redis/redis-py · error · DataError

SHUTDOWN save and nosave cannot both be set

Error message

SHUTDOWN save and nosave cannot both be set

What it means

Raised by shutdown when both save=True and nosave=True are passed simultaneously. These flags are contradictory — save forces a DB dump on shutdown, nosave suppresses it — so the client rejects the combination before sending anything to the server.

Source

Thrown at redis/commands/core.py:2112

        force: bool = False,
        abort: bool = False,
        **kwargs,
    ) -> None:
        """Shutdown the Redis server.  If Redis has persistence configured,
        data will be flushed before shutdown.
        It is possible to specify modifiers to alter the behavior of the command:
        ``save`` will force a DB saving operation even if no save points are configured.
        ``nosave`` will prevent a DB saving operation even if one or more save points
        are configured.
        ``now`` skips waiting for lagging replicas, i.e. it bypasses the first step in
        the shutdown sequence.
        ``force`` ignores any errors that would normally prevent the server from exiting
        ``abort`` cancels an ongoing shutdown and cannot be combined with other flags.

        For more information, see https://redis.io/commands/shutdown
        """
        if save and nosave:
            raise DataError("SHUTDOWN save and nosave cannot both be set")
        args = ["SHUTDOWN"]
        if save:
            args.append("SAVE")
        if nosave:
            args.append("NOSAVE")
        if now:
            args.append("NOW")
        if force:
            args.append("FORCE")
        if abort:
            args.append("ABORT")
        try:
            self.execute_command(*args, **kwargs)
        except ConnectionError:
            # a ConnectionError here is expected
            return
        raise RedisError("SHUTDOWN seems to have failed.")

View on GitHub (pinned to da03cdc7e8)

Solutions

1. Set exactly one of save or nosave (or neither for server-default behavior).
2. Guard dynamic flags: if save and nosave: raise in your own code before calling.
3. Use save=True to force persistence, nosave=True to skip it; never both.

Example fix

# before
r.shutdown(save=True, nosave=True)
# after
r.shutdown(save=True)

if save and nosave:
    raise ValueError('shutdown: save and nosave are mutually exclusive')

When it happens

Trigger: Calling r.shutdown(save=True, nosave=True). Building shutdown args dynamically where both flags resolve True. Copy-pasting a config that set both as a 'cover all cases' pattern.

Common situations: Config file maps two independent booleans that both default True. Migration from a system where one flag was ignored. Defensive code that sets both flags 'just in case'.

Related errors

• CLIENT KILL type must be one of {client_types!r}
• CLIENT KILL skipme must be a bool
• CLIENT KILL <filter> <value> ... ... <filter> <value> must s
• CLIENT LIST _type must be one of {client_types!r}
• client_id must be a list

AI-assisted analysis of redis/redis-py@da03cdc7e8 (2026-08-04). Data as JSON: /data/errors/735d2f83d085e725.json. Report an issue: GitHub.