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[Bug]: PostgreSQL container intermittently fails to start with "Wait strategy failed. Container is removed" (TimeoutException) in CI environment #11860
Description
Module
Core
Testcontainers version
2.0.5
Using the latest Testcontainers version?
Yes
Host OS
Linux (Jenkins agent running inside a Kubernetes pod)
Host Arch
amd64
Docker version
Client: Docker Engine - Community
Version: 24.0.6
API version: 1.43
Go version: go1.20.7
Git commit: ed223bc
Built: Mon Sep 4 12:32:10 2023
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Context: default
Server: Docker Engine - Community
Engine:
Version: 28.3.3
API version: 1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
Go version: go1.24.5
Git commit: bea959c
Built: Fri Jul 25 11:33:59 2025
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Experimental: true
containerd:
Version: 1.7.27
GitCommit: 05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
runc:
Version: 1.2.5
GitCommit: v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
docker-init:
Version: 0.19.0
GitCommit: de40ad0What happened?
We are using a plain PostgreSQLContainer (no custom wait strategies, no extra performance flags) in our integration tests. The container sometimes fails to start with a timeout, and the error is flaky – it happens a few times a day on our CI (Jenkins), while locally it works consistently.
When the failure occurs, we see:
java.lang.IllegalStateException: Wait strategy failed. Container is removed
Caused by: org.rnorth.ducttape.TimeoutException: java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
The container is removed without any stdout/stderr logs available. The issue reproduces with official images (postgres:16, postgres:17, postgres:18).
What we have tried (without success):
- Increasing startup timeout (up to 3 minutes).
- Using different PostgreSQL image tags.
- Running
docker pullanddocker runmanually on the same agent – the container starts fine. - Removing all custom container settings (memory limits, environment variables).
- The error is intermittent – sometimes tests pass, sometimes they fail.
Relevant log output
Caused by:
org.testcontainers.containers.ContainerLaunchException: Container startup failed for image postgres:18
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.doStart(GenericContainer.java:346)
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.start(GenericContainer.java:317)
at org.springframework.boot.testcontainers.lifecycle.TestcontainersStartup.start(TestcontainersStartup.java:109)
at java.base/java.lang.Iterable.forEach(Iterable.java:75)
at org.springframework.boot.testcontainers.lifecycle.TestcontainersStartup$1.start(TestcontainersStartup.java:50)
at org.springframework.boot.testcontainers.lifecycle.TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.start(TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.java:127)
at org.springframework.boot.testcontainers.lifecycle.TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.initializeStartables(TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.java:115)
at org.springframework.boot.testcontainers.lifecycle.TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.postProcessAfterInitialization(TestcontainersLifecycleBeanPostProcessor.java:88)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.applyBeanPostProcessorsAfterInitialization(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:442)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1818)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:603)
... 44 more
Caused by:
org.rnorth.ducttape.RetryCountExceededException: Retry limit hit with exception
at org.rnorth.ducttape.unreliables.Unreliables.retryUntilSuccess(Unreliables.java:88)
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.doStart(GenericContainer.java:331)
... 54 more
Caused by:
org.testcontainers.containers.ContainerLaunchException: Could not create/start container
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.tryStart(GenericContainer.java:551)
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.lambda$doStart$0(GenericContainer.java:341)
at org.rnorth.ducttape.unreliables.Unreliables.retryUntilSuccess(Unreliables.java:81)
... 55 more
Caused by:
java.lang.IllegalStateException: Wait strategy failed. Container is removed
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.tryStart(GenericContainer.java:498)
... 57 more
Caused by:
org.rnorth.ducttape.TimeoutException: java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
at org.rnorth.ducttape.timeouts.Timeouts.callFuture(Timeouts.java:70)
at org.rnorth.ducttape.timeouts.Timeouts.doWithTimeout(Timeouts.java:60)
at org.testcontainers.containers.wait.strategy.WaitAllStrategy.waitUntilReady(WaitAllStrategy.java:54)
at org.testcontainers.postgresql.PostgreSQLContainer.waitUntilContainerStarted(PostgreSQLContainer.java:142)
at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.tryStart(GenericContainer.java:487)
... 57 more
Caused by:
java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:206)
at org.rnorth.ducttape.timeouts.Timeouts.callFuture(Timeouts.java:65)
... 61 moreAdditional Information
Additional Information
- Java version:
25.0.1 - CI environment: Jenkins agent inside a Kubernetes pod
- Relevant environment variables:
TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_DISABLED=trueTESTCONTAINERS_HOST_OVERRIDE=<docker-host-ip>(set to the host's IP)TESTCONTAINERS_REUSE_ENABLE=true
Questions:
- Are there known issues with Testcontainers 2.0.5 and Docker server 28.x, or with cgroup v2 on the host?
- Could the environment variables interfere with container startup or waiting?
- Is there a way to get more verbose logs from Testcontainers (e.g., enabling DEBUG logging for
org.testcontainers, or any system property)? - What could cause the container to be removed before the wait strategy completes – maybe resource pressure on the Kubernetes pod?
- Are there recommended workarounds for flaky PostgreSQL startup in CI?
We are happy to provide more details or run diagnostic commands. Thank you!
Activity
Fix race condition in IsRunningStartupCheckStrategy with stale cached…
Fix race condition in IsRunningStartupCheckStrategy with stale cached…
Fix race condition in IsRunningStartupCheckStrategy with stale cached…
Fix race condition in IsRunningStartupCheckStrategy with stale cached…
Fix race condition in IsRunningStartupCheckStrategy with stale cached…
hiSandog commentedon Jul 6, 2026
This looks like a good regression-test candidate because the failure mode is concrete. If a minimal fixture can trigger the
PostgreSQLContainerpath and assert that it returns a handled error instead of crashing, it would protect both the immediate fix and nearby error-handling code.Add regression test for container exit before startup check (testcont…
vpelikh commentedon Jul 6, 2026
Thank you for the suggestion, @hiSandog.
Addressed in commit a71661e — PostgreSQLContainerTest.java
Added testContainerExitBeforeStartupCheck — a regression test that creates a PostgreSQLContainer with withCommand("/bin/false") so the container exits immediately, then asserts that start() throws ContainerLaunchException with stack trace containing "Container startup failed". This proves: