jestjs/jest · error · Error

You have requested '${globalVariable}' as a global variable,

Error message

You have requested '${globalVariable}' as a global variable, but it was not present. Please check your config or your global environment.

What it means

Thrown by ModuleExecutor when compiling a module whose sandboxed global environment is missing one of the names listed in `config.sandboxInjectedGlobals`. The runtime iterates each requested global name (ModuleExecutor.ts:139-148) and reads it from `this.environment.global`; if that property is falsy it throws. It indicates a mismatch between Jest config and the test environment's setup.

Source

Thrown at packages/jest-runtime/src/internals/ModuleExecutor.ts:145

      const transformedCode = this.transformCache.transform(filename, options);

      const compiledFunction = this.compile(transformedCode, filename);
      if (compiledFunction === null) {
        return 'env-disposed';
      }

      const jestObject = this.jestGlobals.jestObjectFor(filename);

      const lastArgs: [Jest | undefined, ...Array<Global.Global>] = [
        this.config.injectGlobals ? jestObject : undefined,
        ...this.config.sandboxInjectedGlobals.map<Global.Global>(
          globalVariable => {
            if (this.environment.global[globalVariable]) {
              return this.environment.global[globalVariable];
            }

            throw new Error(
              `You have requested '${globalVariable}' as a global variable, but it was not present. Please check your config or your global environment.`,
            );
          },
        ),
      ];

      if (!this.testMainModule.current && filename === this.testPath) {
        this.testMainModule.current = module;
      }

      Object.defineProperty(module, 'main', {
        enumerable: true,
        value: this.testMainModule.current,
      });

      try {
        compiledFunction.call(
          module.exports,

View on GitHub (pinned to f49721c78e)

Solutions

Verify the global is actually assigned inside the environment: in a custom environment class set `this.global.MyGlobal = ...` in `setup()`, or in a setup file set `globalThis.MyGlobal = ...`.
Check spelling/casing of every entry in `sandboxInjectedGlobals` against what the environment writes.
If the global should be supplied by user code, move the assignment from `setupFiles` to `setupFilesAfterEnv` or a custom environment's `setup()`.
Remove the entry from `sandboxInjectedGlobals` if it's no longer needed.

Example fix

// before (jest.config.js)
module.exports = { sandboxInjectedGlobals: ['MyGlobal'] };
// global never set anywhere

// after — assign it in a custom environment or setup file
globalThis.MyGlobal = require('./myGlobal');

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const Config = require('./jest.config');
const required = Config.sandboxInjectedGlobals ?? [];
const missing = required.filter(name => !globalThis[name]);
if (missing.length > 0) {
  throw new Error(`Missing globals: ${missing.join(', ')}`);
}

Type guard

function hasAllGlobals(env: typeof globalThis, names: string[]): boolean {
  return names.every(n => Boolean(env[n as keyof typeof env]));
}

Prevention

Keep one source of truth for global names and reuse it in both the config and the environment setup.
Run a tiny smoke test in CI that loads the config and asserts each global is defined before running the suite.
Use a custom environment's setup() to define globals rather than ad-hoc setup files so the contract is explicit.

When it happens

Trigger: Config sets `sandboxInjectedGlobals: ['MyGlobal']` (or `injectGlobals`-adjacent plumbing feeds a name), but the configured `testEnvironment` never assigned `global.MyGlobal`. Common when `jest-environment-node` is used but the global was only set in a custom environment's `setup()`, or when the name is misspelled between config and environment.

Common situations: Switching from a custom environment to `node`/`jsdom` environment and forgetting to migrate the global assignment. Renaming a global in config without updating the environment script. Using `setupFiles` (which runs before the environment is fully ready) instead of `setupFilesAfterEnv` or environment `setup()`.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of jestjs/jest@f49721c78e (2026-08-03). Data as JSON: /data/errors/c13be8a03b456ed6.json. Report an issue: GitHub.