theonedev/onedev · error · ExplicitException

Invalid branch name:

Error message

Invalid branch name: 

What it means

CreateBranchStep checks the computed branch name with Repository.isValidRefName and fails the step when it is not a valid git ref name; the message carries the offending name. This is a build-step guard, not a git failure.

Source

Thrown at server-core/src/main/java/io/onedev/server/buildspec/step/CreateBranchStep.java:105

	}

	@SuppressWarnings("unused")
	private static List<String> getAccessTokenSecretChoices() {
		return Project.get().getHierarchyJobSecrets()
				.stream().map(it->it.getName()).collect(Collectors.toList());
	}

	@Override
	public ServerStepResult run(Long buildId, File inputDir, TaskLogger logger) {
		return OneDev.getInstance(SessionService.class).call(() -> {
			var build = OneDev.getInstance(BuildService.class).load(buildId);
			Project project = build.getProject();
			String branchName = branchNameProvider.getBranchName(build);

			if (StringUtils.isBlank(branchName))
				throw new ExplicitException("Branch name should not be empty");
			if (!Repository.isValidRefName(GitUtils.branch2ref(branchName)))
				throw new ExplicitException("Invalid branch name: " + branchName);

			if (build.canCreateBranch(getAccessTokenSecret(), branchName)) {
				RefFacade branchRef = project.getBranchRef(branchName);
				if (branchRef != null) {
					logger.warning("Branch '" + branchName + "' already exists");
				} else {
					String branchRevision = getBranchRevision();
					if (branchRevision == null)
						branchRevision = build.getCommitHash();
					OneDev.getInstance(GitService.class).createBranch(project, branchName, branchRevision);
				}
			} else {
				logger.error("This build is not authorized to create branch '" + branchName + "'");
				return new ServerStepResult(false);
			}
			return new ServerStepResult(true);
		});
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to d44925c47c)

Solutions

1. Remove invalid characters (spaces, ~ ^ : ? * [ \, consecutive dots, leading/trailing slashes) from the branch name.
2. Sanitize names derived from issue titles or variables before creating the branch.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at server-core/src/main/java/io/onedev/server/buildspec/step/CreateBranchStep.java:105 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of theonedev/onedev@d44925c47c (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0929cb6b65ba282e. Report an issue: GitHub.