immich-app/immich · warning · BadRequestException

error instanceof Error ? error.message : error

Error message

error instanceof Error ? error.message : error

What it means

When the ConfigValidate event listeners (e.g. onConfigValidate) reject the new admin config, updateAdminConfig catches the error, logs a warning, and rethrows the validation message as a BadRequestException so the client sees the reason the config was not saved.

Solutions

1. Read the validation message in the response and fix the offending config section accordingly
2. Check server logs for the 'Unable to save system config' warning with the underlying error
3. Resubmit the config with the conflicting section reverted to its previous value

Example fix

// before
catch (error) { throw error }
// after (server behavior)
catch (error) {
  logger.warn(`Unable to save system config: ${error}`);
  throw new BadRequestException(error instanceof Error ? error.message : error);
}
// client: surface the message and correct the config

// client-side: validate config against known rules before submit
if (process.env.IMMICH_LOG_LEVEL && changedSections.includes('logging')) {
  alert('Logging changes are blocked while IMMICH_LOG_LEVEL is set');
}

null

try {
  await api.saveAdminConfig(dto);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.status === 400) {
    // e.message carries the listener validation error; show it to the user
    showValidationError(e.message);
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Admin submits a system config that fails a ConfigValidate listener: e.g. changing logging while IMMICH_LOG_LEVEL is set, or any other listener-registered validation rule failing.

Common situations: Admin UI config save rejected due to env-var conflicts or invalid combinations; bulk config import containing sections that conflict with the environment.

Understand the failure class

Background: Schema validation failed / invalid input schema: payload rejected because its shape doesn't match the expected schema — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• {error.message}
• assetIds, albumId, or userId is required
• At least two people are required for merging
• Cannot request to join your own cluster group
• Cannot update configuration while IMMICH_CONFIG_FILE is in…

AI-assisted analysis of immich-app/immich@e55ac299a4 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f2816bb3604ff152. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at server/src/services/system-config.service.ts:96

    const { logLevel } = this.configRepository.getEnv();
    if (logLevel && !isEqual(toPlainObject(newConfig.logging), oldConfig.logging)) {
      throw new Error('Logging cannot be changed while the environment variable IMMICH_LOG_LEVEL is set.');
    }
  }

  async updateAdminConfig(dto: AdminConfigDto): Promise<AdminConfigDto> {
    const { configFile } = this.configRepository.getEnv();
    if (configFile) {
      throw new BadRequestException('Cannot update configuration while IMMICH_CONFIG_FILE is in use');
    }

    const oldConfig = await this.getConfig({ withCache: false });

    try {
      await this.eventRepository.emit('ConfigValidate', { newConfig: toPlainObject(dto), oldConfig });
    } catch (error) {
      this.logger.warn(`Unable to save system config due to a validation error: ${error}`);
      throw new BadRequestException(error instanceof Error ? error.message : error);
    }

    const newConfig = await this.updateConfig(dto);

    await this.eventRepository.emit('ConfigUpdate', { newConfig, oldConfig });

    return mapAdminConfig(newConfig);
  }

  async getCustomCss(): Promise<string> {
    const { theme } = await this.getConfig({ withCache: false });
    return theme.customCss;
  }
}

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