53400 \u2014 configuration_limit_exceeded
53400 reports that a configured or finite process slot is exhausted. Fixed paths cover background workers, logical-replication workers, and replication-origin state slots.
English manual coverage begins with PostgreSQL 8.1. Source history and runtime observations have their own recorded version boundaries.
Reading PG 18·Select a recorded version
- aliases
- Unknown
- class name
- Insufficient Resources
- condition name
- configuration_limit_exceeded
- lang
- en
- sqlstate
- 53400
Definition PG 18
53400
At a glance {#at-a-glance}
53400 reports that a configured or finite process slot is exhausted. Fixed paths cover background workers, logical-replication workers, and replication-origin state slots.
Meaning {#meaning}
The source distinguishes too many background workers, no slot for a new autovacuum/background worker, no logical-replication worker slots, and replication-origin state limits. Hints name the parameter where the path can identify one; the current setting and workload determine whether increasing it is safe.
Diagnosis {#diagnosis}
Keep the exact component and parameter from the message. Inspect worker counts, active replication, origin IDs, slots, and server logs; distinguish a worker-slot limit (53400) from a generic resource failure (53000) or a statement complexity limit (54001).
Response {#response}
Remove or finish work that legitimately holds the slot, or raise the named configuration after checking process and memory capacity. Apply the change through the normal configuration/restart or reload procedure, then verify that the requested component can start. These fixed worker, launcher, and replication-origin paths can run in background backend processes rather than a client transaction; where an ERROR reaches an explicit client transaction, use ROLLBACK or ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT before retrying, and in autocommit retry only after the slot cause is corrected. Do not create workers merely to force this condition.
Versions {#versions}
The locked catalogue records this condition from 9.2.0; cited background-worker and logical-replication paths are PostgreSQL 18.6 source. No slot exhaustion was run.
Related {#related}
Sources {#sources}
src/backend/postmaster/bgworker.c#L1002-L1009
src/backend/replication/logical/launcher.c#L435-L438
src/backend/replication/logical/origin.c#L976-L980
The structured evidence record records fixed messages and the source/runtime boundary.
Compare versions
SQLSTATE evidence and recorded runtime versions
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Full definition and evidence JSON
Definition sources
center · PostgreSQL 18 · english-manuals:bc6116f6062d9b9af34531ab4a0449f245098a196d010a20e195657838eef675
Text language: en · english-manuals:bc6116f6062d9b9af34531ab4a0449f245098a196d010a20e195657838eef675