thedotmack/claude-mem · critical

Cannot bootstrap server API key: CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_

Error message

Cannot bootstrap server API key: CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL is not set.

What it means

Thrown by buildPoolFromEnv() in server-bootstrap.ts when parsePostgresConfig({ requireDatabaseUrl: true }) returns null, i.e. CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL (or the equivalent PG env) is not set. The bootstrap cannot create a Postgres pool without a connection string, so it cannot provision the local team/project/API key.

Source

Thrown at src/services/hooks/server-bootstrap.ts:225

    `SELECT id FROM projects WHERE team_id = $1 AND name = $2 LIMIT 1`,
    [teamId, LOCAL_HOOK_PROJECT_NAME],
  );
  if (existing.rows[0]) {
    return existing.rows[0].id;
  }
  const repo = new PostgresProjectsRepository(pool);
  const project = await repo.create({
    teamId,
    name: LOCAL_HOOK_PROJECT_NAME,
    metadata: { source: 'local-hook-bootstrap' },
  });
  return project.id;
}

function buildPoolFromEnv(): PostgresPool {
  const config = parsePostgresConfig({ requireDatabaseUrl: true });
  if (!config) {
    throw new Error(
      'Cannot bootstrap server API key: CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL is not set.',
    );
  }
  return createPostgresPool(config);
}

View on GitHub (pinned to d768ba3643)

Solutions

1. Set CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL to a valid Postgres connection string and re-run the bootstrap.
2. If using a .env file, ensure the bootstrap process actually loads it (or export the var in the same shell).
3. Confirm the Postgres instance is reachable from the bootstrap process before re-running.
4. If you did not intend server-mode persistence, switch back to worker runtime instead of bootstrapping.

Example fix

# before — bootstrap run with no DB url
$ claude-mem bootstrap
// throws 'Cannot bootstrap server API key: CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL is not set.'

# after
export CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/claude_mem'
claude-mem bootstrap

if (!process.env.CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL) {
  throw new Error('CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL must be set before running server bootstrap');
}

function hasDatabaseUrl(): boolean {
  return typeof process.env.CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL === 'string'
      && process.env.CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL.length > 0;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running the server API-key bootstrap flow (which creates the local hook team/project and writes credentials) without CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL in env. parsePostgresConfig yields null and the guard throws.

Common situations: First-time server-mode setup where the DATABASE_URL was never exported; .env file not loaded by the bootstrap process; URL was set in a different shell; migrating hosts and forgetting to copy the DB env.

Related errors

• CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL is required for `server ${com
• server startup configuration is invalid: - ${line}
• transport
• missing_api_key
• Postgres requires CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL

AI-assisted analysis of thedotmack/claude-mem@d768ba3643 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/57b6c5c9a5a4c501. Report an issue: GitHub.