internal error: only one call to handleTarget expected

Error message

internal error: only one call to handleTarget expected

What it means

Error "internal error: only one call to handleTarget expected" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust_push.go:93

		return errors.New("cannot push a digest reference")
	case reference.Tagged:
		tag = x.Tag()
	default:
		// We want trust signatures to always take an explicit tag,
		// otherwise it will act as an untrusted push.
		if err := jsonstream.Display(ctx, in, ioStreams.Out()); err != nil {
			return err
		}
		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(ioStreams.Err(), "No tag specified, skipping trust metadata push")
		return nil
	}

	if err := jsonstream.Display(ctx, in, ioStreams.Out(), jsonstream.WithAuxCallback(handleTarget)); err != nil {
		return err
	}

	if cnt > 1 {
		return errors.New("internal error: only one call to handleTarget expected")
	}

	if notaryTarget == nil {
		return errors.New("no targets found, provide a specific tag in order to sign it")
	}

	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(ioStreams.Out(), "Signing and pushing trust metadata")

	repo, err := GetNotaryRepository(ioStreams.In(), ioStreams.Out(), userAgent, repoInfo, &authConfig, "push", "pull")
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error establishing connection to trust repository: %w", err)
	}

	// get the latest repository metadata so we can figure out which roles to sign
	_, err = repo.ListTargets()

	switch err.(type) {
	case client.ErrRepoNotInitialized, client.ErrRepositoryNotExist:

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust_push.go:93 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/ada0b777f8ac640e.json. Report an issue: GitHub.