ipfs/kubo · error

Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource man

Error message

Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration.
resource manager System.ConnsInbound (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d)
See: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/libp2p-resource-management.md#how-does-the-resource-manager-resourcemgr-relate-to-the-connection-manager-connmgr

What it means

Error " Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration. resource manager System.ConnsInbound (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d) See: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/libp2p-resource-management.md#how-does-the-resource-manager-resourcemgr-relate-to-the-connection-manager-connmgr " thrown in ipfs/kubo.

Source

Thrown at core/node/libp2p/rcmgr.go:477

		// as it may make sense for it to be (and stay) as "blockAll"
		// so that only connections within the allowlist of multiaddrs get established.
		return nil
	}

	rcm := concreteLimits.ToPartialLimitConfig()

	highWater := cfg.ConnMgr.HighWater.WithDefault(config.DefaultConnMgrHighWater)
	if (rcm.System.Conns > rcmgr.DefaultLimit || rcm.System.Conns == rcmgr.BlockAllLimit) && int64(rcm.System.Conns) <= highWater {
		// nolint
		return fmt.Errorf(`
Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration.
resource manager System.Conns (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d)
See: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/libp2p-resource-management.md#how-does-the-resource-manager-resourcemgr-relate-to-the-connection-manager-connmgr
`, rcm.System.Conns, highWater)
	}
	if (rcm.System.ConnsInbound > rcmgr.DefaultLimit || rcm.System.ConnsInbound == rcmgr.BlockAllLimit) && int64(rcm.System.ConnsInbound) <= highWater {
		// nolint
		return fmt.Errorf(`
Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration.
resource manager System.ConnsInbound (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d)
See: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/libp2p-resource-management.md#how-does-the-resource-manager-resourcemgr-relate-to-the-connection-manager-connmgr
`, rcm.System.ConnsInbound, highWater)
	}
	if (rcm.System.Streams > rcmgr.DefaultLimit || rcm.System.Streams == rcmgr.BlockAllLimit) && int64(rcm.System.Streams) <= highWater {
		// nolint
		return fmt.Errorf(`
Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration.
resource manager System.Streams (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d)
See: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/libp2p-resource-management.md#how-does-the-resource-manager-resourcemgr-relate-to-the-connection-manager-connmgr
`, rcm.System.Streams, highWater)
	}
	if (rcm.System.StreamsInbound > rcmgr.DefaultLimit || rcm.System.StreamsInbound == rcmgr.BlockAllLimit) && int64(rcm.System.StreamsInbound) <= highWater {
		// nolint
		return fmt.Errorf(`
Unable to initialize libp2p due to conflicting resource manager limit configuration.
resource manager System.StreamsInbound (%d) must be bigger than ConnMgr.HighWater (%d)

View on GitHub (pinned to 329838acdf)

Solutions

1. Raise Swarm.ResourceMgr.Limits.System.ConnsInbound above Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater
2. Or lower Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater
3. Or disable the connection manager with Swarm.ConnMgr.Type=none
4. Or set a Swarm.ResourceMgr.Allowlist, which skips this check for DoS-defense setups

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at core/node/libp2p/rcmgr.go:477 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of ipfs/kubo@329838acdf (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/246b1f874779fcac. Report an issue: GitHub.