gastownhall/beads · error

target is no longer registered at %s

Error message

target is no longer registered at %s

What it means

Before executing a prepared removal, bd re-validates its plan against the live git state. This error means the worktree that was resolved as the removal target is no longer present in `git worktree list` at the recorded path — the world changed between planning and execution, so bd refuses to act on stale facts. It sets the Registration invariant to Changed and aborts revalidation.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/worktree_cmd.go:1393

	}
	return filepath.ToSlash(relative), true
}

type worktreeRevalidationObservation struct {
	facts worktreeremove.RevalidationFacts
	err   error
}

func (plan *worktreeRemovalPlan) observeRevalidation(ctx context.Context) worktreeRevalidationObservation {
	facts := worktreeremove.RevalidationFacts{}
	worktrees, err := listRegisteredWorktrees(ctx, plan.git, plan.executionRoot)
	if err != nil {
		return worktreeRevalidationObservation{facts: facts, err: err}
	}
	currentEntry, found := findRegisteredWorktreeByPath(worktrees, plan.target.path)
	if !found {
		facts.Registration = worktreeremove.InvariantChanged
		return worktreeRevalidationObservation{facts: facts, err: fmt.Errorf("target is no longer registered at %s", plan.target.path)}
	}
	if worktreeRegistryIdentity(currentEntry) != plan.target.registryID {
		facts.Registration = worktreeremove.InvariantChanged
		if currentEntry.locked != plan.target.locked || currentEntry.lockReason != plan.target.lockReason ||
			currentEntry.prunable != plan.target.prunable || currentEntry.pruneReason != plan.target.pruneReason {
			facts.LockPrune = worktreeremove.InvariantChanged
		}
		return worktreeRevalidationObservation{facts: facts, err: fmt.Errorf("registered target identity changed")}
	}
	facts.Registration = worktreeremove.InvariantStable
	facts.LockPrune = worktreeremove.InvariantStable
	facts.TargetPath = worktreeremove.InvariantStable

	currentTarget, err := inspectWorktreeTarget(ctx, plan.git, currentEntry)
	if err != nil {
		return worktreeRevalidationObservation{facts: facts, err: err}
	}
	if !sameWorktreePath(currentTarget.gitDir, plan.target.gitDir) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Re-run `bd worktree remove` from scratch so a fresh plan is built against current state
2. Check `git worktree list` to confirm the target's current status; if it is already gone, nothing needs removing
3. Coordinate with other processes/agents to avoid concurrent worktree removals on the same repo

Example fix

// before: worktree deleted by another process between plan and execute
$ bd worktree remove feature
// error: target is no longer registered at /wt/feature
// after
$ git worktree list   # confirm gone, or re-add if needed
$ bd worktree remove feature   # fresh plan, or skip if already removed

git worktree list --porcelain | grep -q "^worktree /wt/feature$" || { echo 'target already gone'; exit 0; }

func worktreeRegisteredAt(path string, entries []worktreeEntry) bool {
	for _, e := range entries {
		if e.path == path { return true }
	}
	return false
}

obs := revalidateWorktreePlan(ctx, plan)
if errors.Is(obs.err, nil) { /* proceed */ }
else if strings.Contains(obs.err.Error(), "no longer registered") {
	plan, obs.err = rebuildPlan(ctx) // retry with a fresh plan
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling executeWorktreeRemoval (revalidation at cmd/bd/worktree_cmd.go:1393) after another process ran `git worktree remove`/`git worktree prune`, the directory's registration vanished, or git pruned a missing worktree between plan and execute.

Common situations: Another developer/agent or CI job removed the same worktree concurrently; a `git worktree prune` cleaned up a deleted directory; the target directory was deleted manually and git dropped it during an intervening git command.

Related errors

• target git directory changed
• target HEAD changed from %s to %s
• target cleanliness changed
• target HEAD disagrees with git worktree registry (registry %
• registered target identity changed

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/61174816c86d698f. Report an issue: GitHub.