diff --git a/headroom/learn/plugins/claude.py b/headroom/learn/plugins/claude.py
index 2753c8c20..79d1b331d 100644
--- a/headroom/learn/plugins/claude.py
+++ b/headroom/learn/plugins/claude.py
@@ -70,12 +70,14 @@ class ClaudeCodePlugin(LearnPlugin, ConversationScanner):
 
             project_path = _decode_project_path(entry.name)
             if project_path is None:
-                fallback_parts = entry.name[1:].split("-")
-                if len(fallback_parts[0]) == 1 and fallback_parts[0].isalpha():
-                    drive = fallback_parts[0].upper()
-                    project_path = Path(f"{drive}:\\" + "\\".join(fallback_parts[1:]))
+                win = re.match(r"^-?([A-Za-z])--?(.+)$", entry.name)
+                if win:
+                    drive = win.group(1).upper()
+                    tokens = [p for p in win.group(2).split("-") if p]
+                    project_path = Path(f"{drive}:\\" + "\\".join(tokens))
                 else:
-                    project_path = Path("/" + entry.name[1:].replace("-", "/"))
+                    stripped = entry.name.lstrip("-")
+                    project_path = Path("/" + stripped.replace("-", "/"))
 
             name = _project_display_name(project_path, entry.name)
 
@@ -335,8 +337,41 @@ class ClaudeCodePlugin(LearnPlugin, ConversationScanner):
 # =============================================================================
 
 
+def _decode_windows_path(drive: str, parts: list[str]) -> Path | None:
+    """Reconstruct a Windows path from drive letter + dash-split tokens.
+
+    Empty tokens (from consecutive dashes in the encoded name) are dropped so
+    the literal join never produces doubled separators.
+    """
+    tokens = [p for p in parts if p]
+    if not tokens:
+        return None
+    win_path = Path(f"{drive}:\\" + "\\".join(tokens))
+    if win_path.exists():
+        return win_path
+    drive_root = Path(f"{drive}:\\")
+    if drive_root.exists():
+        result = _greedy_path_decode(drive_root, tokens)
+        if result:
+            return result
+    if tokens[0].lower() == "users":
+        return win_path
+    return None
+
+
 def _decode_project_path(escaped_name: str) -> Path | None:
     """Decode a Claude Code escaped project path."""
+    # Windows paths are encoded without a leading dash: "C:\Users\x" becomes
+    # "C--Users-x" (":" and "\" each collapse to "-"). Older callers also pass
+    # the legacy "-C-Users-x" form; accept both.
+    win = re.match(r"^-?([A-Za-z])--?(.+)$", escaped_name)
+    if win:
+        result = _decode_windows_path(win.group(1).upper(), win.group(2).split("-"))
+        if result is not None:
+            return result
+        if not escaped_name.startswith("-"):
+            return None
+
     if not escaped_name.startswith("-"):
         return None
 
@@ -344,19 +379,6 @@ def _decode_project_path(escaped_name: str) -> Path | None:
     if len(parts) < 2:
         return None
 
-    if len(parts[0]) == 1 and parts[0].isalpha():
-        drive = parts[0].upper()
-        win_path = Path(f"{drive}:\\" + "\\".join(parts[1:]))
-        if win_path.exists():
-            return win_path
-        win_base = Path(f"{drive}:\\{parts[1]}") if len(parts) > 1 else win_path
-        if win_base.exists() and len(parts) > 2:
-            result = _greedy_path_decode(win_base, parts[2:])
-            if result:
-                return result
-        if len(parts) > 1 and parts[1].lower() == "users":
-            return win_path
-
     simple = Path("/" + escaped_name[1:].replace("-", "/"))
     if simple.exists():
         return simple
diff --git a/tests/test_learn/test_scanner.py b/tests/test_learn/test_scanner.py
index 295c6fe59..2e5aafd04 100644
--- a/tests/test_learn/test_scanner.py
+++ b/tests/test_learn/test_scanner.py
@@ -391,6 +391,56 @@ class TestDecodeProjectPath:
         assert projects[0].name == "work"
         assert str(projects[0].project_path).startswith("C:")
 
+    def test_windows_double_dash_encoding_decodes(self) -> None:
+        """Real Claude Code encoding has no leading dash: C:\\Users\\x → C--Users-x (#1849).
+
+        The drive colon and first backslash each flatten to '-', producing a
+        double dash after the drive letter. The decoder must not emit doubled
+        path separators from the resulting empty split token.
+        """
+        result = _decode_project_path("C--Users-jane-proj")
+
+        assert result is not None
+        rendered = str(result)
+        assert rendered.startswith("C:")
+        assert "\\\\" not in rendered.removeprefix("C:")
+        assert rendered == "C:\\Users\\jane\\proj"
+
+    def test_windows_double_dash_dotted_username_via_greedy(self) -> None:
+        """C--...-first-last-... must rejoin 'first.last' when the dir exists (#1849)."""
+        import sys
+        import tempfile
+
+        if sys.platform != "win32":
+            pytest.skip("greedy Windows-path decode requires real Windows filesystem")
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            project = Path(td) / "john.doe" / "work"
+            project.mkdir(parents=True)
+
+            drive = Path(td).drive[0]
+            rest = str(project)[3:]  # strip 'C:\\'
+            encoded = f"{drive}--" + rest.replace("\\", "-").replace(".", "-").replace(" ", "-")
+
+            result = _decode_project_path(encoded)
+            assert result == project
+
+    def test_discover_double_dash_windows_project_fallback(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        """Nonexistent C--Users-... project must fall back to a valid path, not \\\\\\Users (#1849)."""
+        claude_dir = tmp_path / ".claude"
+        project_dir = claude_dir / "projects" / "C--Users-jane-proj"
+        project_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (project_dir / "session.jsonl").write_text("{}\n")
+
+        projects = ClaudeCodeScanner(claude_dir=claude_dir).discover_projects()
+
+        assert len(projects) == 1
+        assert projects[0].name == "proj"
+        rendered = str(projects[0].project_path)
+        assert rendered.startswith("C:")
+        assert "\\\\" not in rendered.removeprefix("C:")
+        assert not rendered.startswith("\\")
+
     def test_home_dir_username_stays_single_component(self) -> None:
         """A home-directory name must survive decoding as one component.