usebruno/bruno · error · Error

Error loading local module ${moduleName}: ${error.message}

Error message

Error loading local module ${moduleName}: ${error.message}

What it means

Thrown by Bruno's node-vm CommonJS loader when a LOCAL module (a file resolved relative to the collection, e.g. require('./helper')) raises during execution inside the isolated vm.Script context. The loader wraps the user's module source in a CJS function wrapper, runs it, and if that function throws it re-throws a wrapped error with the module name and the original message. The cache entry is purged so a later require() can retry.

Source

Thrown at packages/bruno-js/src/sandbox/node-vm/cjs-loader.js:198

  const moduleRequire = createCustomRequire({
    collectionPath,
    isolatedContext,
    currentModuleDir: moduleDir,
    localModuleCache,
    additionalContextRootsAbsolute
  });

  try {
    // Wrap module code in a function that receives CJS parameters
    const wrappedCode = `(function(module, exports, require, __filename, __dirname) {\n${moduleCode}\n})`;
    const compiledScript = new vm.Script(wrappedCode, { filename: normalizedFilePath });
    const moduleFunction = compiledScript.runInContext(isolatedContext);
    moduleFunction(moduleObj, moduleObj.exports, moduleRequire, normalizedFilePath, moduleDir);
    return moduleObj.exports;
  } catch (error) {
    // Remove failed module from cache to allow retry
    localModuleCache.delete(normalizedFilePath);
    throw new Error(`Error loading local module ${moduleName}: ${error.message}`);
  }
}

/**
 * Executes a module in the VM context with caching and special file handling
 * @param {Object} options - Configuration options
 * @returns {*} The exported content of the loaded module
 * @throws {Error} When module cannot be loaded
 */
function executeModuleInVmContext({
  resolvedPath,
  moduleName,
  isolatedContext,
  collectionPath,
  localModuleCache
}) {
  // Check cache - we cache moduleObj, return its exports
  if (localModuleCache.has(resolvedPath)) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 9bdd81c7bd)

Solutions

1. Read the appended original message — it identifies the real failure; fix the offending line in the local module file and re-run the request.
2. Confirm the module only uses globals Bruno injects into the VM context (bru, Buffer, console, permitted libs); remove or stub any host-only API call.
3. Run the local module with plain `node path/to/file.js` outside Bruno to reproduce the error quickly.
4. If a circular require is involved, reorder exports so the consuming module reads the property lazily rather than at top level.

Example fix

// before — local module references undefined `req`
module.exports = { sign: () => req.headers['x-foo'] };

// after — pass dependencies in explicitly
module.exports = { sign: (headers) => headers['x-foo'] };

// Validate the local module file exists and is readable before requiring
const fs = require('fs');
const p = require('path').join(bru.cwd(), 'my-helper.js');
if (!fs.existsSync(p)) throw new Error('local module missing: ' + p);

try {
  const helper = require('./my-helper');
} catch (err) {
  if (/Error loading local module/.test(err.message)) {
    // surface the inner message and stop the test cleanly
    throw new Error('local module failed to load: ' + err.message);
  }
  throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling require('./my-helper') in a Bru test/pre-request script where my-helper.js has a top-level throw, references an undefined variable, calls an API not exposed to the sandbox, or contains a syntax error that only surfaces at runtime inside the wrapper.

Common situations: A typo or undefined variable in the local module file; the local module references Node host APIs (fs, process, child_process) not injected into the VM context; a circular require that returns partial exports whose property is then called; editing the file while Bruno holds a stale cache (the cache is cleared on failure, so a re-run after fixing the source usually clears it).

Related errors

• Error loading module ${moduleName}: ${error.message} Stack:
• Could not resolve module "${moduleName}": ${mainError.messag
• Access to files outside of the collectionPath is not allowed
• Cannot find module ${filename}
• The "size" argument must be of type number

AI-assisted analysis of usebruno/bruno@9bdd81c7bd (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cf4a3d04662c7ede. Report an issue: GitHub.