\`server \` is a server runtime command, but…

Error message

\`server ${commandLabel}\` is a server runtime command, but CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=${runtime}. Set CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server (and CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL) to run server operations, or use the worker CLI (\`worker-service ...\`) for the worker runtime.

What it means

assertServerRuntimeForCli guards `server ...` CLI commands so they only run in the server runtime. It throws when CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME is set to anything other than 'server' or 'server-beta', because server runtime commands talk to the server Postgres backend and will not work under the worker or other runtimes.

Solutions

Set CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server (or 'server-beta') before running the command
Also export CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL so the subsequent DB check passes
Use the worker CLI (`worker-service ...`) instead if you actually intend to operate the worker runtime

Example fix

// before
CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=worker server api-key create --team t1
// after
CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL=postgres://... server api-key create --team t1

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const runtime = (process.env.CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME ?? '').trim().toLowerCase();
if (runtime && runtime !== 'server' && runtime !== 'server-beta') {
  console.error('switch to CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server (or use worker-service) before running this command');
  process.exit(1);
}

Type guard

function isServerRuntime(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): boolean {
  const r = (env.CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME ?? '').trim().toLowerCase();
  return r === 'server' || r === 'server-beta';
}

Try / catch

try {
  runServerApiKeyCli(argv);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes('is a server runtime command')) {
    console.error('Run with CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server or use the worker CLI.');
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

Keep CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME exports scoped to shells/CI jobs for that role, not global
Wrap server commands in scripts that set required env themselves
Check `printenv CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME` when a command unexpectedly fails
Document which CLI subcommands belong to which runtime

When it happens

Trigger: Running a server CLI command (via runServerApiKeyCli or runServerJobsCli) with CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME set to e.g. 'worker', 'cli', or any non-server value.

Common situations: Developers on a machine configured for the worker runtime trying to administer server API keys or jobs; CI environments exporting CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=worker globally; stale shell exports from a different deployment role.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is not a valid" / "Invalid ... value" environment variable errors: how libraries validate env vars and what to do when they reject yours — this error's family across 48 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of thedotmack/claude-mem@d8bc9755e7 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bdab73a4945ebdac. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/server/runtime/ServerService.ts:493

// is invisible to the server runtime, which reads keys from Postgres. Use
// this entrypoint inside Docker / Compose.
// #2572 — wrong-runtime guard.
//
// The server operability commands (`api-key`, `keys`, `jobs`) only make
// sense in the server runtime, whose canonical store is Postgres. If they
// are invoked in a worker-only context — `CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME` set to `worker`,
// or no `CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL` configured — we fail fast with an
// actionable message instead of crashing later with an opaque pool error.
//
// Phase 1d: dual-accept the persisted runtime literal (`'server'` is the new
// canonical form; `'server-beta'` remains valid for existing installs).
export function assertServerRuntimeForCli(
  commandLabel: string,
  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
): void {
  const runtime = (env.CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME ?? '').trim().toLowerCase();
  if (runtime && runtime !== 'server' && runtime !== 'server-beta') {
    throw new Error(
      `\`server ${commandLabel}\` is a server runtime command, but CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=${runtime}. ` +
        'Set CLAUDE_MEM_RUNTIME=server (and CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL) to run server operations, ' +
        'or use the worker CLI (`worker-service ...`) for the worker runtime.',
    );
  }
  if (!(env.CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL ?? '').trim()) {
    throw new Error(
      `CLAUDE_MEM_SERVER_DATABASE_URL is required for \`server ${commandLabel}\`. ` +
        'This command talks to the server Postgres backend; export the connection string before running it.',
    );
  }
}

export async function runServerApiKeyCli(argv: string[]): Promise<void> {
  const sub = argv[0]?.toLowerCase();
  const options = parseFlagArgs(argv.slice(1));

  try {

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