database config #%d: cannot specify both 'meta-path' and 'me

Error message

database config #%d: cannot specify both 'meta-path' and 'meta-dir'

What it means

Validate() rejects a database config entry specifying both 'meta-path' and 'meta-dir'. These are mutually exclusive ways to locate metadata: meta-path for a single database file, meta-dir for directory replication. Only one may be set.

Source

Thrown at cmd/litestream/main.go:524

			key := filepath.Clean(db.Path)
			if first, ok := seenPaths[key]; ok {
				return fmt.Errorf("database config #%d: duplicate path %q (already used by database config #%d); each database can be listed only once", idx+1, db.Path, first)
			}
			seenPaths[key] = idx + 1
		}

		// When using dir, pattern must be specified
		if db.Dir != "" && db.Pattern == "" {
			return fmt.Errorf("database config #%d: 'pattern' is required when using 'dir'", idx+1)
		}
		if db.Watch && db.Dir == "" {
			return fmt.Errorf("database config #%d: 'watch' can only be enabled with a directory", idx+1)
		}
		if db.MetaDir != nil && db.Dir == "" {
			return fmt.Errorf("database config #%d: 'meta-dir' can only be used with a directory", idx+1)
		}
		if db.MetaPath != nil && db.MetaDir != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("database config #%d: cannot specify both 'meta-path' and 'meta-dir'", idx+1)
		}

		// Use path or dir for identifying the config in error messages
		dbIdentifier := db.Path
		if dbIdentifier == "" {
			dbIdentifier = db.Dir
		}

		if db.Snapshot.Interval != nil && *db.Snapshot.Interval <= 0 {
			return &ConfigValidationError{
				Err:   ErrInvalidSnapshotInterval,
				Field: fmt.Sprintf("dbs[%s].snapshot.interval", dbIdentifier),
				Value: *db.Snapshot.Interval,
			}
		}
		if db.Snapshot.Retention != nil && *db.Snapshot.Retention <= 0 {
			return &ConfigValidationError{
				Err:   ErrInvalidSnapshotRetention,

View on GitHub (pinned to 4ed7a308f6)

Solutions

Keep only meta-path if the entry targets a single database via `path:`.
Keep only meta-dir if the entry targets a directory via `dir:`.
Delete both to use default metadata locations.

Example fix

# before
databases:
  - dir: /var/db
    pattern: "*.db"
    meta-path: /tmp/meta
    meta-dir: /var/lib/meta
# after
databases:
  - dir: /var/db
    pattern: "*.db"
    meta-dir: /var/lib/meta

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if db.MetaPath != nil && db.MetaDir != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("db #%d: set only one of meta-path/meta-dir", i+1)
}

Prevention

Never copy meta keys across dir/path entry types
Run a config linter that flags mutually exclusive keys
Keep one canonical config template per entry type

When it happens

Trigger: A databases[] entry in the config contains both `meta-path:` and `meta-dir:` keys; Validate runs during ParseConfig and fails with this message including the 1-based database index.

Common situations: User merges a single-DB config snippet (meta-path) with a directory snippet (meta-dir) into one entry; leftover key from a config refactor.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of benbjohnson/litestream@4ed7a308f6 (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/35adff6358e1bbf7. Report an issue: GitHub.