emberjs/ember.js · error · Error

Cannot create new instances after the owner has been destroy

Error message

Cannot create new instances after the owner has been destroyed (you attempted to create ${this.fullName})

What it means

FactoryManager#create refuses to instantiate new objects once the owning container is destroyed. Even though a factory reference may survive teardown, creating instances from it would produce objects bound to a dead owner.

Source

Thrown at packages/@ember/-internals/container/lib/container.ts:535

    this.fullName = fullName;
    this.normalizedName = normalizedName;
    this.madeToString = undefined;
    this.injections = undefined;
  }

  toString(): string {
    if (this.madeToString === undefined) {
      this.madeToString = this.container.registry.makeToString(this.class, this.fullName);
    }

    return this.madeToString;
  }

  create(options?: Partial<T>) {
    let { container } = this;

    if (container.isDestroyed) {
      throw new Error(
        `Cannot create new instances after the owner has been destroyed (you attempted to create ${this.fullName})`
      );
    }

    let props = options ? { ...options } : {};
    setOwner(props, container.owner!);
    setFactoryFor(props, this);

    if (DEBUG) {
      let lazyInjections;
      let validationCache = this.container.validationCache;
      // Ensure that all lazy injections are valid at instantiation time
      if (
        !validationCache[this.fullName] &&
        this.class &&
        typeof this.class._lazyInjections === 'function'
      ) {
        lazyInjections = this.class._lazyInjections();

View on GitHub (pinned to 26f97246a8)

Solutions

Create instances before teardown or guard with container/owner isDestroyed checks
Cancel pending async work in willDestroy
In tests, await settled() before teardown
Rearchitect to get instances injected rather than created imperatively later

Example fix

// before
later = run.later(() => this.store.createRecord('user'), 1000);
// after
later = run.later(() => {
  if (!this.isDestroying) this.store.createRecord('user');
}, 1000);

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if (this.isDestroying || this.isDestroyed) return; let obj = Factory.create(props);

Type guard

function canCreate(owner) { return !owner.isDestroyed && !owner.isDestroying; }

Try / catch

try { return Factory.create(props); } catch (e) { if (String(e.message).includes('Cannot create new instances after the owner has been destroyed')) return null; throw e; }

Prevention

Create instances during normal lifecycle, not post-teardown
Cancel deferred work in willDestroy
Prefer injection over imperative create()
Use settled() in tests before teardown

When it happens

Trigger: Calling factoryFor(...).create() after the owner was destroyed — typically in async callbacks, Ember.run.later callbacks, or retained references used post-teardown.

Common situations: Retaining a factory manager and creating records/services after test teardown; fastboot shutdown mid-request; app.destroy() while background sync code still creates objects.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of emberjs/ember.js@26f97246a8 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/753454619d38129c. Report an issue: GitHub.