xai-org/grok-build · error

merge --abort failed: {out}

Error message

merge --abort failed: {out}

What it means

When sync-base is called with `abort`, the code runs `git merge --abort`, then re-checks `merge_in_progress`. If the repository still reports an in-progress merge, the abort did not take effect (or left stale state) and this error is raised with git's output.

Source

Thrown at crates/codegen/xai-grok-workspace/src/session/git.rs:3027

/// Merge, never rebase: conv-branch history must not be rewritten. On
/// conflicts the merge is left in progress for resolution; `abort` rolls it
/// back.
pub async fn sync_base(
    git_root: &Path,
    base_ref: Option<&str>,
    abort: bool,
    expected_branch: Option<&str>,
) -> Result<GitSyncBaseResult> {
    async fn merge_in_progress(git_root: &Path) -> Result<bool> {
        Ok(
            git_cli_raw(git_root, &["rev-parse", "-q", "--verify", "MERGE_HEAD"])
                .await?
                .0,
        )
    }
    if abort {
        let (_ok, out) = git_cli_raw_mut(git_root, &["merge", "--abort"]).await?;
        anyhow::ensure!(
            !merge_in_progress(git_root).await?,
            "merge --abort failed: {out}"
        );
        return Ok(GitSyncBaseResult {
            outcome: GitSyncBaseOutcome::Aborted,
        });
    }
    ensure_on_branch(git_root, expected_branch).await?;
    anyhow::ensure!(
        !merge_in_progress(git_root).await?,
        "a merge is already in progress; resolve it or call again with abort"
    );
    let dirty = git_cli(git_root, &["status", "--porcelain"]).await?;
    anyhow::ensure!(
        dirty.is_empty(),
        "working tree is not clean; commit or discard changes before syncing the base"
    );
    let base = base_ref.unwrap_or("HEAD");

View on GitHub (pinned to bc7f02eddd)

Solutions

1. Inspect git's output in `{out}` for the abort failure reason
2. Run `git merge --abort` manually and resolve reported blockers
3. If state is stale, remove `MERGE_HEAD`/`MERGE_MSG` only after confirming no merge is truly in progress (`git status`)
4. Ensure no other process is holding the index (close editors/agents, check lock files like `.git/index.lock`)

Example fix

// before
// merge state left after crash
sync_base(&git_root, req_with_abort) // fails
// after
// terminal: git merge --abort && git status  # confirm clean, then retry
sync_base(&git_root, req_with_abort)

if Path::new(git_root.join(".git/MERGE_HEAD")).exists() {
    let out = Command::new("git").args(["merge","--abort"]).current_dir(git_root).output()?;
    eprintln!("abort output: {}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr));
}

match sync_base(...).await {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("merge --abort failed") => {
        // inspect git output in message; resolve blockers manually, then retry
    }
    r => r?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling sync-base with abort while `git merge --abort` fails or leaves MERGE_HEAD in place — e.g. conflicted state managed by another process, permission issues, or an unmerged-index state that git refuses to abort cleanly.

Common situations: Concurrent processes (editor, another agent) touching the index during abort; stale MERGE_HEAD after a crashed merge; filesystem permission problems on `.git`.

Related errors

• working tree has uncommitted changes; commit or stash before
• a merge is already in progress; resolve it or call again wit
• git reset --hard {} failed: {}
• git clean {} failed: {}
• git checkout {} failed: {}

AI-assisted analysis of xai-org/grok-build@bc7f02eddd (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/250bdc97efb7984b. Report an issue: GitHub.