paperclipai/paperclip · error

Refusing to remove instance directory "${configuredInstanceR

Error message

Refusing to remove instance directory "${configuredInstanceRoot}" because its canonical path changed during cleanup.

What it means

Mid-cleanup, re-resolving canonical paths showed the instance directory's realpath (or the managed dir's) changed since cleanup started, so the deletion is refused. The guard defends against symlink/race swaps deleting the wrong directory.

Source

Thrown at server/src/services/workspace-instance-cleanup.ts:381

      refusalReason: "canonical_path_outside_managed_instances_dir",
    });
    return { status: "refused", instanceRoot: configuredInstanceRoot, warning };
  }

  const dependencies = input.dependencies ?? defaultCleanupDependencies;
  let postgresStopped = false;
  const cleanup = async () => {
    postgresStopped = await dependencies.stopEmbeddedPostgres(path.join(canonicalInstanceRoot, "db"));
    const [currentManagedInstancesDir, currentInstanceRoot] = await Promise.all([
      fs.realpath(managedInstancesDir),
      fs.realpath(configuredInstanceRoot),
    ]);
    if (
      currentManagedInstancesDir !== canonicalManagedInstancesDir
      || currentInstanceRoot !== canonicalInstanceRoot
      || !isStrictChildPath(currentInstanceRoot, currentManagedInstancesDir)
    ) {
      throw new Error(`Refusing to remove instance directory "${configuredInstanceRoot}" because its canonical path changed during cleanup.`);
    }
    await dependencies.removeInstanceRoot(currentInstanceRoot);
  };

  if (input.recorder) {
    await input.recorder.recordOperation({
      phase: "workspace_teardown",
      cwd: input.workspacePath,
      metadata: {
        workspaceId: input.workspaceId,
        workspacePath: input.workspacePath,
        instanceRoot: canonicalInstanceRoot,
        managedInstancesDir: canonicalManagedInstancesDir,
        cleanupAction: "remove_worktree_instance",
      },
      run: async () => {
        await cleanup();
        return {

View on GitHub (pinned to a7e689b3c3)

Solutions

1. The instance directory's canonical path changed mid-cleanup (possible symlink race). Re-run cleanup after verifying the path is stable and not a symlink attack.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at server/src/services/workspace-instance-cleanup.ts:356 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@a7e689b3c3 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fcb5400d1dc3d4c5. Report an issue: GitHub.