docker/cli · error

DOCKER_BUILDKIT environment variable expects boolean value:

Error message

DOCKER_BUILDKIT environment variable expects boolean value: %w

What it means

Error "DOCKER_BUILDKIT environment variable expects boolean value: %w" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/command/cli.go:156

		cli.configFile = config.LoadDefaultConfigFile(cli.err)
	}
	return cli.configFile
}

// ServerInfo returns the server version details for the host this client is
// connected to
func (cli *DockerCli) ServerInfo() ServerInfo {
	_ = cli.initialize()
	return cli.serverInfo
}

// BuildKitEnabled returns buildkit is enabled or not.
func (cli *DockerCli) BuildKitEnabled() (bool, error) {
	// use DOCKER_BUILDKIT env var value if set and not empty
	if v := os.Getenv("DOCKER_BUILDKIT"); v != "" {
		enabled, err := strconv.ParseBool(v)
		if err != nil {
			return false, fmt.Errorf("DOCKER_BUILDKIT environment variable expects boolean value: %w", err)
		}
		return enabled, nil
	}
	// if a builder alias is defined, we are using BuildKit
	aliasMap := cli.ConfigFile().Aliases
	if _, ok := aliasMap["builder"]; ok {
		return true, nil
	}

	si := cli.ServerInfo()
	if si.BuildkitVersion == build.BuilderBuildKit {
		// The daemon advertised BuildKit as the preferred builder; this may
		// be either a Linux daemon or a Windows daemon with experimental
		// BuildKit support enabled.
		return true, nil
	}

	// otherwise, assume BuildKit is enabled for Linux, but disabled for

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/command/cli.go:156 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@e9452d6e78 (2026-08-01). Data as JSON: /data/errors/afdccf08c8382b74.json. Report an issue: GitHub.