time.

That said, CLI performance compared to the IDE is a known area we want to improve. Your report helps us prioritize this.

Let me know if running it from the project directory makes a difference.