plandex-ai/plandex · error

error loading build file: %v

Error message

error loading build file: %v

What it means

This error is raised in execPlanBuild when fileState.loadBuildFile(activeBuild) returns an error while executing the build for a single plan file. loadBuildFile reads the file from the repo and computes the pre-build context part; any failure reading/parsing that state is wrapped as 'error loading build file: %v' and passed to onBuildFileError, which marks the build file as failed and aborts that file's build (the rest of the build continues). The underlying err is the real cause — inspect the server log line printed just before this error.

Source

Thrown at app/server/model/plan/build_exec.go:196

	}

	fileState := &activeBuildStreamFileState{
		activeBuildStreamState: buildState,
		filePath:               filePath,
		activeBuild:            activeBuild,
		builderRun: hooks.DidFinishBuilderRunParams{
			StartedAt: time.Now(),
			PlanId:    activePlan.Id,
			FilePath:  filePath,
			FileExt:   filepath.Ext(filePath),
		},
	}

	log.Printf("execPlanBuild - %s - calling fileState.loadBuildFile()\n", filePath)
	err := fileState.loadBuildFile(activeBuild)
	if err != nil {
		log.Printf("Error loading build file: %v\n", err)
		fileState.onBuildFileError(fmt.Errorf("error loading build file: %v", err))
		return
	}

	fileState.resolvePreBuildState()

	// unless it's a file operation, stream initial status to client
	if !activeBuild.IsFileOperation() && !fileState.isNewFile {
		log.Printf("execPlanBuild - %s - streaming initial build info\n", filePath)
		// spew.Dump(activeBuild)
		buildInfo := &shared.BuildInfo{
			Path:      filePath,
			NumTokens: 0,
			Finished:  false,
		}
		activePlan.Stream(shared.StreamMessage{
			Type:      shared.StreamMessageBuildInfo,
			BuildInfo: buildInfo,
		})

View on GitHub (pinned to e2d772072e)

Solutions

1. Check the preceding log line 'Error loading build file: ...' to get the wrapped underlying err and fix that root cause first
2. Verify the file exists on the plan's branch (git ls-tree / open it in the workspace) and that the build path matches the actual path
3. Check file permissions/ownership so the server process can read the file
4. If plan file state is inconsistent, re-sync the plan branch or restart the build from a fresh conversation state
5. Retry the build after fixing the file; the error is per-file so other files still build

Example fix

// before: build references a path that was renamed
// build.Path = "old/path.go"
// after: correct the build path to the existing file
// build.Path = "new/path.go"
err := fileState.loadBuildFile(activeBuild)
if err != nil {
    fileState.onBuildFileError(fmt.Errorf("error loading build file: %v", err))
    return
}

func validateBuildPath(branch, path string) error {
    if path == "" || filepath.IsAbs(path) {
        return fmt.Errorf("invalid build path: %q", path)
    }
    if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(repoRoot, path)); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("build file missing on branch %s: %w", branch, err)
    }
    return nil
}

func fileExists(root, path string) bool {
    fi, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(root, path))
    return err == nil && !fi.IsDir()
}

err := fileState.loadBuildFile(activeBuild)
if err != nil {
    log.Printf("error loading build file: %v", err)
    fileState.onBuildFileError(err) // surface wrapped cause to client
    return
}

When it happens

Trigger: queueBuild -> execPlanBuild for a file path that cannot be loaded: the file does not exist on the plan branch (path stale or renamed), the path is a directory/invalid, file-system permission or I/O failure while reading it, or an internal error inside loadBuildFile (e.g. corrupted plan file state for that path).

Common situations: Plan context references a file that was deleted or renamed outside the app; building on the wrong branch where the file doesn't exist; read-permission problems on the mounted repo volume; a prior build left inconsistent plan file state in the DB.

Related errors

• error loading accounts: %v
• no project root found
• error getting git root: %s
• error getting files in git repo: %s
• error walking directory: %s

AI-assisted analysis of plandex-ai/plandex@e2d772072e (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bebe71078a50bf46. Report an issue: GitHub.