nginx/nginx · error

NGX_LOG_CRIT

NGX_LOG_CRIT

Error message

cache file \"%s\" contains invalid header

What it means

Error "cache file \"%s\" contains invalid header" thrown in nginx/nginx.

Source

Thrown at src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c:1150

        if (ngx_http_upstream_process_headers(r, u) != NGX_OK) {
            return NGX_DONE;
        }

        return ngx_http_cache_send(r);
    }

    if (rc == NGX_ERROR) {
        return NGX_ERROR;
    }

    if (rc == NGX_AGAIN || rc == NGX_HTTP_UPSTREAM_EARLY_HINTS) {
        rc = NGX_HTTP_UPSTREAM_INVALID_HEADER;
    }

    /* rc == NGX_HTTP_UPSTREAM_INVALID_HEADER */

    ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_CRIT, r->connection->log, 0,
                  "cache file \"%s\" contains invalid header",
                  c->file.name.data);

    /* TODO: delete file */

    return rc;
}


static ngx_int_t
ngx_http_upstream_cache_background_update(ngx_http_request_t *r,
    ngx_http_upstream_t *u)
{
    ngx_http_request_t  *sr;

    if (r == r->main) {
        r->preserve_body = 1;
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to 3f6f7824d4)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c:1150 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of nginx/nginx@3f6f7824d4 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8b83283914c430c0. Report an issue: GitHub.