The store declaration in ${pointer.filePath} is invalid (${s

Error message

The store declaration in ${pointer.filePath} is invalid (${storePointerProblem(pointer.malformed)}). Fix or remove the store: line before running openspec init.

What it means

Error "The store declaration in ${pointer.filePath} is invalid (${storePointerProblem(pointer.malformed)}). Fix or remove the store: line before running openspec init." thrown in Fission-AI/OpenSpec.

Source

Thrown at src/core/init.ts:201

    const openspecDir = OPENSPEC_DIR_NAME;
    const openspecPath = path.join(projectPath, openspecDir);

    // Validation happens silently in the background
    const extendMode = await this.validate(projectPath, openspecPath);

    // Pointer guard (slice 3.2): a config-only openspec/ with a store:
    // declaration is externalized planning, not a root to extend — and a
    // subdirectory of such a repo must not silently grow a nested root.
    // Refuse before legacy cleanup, migration, or prompts touch anything.
    // In extend mode the walk finds projectPath itself; otherwise it
    // finds the nearest ancestor root (so pointer-repo subdirectories
    // refuse exactly where a normal command would resolve the pointer).
    const guardRoot = findRepoPlanningRootSync(projectPath);
    if (guardRoot) {
      const { hasPlanningShape, pointer } = classifyOpenSpecDir(guardRoot);
      if (!hasPlanningShape) {
        if (pointer.malformed) {
          throw new Error(
            `The store declaration in ${pointer.filePath} is invalid (` +
              storePointerProblem(pointer.malformed) +
              `). Fix or remove the store: line before running openspec init.`
          );
        }
        if (pointer.value !== undefined) {
          throw new Error(
            `This repo's planning is externalized to store '${pointer.value}' (${pointer.filePath}). ` +
              `Remove the store: line first to convert this repo to a local OpenSpec root.`
          );
        }
      }
    }

    await this.assertLanguageCanBeApplied(projectPath, openspecPath);

    // Check for legacy artifacts and handle cleanup
    const deferredLegacyCleanup = await this.handleLegacyCleanup(projectPath, extendMode);

View on GitHub (pinned to 6926ccb18a)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at src/core/init.ts:201 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

Understand the failure class

Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

AI-assisted analysis of Fission-AI/OpenSpec@6926ccb18a (2026-08-25). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fb104d93c3caa8ed. Report an issue: GitHub.