redis/go-redis · error

redis: Channel can't be called after ChannelWithSubscription

Error message

redis: Channel can't be called after ChannelWithSubscriptions

What it means

Error "redis: Channel can't be called after ChannelWithSubscriptions" thrown in redis/go-redis.

Source

Thrown at pubsub.go:578

	return context.Background()
}

//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// Channel returns a Go channel for concurrently receiving messages.
// The channel is closed together with the PubSub. If the Go channel
// is blocked full for 1 minute the message is dropped.
// Receive* APIs can not be used after channel is created.
//
// go-redis periodically sends ping messages to test connection health
// and re-subscribes if ping can not received for 1 minute.
func (c *PubSub) Channel(opts ...ChannelOption) <-chan *Message {
	c.chOnce.Do(func() {
		c.msgCh = newChannel(c, opts...)
		c.msgCh.initMsgChan()
	})
	if c.msgCh == nil {
		err := fmt.Errorf("redis: Channel can't be called after ChannelWithSubscriptions")
		panic(err)
	}
	return c.msgCh.msgCh
}

// ChannelSize is like Channel, but creates a Go channel
// with specified buffer size.
//
// Deprecated: use Channel(WithChannelSize(size)), remove in v9.
func (c *PubSub) ChannelSize(size int) <-chan *Message {
	return c.Channel(WithChannelSize(size))
}

// ChannelWithSubscriptions is like Channel, but message type can be either
// *Subscription or *Message. Subscription messages can be used to detect
// reconnections.
//
// ChannelWithSubscriptions can not be used together with Channel or ChannelSize.

View on GitHub (pinned to c5cad058c7)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at pubsub.go:578 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of redis/go-redis@c5cad058c7 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a6842385ae65d07f. Report an issue: GitHub.