dagger/dagger · error

module requires dagger %s, but you have %s

Error message

module requires dagger %s, but you have %s

What it means

This error means a dagger.json module config declares an SDK version that is not compatible with the currently running Dagger CLI/engine version. checkModuleConfigVersion normalizes the required version and compares it against the CLI's max compatible version; when the module needs a newer (or otherwise incompatible) Dagger release, the CLI refuses to load the module and reports both the required version and the version you actually have.

Source

Thrown at core/modules/config.go:127

	}
	if err := checkModuleConfigVersion(meta.EngineVersion); err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	var modCfg ModuleConfigWithUserFields
	if err := json.Unmarshal(src, &modCfg); err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode module config: %w", err)
	}
	if err := validateLegacyModuleConfigJSON(src); err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return &modCfg, nil
}

func checkModuleConfigVersion(version string) error {
	version = engine.NormalizeVersion(version)
	if !engine.CheckMaxVersionCompatibility(version, engine.BaseVersion(engine.Version)) {
		return fmt.Errorf("module requires dagger %s, but you have %s", version, engine.Version)
	}
	return nil
}

func MarshalModuleConfigForFilename(modCfg *ModuleConfigWithUserFields, filename string) ([]byte, error) {
	return MarshalModuleConfigForFormat(modCfg, ConfigFormatForFilename(filename))
}

func MarshalModuleConfigForFormat(modCfg *ModuleConfigWithUserFields, format ConfigFormat) ([]byte, error) {
	var (
		out []byte
		err error
	)
	switch format {
	case ConfigFormatCurrent:
		var buf bytes.Buffer
		err = toml.NewEncoder(&buf).
			Order(toml.OrderPreserve).

View on GitHub (pinned to 82ba2681db)

Solutions

1. Upgrade the Dagger CLI to the version (or newer) named in the error message, e.g. run the official install script or your package manager's update
2. If upgrading is not possible, lower the module's required version in dagger.json to one compatible with your installed CLI
3. Pin a matching dagger version in CI (install the version from the error message) so builds are reproducible
4. If the requirement is stale, re-test the module with your current Dagger version and relax the pinned version

Example fix

// dagger.json (before)
{ "sdk": "python", "engineVersion": "v0.15.0" }  // CLI is v0.14.x
// after upgrading the CLI: dagger version shows >= v0.15.0, or relax the pin:
{ "sdk": "python", "engineVersion": "v0.14.4" }

// before loading, compare versions yourself
req := "v0.15.0" // from dagger.json engineVersion
if !engine.CheckMaxVersionCompatibility(engine.NormalizeVersion(req), engine.BaseVersion(engine.Version)) {
	fmt.Printf("upgrade dagger CLI to >= %s (you have %s)\n", req, engine.Version)
	os.Exit(1)
}

func isCompatible(required, installed string) bool {
	return engine.CheckMaxVersionCompatibility(engine.NormalizeVersion(required), engine.BaseVersion(installed))
}

When it happens

Trigger: Loading any module whose dagger.json sets an sdk version string (e.g. "sdk": "python" with a required engine version, or a pinned engineVersion field) that fails engine.CheckMaxVersionCompatibility against engine.BaseVersion(engine.Version). The check runs in parseCurrentModuleConfigTOML and parseLegacyModuleConfigJSON, so it fires on every module config parse, including legacy JSON configs.

Common situations: A teammate bumped the module's required Dagger version but you haven't upgraded your CLI; cloning a project built against a newer Dagger release; CI runners with a stale dagger binary; switching branches to one that uses a newer SDK/engine requirement.

Related errors

• unknown module config format %q
• failed to decode module config: %w
• cannot unmarshal into nil SDK
• unmarshal sdk as string: %w
• unmarshal sdk as struct: %w

AI-assisted analysis of dagger/dagger@82ba2681db (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/80c62d141c652dc4. Report an issue: GitHub.