apache/maven · warning

Unexpected skipping of TEARDOWN step {}

Error message

Unexpected skipping of TEARDOWN step {}

What it means

Internal invariant warning in BuildPlanExecutor.executePlan(): steps that cannot run are transitioned CREATED->SKIPPED with a reason; the code asserts TEARDOWN steps are always processed, so hitting the TEARDOWN branch ('Unexpected skipping of TEARDOWN step') means the executor's own invariant was violated — e.g. a TEARDOWN step whose shouldExecute was false while the build was neither halted nor the project blacklisted. It signals a bug or unexpected state in the concurrent build plan, not user misconfiguration.

Source

Thrown at impl/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/internal/concurrent/BuildPlanExecutor.java:461

                        // Store the exception in the step for handling in the TEARDOWN phase
                        step.exception = e;
                        logger.debug("Stored exception for step {} to be handled in TEARDOWN phase", step, e);

                        // Let the scheduler handle after:* phases and TEARDOWN in the next cycle
                        executePlan();
                    }
                });
            } else if (step.status.compareAndSet(CREATED, SKIPPED)) {
                // Skip the step and provide a specific reason
                if (!shouldExecute) {
                    if (status.isHalted()) {
                        logger.debug("Skipping step {} because the build is halted", step);
                    } else if (status.isBlackListed(step.project)) {
                        logger.debug("Skipping step {} because the project is blacklisted", step);
                    } else if (TEARDOWN.equals(step.name)) {
                        // This should never happen given we always process TEARDOWN steps
                        logger.warn("Unexpected skipping of TEARDOWN step {}", step);
                    } else {
                        logger.debug("Skipping step {} because a dependency has failed", step);
                    }
                } else {
                    // Skip because predecessors failed or were skipped
                    logger.debug(
                            "Skipping step {} because one or more predecessors did not execute successfully", step);
                }
                // Recursively call executePlan to process steps that depend on this one
                executePlan();
            }
        }

        private void executePlan() {
            // Even if the build is halted, we still want to execute TEARDOWN and after:* steps
            // for proper cleanup, so we don't return early here
            Clock global = getClock(GLOBAL);
            global.start();

View on GitHub (pinned to e4093d4e12)

Solutions

1. Report it as an Apache Maven issue with the full -X log and build plan if it occurs with stock Maven.
2. If you embed BuildPlanExecutor, ensure TEARDOWN steps always have shouldExecute == true and that halt/blacklist state changes cannot race step CAS transitions.
3. Re-run single-threaded to confirm the build itself is fine; the warning does not necessarily fail the build.

// embedders: keep TEARDOWN steps always-executable before running the plan
for (Step step : buildPlan.allSteps().toList()) {
    if ("TEARDOWN".equals(step.name)) {
        assert step.shouldExecute : "TEARDOWN must always execute: " + step;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Embedding/extending Maven 4's concurrent BuildPlanExecutor with a custom BuildPlan or status (halt/blacklist flags manipulated externally) such that a TEARDOWN step lands in the skip path; races between status.isHalted()/isBlackListed() transitions and step scheduling.

Common situations: Maven core development; third-party builders reusing BuildPlanExecutor with modified plans; effectively unseen in normal CLI builds.

Related errors

• Version not locked for default bindings plugins {}, you shou
• Your build is requesting concurrent execution, but this proj
• The following goals are not Maven 4 goals:
• The following plugins are not Maven 4 plugins:
• Enable verbose output (-X) to see precisely which goals are

AI-assisted analysis of apache/maven@e4093d4e12 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7c69d0bdf4a80381. Report an issue: GitHub.