hyperledger/fabric · error

could not unmarshal metadata for namespace %s/%s

Error message

could not unmarshal metadata for namespace %s/%s

What it means

Returned by lifecycle Serializer.DeserializeMetadata when the stored metadata bytes for a namespace/key cannot be proto-unmarshaled into StateMetadata. The key existed (so data was committed) but its contents are corrupt or written by an incompatible lifecycle version.

Source

Thrown at core/chaincode/lifecycle/serializer.go:394

}

func FieldKey(namespace, name, field string) string {
	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s/%s", namespace, FieldsInfix, name, field)
}

func (s *Serializer) DeserializeMetadata(namespace, name string, state ReadableState) (*lb.StateMetadata, bool, error) {
	metadataBin, err := state.GetState(MetadataKey(namespace, name))
	if err != nil {
		return nil, false, errors.WithMessagef(err, "could not query metadata for namespace %s/%s", namespace, name)
	}
	if metadataBin == nil {
		return nil, false, nil
	}

	metadata := &lb.StateMetadata{}
	err = proto.Unmarshal(metadataBin, metadata)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, false, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not unmarshal metadata for namespace %s/%s", namespace, name)
	}

	return metadata, true, nil
}

func (s *Serializer) DeserializeField(namespace, name, field string, state ReadableState) (*lb.StateData, error) {
	keyName := FieldKey(namespace, name, field)
	value, err := state.GetState(keyName)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.WithMessagef(err, "could not get state for key %s", keyName)
	}

	stateData := &lb.StateData{}
	err = proto.Unmarshal(value, stateData)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not unmarshal state for key %s", keyName)
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 2736b63f8f)

Solutions

1. Inspect the wrapped decode error and the raw state value
2. Repair or clear the corrupted lifecycle state key and re-commit the definition

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at core/chaincode/lifecycle/serializer.go:394 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f9563f55f9458db7. Report an issue: GitHub.