When AIs start gossiping about your code - Claude Code with Gemini CLI

What happens when you combine Claude Code’s conversational coding with Gemini CLI’s massive context window? A workflow that transforms how we understand and work with complex codebases.

The problem with large codebases

Ever joined a team and faced a codebase with hundreds of files? You know the feeling - opening file after file, trying to piece together how everything connects. Traditional grep commands and IDE searches help, but they can’t answer the big questions: “How does navigation work across all these Flutter screens?” or “Is state management consistent throughout the app?”

That’s where I discovered something interesting. Claude Code excels at detailed, conversational coding work, but it hits context limits with large projects. Gemini CLI, with its massive context window and planning capabilities, can digest entire codebases and provide strategic insights.

But here’s the key insight: they’re not separate tools you switch between. Claude Code can call Gemini CLI directly, creating something powerful.

The dream team: Claude + Gemini + Human

Think about it this way: Claude Code (even with Sonnet) is exceptional at actual coding - writing functions, debugging, refactoring. Gemini CLI brings massive context understanding and strategic planning capabilities. Add yourself as the code reviewer and senior software engineer, and you’ve got a small, experienced development team.

Claude handles the implementation details, Gemini provides the big-picture strategy, and you make the architectural decisions. It’s like having two consultants who never argue over who gets credit for fixing your mess 🤝

When Claude Code hits its limits

Working on a Flutter project recently, we hit a frustrating bug. Users reported that switching between tabs caused “LateInitializationError” crashes. The app used GetX for state management, and the error seemed to happen inconsistently across different screens.

Claude Code could help debug individual controllers beautifully, but this felt like a system-wide issue. The bug report mentioned it happened “sometimes on the Profile tab, sometimes on Settings, but always after rapid tab switching.”

The kind of bug report that makes you question your life choices and wonder if you should have become a baker instead.

That’s when I realized Claude Code could bring in its research assistant.

The actual workflow: Starting with Claude

Here’s the workflow that’s become second nature. I start where I always do:

claude

This opens Claude Code, and I switch to plan mode. But now I copy-paste the entire bug report, add my own context about what might be happening, and mention which files seem related.

“We’re getting LateInitializationError crashes in our Flutter GetX app. I think it’s related to how we’re initializing controllers in main.dart, profile_controller.dart, and settings_controller.dart. Can you analyze the entire codebase structure and help fix this?”

Real-world example: Fixing GetX late initialization

Here’s exactly how this played out:

1. Starting the conversation with context: I pasted the full bug report, stack traces, and added: “This seems to happen when users switch tabs rapidly. I suspect it’s related to GetX controller lifecycle. Files that might be relevant: /lib/controllers/, /lib/screens/profile/, /lib/screens/settings/.”

2. Claude Code coordinates the analysis: Claude Code is smart enough to call Gemini CLI with exactly what it needs for analysis. I don’t see the actual command it runs, but it gets a comprehensive view of how GetX controllers are initialized across the entire codebase.

3. Strategic insight emerges: The analysis revealed the issue: some controllers were being initialized with Get.put() in initState(), while others used Get.lazyPut() in routes. When users switched tabs rapidly, some controllers were disposed while others were still trying to initialize.

4. Implementation together: Claude Code and I worked through the fix:

• Standardized all controller initialization to use Get.lazyPut()
• Added proper dependency injection in the main binding
• Ensured controllers had proper lifecycle management
• Added null checks for late-initialized variables

5. The code review step: Here’s where it gets interesting. After Claude Code finished all the changes, I asked: “Can you use Gemini CLI to review these changes as an external peer? Check if the fix is consistent with GetX best practices across the entire codebase.”

The code review advantage

This review step was eye-opening. Gemini CLI, acting as an external peer reviewer, caught a few things we missed:

• One controller still used the old initialization pattern
• A potential memory leak in the settings controller
• Suggested adding error boundaries around tab switching

It’s like having an external senior developer review your changes after implementation. Claude Code recently got automated security review capabilities, but using Gemini CLI as a code reviewer gives you that external perspective on any type of change.

The beautiful thing is it all happens in one conversation: “Claude, now ask Gemini to review these changes as if they’re a peer developer who hasn’t been involved in this implementation.”

Why this changes everything

What I love most is how this workflow handles everything from bug reports to feature requests. The pattern is always:

1. Start in Claude Code - paste the bug report, task description, add context
2. Provide guidance - mention which files might be relevant based on your experience
3. Let them collaborate - Claude Code and Gemini CLI work together on analysis and planning
4. Implement together - detailed coding work with Claude Code
5. External review - Gemini CLI reviews as a peer developer who wasn’t involved in implementation

Whether it’s fixing “late” initialization issues with GetX tabs or implementing new features, you get strategic overview, detailed implementation, and external code review in one seamless conversation.

The small experienced team effect

The key insight is that this creates something greater than the sum of its parts. Claude Code excels at coding conversations, Gemini CLI provides strategic context, and you provide the architectural vision and code review.

Together, it feels like working with a small, experienced development team where everyone has specialized strengths but communicates seamlessly.

Getting started

If you’re curious to try this workflow:

1. Install Gemini CLI and set it up
2. Next time you’re working on a complex codebase, start with claude as usual
3. Switch to plan mode and ask Claude Code to use Gemini CLI for big-picture analysis
4. Let the conversation flow naturally between strategic planning and detailed implementation

What’s next

This workflow has transformed how I approach complex projects, but I’m still discovering new applications. Recently, I’ve been asking Claude Code to use Gemini CLI for architecture reviews before major refactors, and the insights have been remarkable.

The real magic isn’t just about having better tools - it’s about creating a development environment where strategic thinking, detailed implementation, and code review happen in one seamless conversation. You end up building better software because you understand systems more deeply while maintaining the creative, conversational development experience we love.

The three-way collaboration between Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and human insight really does feel like working with a small, experienced development team. Each member brings unique strengths, but together they create something more powerful than any individual tool.

Have you tried combining AI tools in your development workflow? I’d love to hear about your experiences and what team dynamics work best for different types of projects.