Cannot change the rename similarity threshold while in patch

Error message

Cannot change the rename similarity threshold while in patch building mode, because the custom patch can't cope with a rename turning into a delete and add underneath it.

What it means

Returned by RenameSimilarityThresholdController.checkCanChangeThreshold when the custom patch builder is active (Git().Patch.PatchBuilder.Active()). Rename detection affects how diffs are decomposed; if a rename turns into a delete+add while a custom patch is being built, the patch's file list becomes invalid, so the threshold cannot be changed mid-patch-building.

Source

Thrown at pkg/gui/controllers/rename_similarity_threshold_controller.go:100

	currentContext := self.c.Context().CurrentSide()
	switch currentContext.GetKey() {
	// we make an exception for the files and commit-files contexts, because
	// they actually need to refresh their state afterwards: a changed threshold
	// can turn a rename into a separate delete and add, or vice versa.
	case context.FILES_CONTEXT_KEY:
		self.c.Refresh(types.RefreshOptions{Scope: []types.RefreshableView{types.FILES}})
	case context.COMMIT_FILES_CONTEXT_KEY:
		self.c.Refresh(types.RefreshOptions{Scope: []types.RefreshableView{types.COMMIT_FILES}})
	default:
		currentContext.HandleRenderToMain()
	}
	return nil
}

func (self *RenameSimilarityThresholdController) checkCanChangeThreshold() error {
	if self.c.Git().Patch.PatchBuilder.Active() {
		return errors.New(self.c.Tr.CantChangeRenameThresholdError)
	}

	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to c477a2959b)

Solutions

Finish or discard the custom patch first (clear the patch), then change the threshold.
Reset patch building via the patch-building menu's reset option and retry the threshold toggle.
Set git.renameSimilarityThreshold (or similar) in config beforehand so no in-session change is needed.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if self.c.Git().Patch.PatchBuilder.Active() {
    // defer threshold change until patch building is done
}

Prevention

Check PatchBuilder.Active() before exposing the rename-threshold action.
Set the similarity threshold in config ahead of starting patch building.
Reset the in-progress patch before changing diff-affecting settings.

When it happens

Trigger: Pressing the rename-similarity-threshold keybinding while a custom patch is in progress in the commit-files / files diff view (PatchBuilder.Active() == true).

Common situations: User is staging selected lines/hunks and simultaneously wants to tune rename detection; forgot they are mid patch-building from an earlier partial-stage.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of jesseduffield/lazygit@c477a2959b (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/53bb3fb1ea134e88. Report an issue: GitHub.