docker/cli · error

undefined volume %q

Error message

undefined volume %q

What it means

Error "undefined volume %q" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/compose/convert/volume.go:63

		return mount.Mount{}, errors.New("images options are incompatible with type volume")
	}
	if volume.Tmpfs != nil {
		return mount.Mount{}, errors.New("tmpfs options are incompatible with type volume")
	}
	if volume.Bind != nil {
		return mount.Mount{}, errors.New("bind options are incompatible with type volume")
	}
	if volume.Cluster != nil {
		return mount.Mount{}, errors.New("cluster options are incompatible with type volume")
	}
	// Anonymous volumes
	if volume.Source == "" {
		return result, nil
	}

	stackVolume, exists := stackVolumes[volume.Source]
	if !exists {
		return mount.Mount{}, fmt.Errorf("undefined volume %q", volume.Source)
	}

	result.Source = namespace.Scope(volume.Source)
	result.VolumeOptions = &mount.VolumeOptions{}

	if volume.Volume != nil {
		result.VolumeOptions.NoCopy = volume.Volume.NoCopy
		result.VolumeOptions.Subpath = volume.Volume.Subpath
	}

	if stackVolume.Name != "" {
		result.Source = stackVolume.Name
	}

	// External named volumes
	if stackVolume.External.External {
		return result, nil
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/compose/convert/volume.go:63 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/44e979a16b664513.json. Report an issue: GitHub.