policy file command 500 errors from server

Whenever I run any command that involves policy files API endpoints, the server returns a 500 server error.

For example: running chef show-policy returns this:

[2015-08-03T00:30:25+01:00] ERROR: Server returned error 500 for https://chef-server.XX.com/organizations/XX/policy_groups, retrying 1/5 in 3s

But also chef push returns the same error.

In the opscode-erchef/crash.log, I see this:

{<<"method=GET; path=/organizations/XX/policy_groups; status=500; ">>,{error,{badrecord,chef_container},[{oc_chef_authz,get_container_aid_for_object,3,[{file,"src/oc_chef_authz.erl"},{line,139}]},{oc_chef_wm_base,forbidden,2,[{file,"src/oc_chef_wm_base.erl"},{line,156}]},{webmachine_resource,resource_call,3,[{file,"src/webmachine_resource.erl"},{line,186}]},{webmachine_resource,do,3,[{file,"src/webmachine_resource.erl"},{line,142}]},{webmachine_decision_core,resource_call,1,[{file,"src/webmachine_decision_core.erl"},{line,48}]},{webmachine_decision_core,decision,1,[{file,"src/webmachine_decision_core.erl"},{line,225}]},{webmachine_decision_core,handle_request,2,[{file,"src/webmachine_decision_core.erl"},{line,33}]},{webmachine_mochiweb,loop,2,[{file,"src/webmachine_mochiweb.erl"},{line,72}]}]}}

I am running chef server 12.1.1 and chef-client 12.4.1.

Can anyone help me please, as the above error is not particularly helpful? thx

Start by reproducing a policy-file request such as chef show-policy or chef push against the reported versions and inspect opscode-erchef/crash.log. Trace the badrecord,chef_container failure to src/oc_chef_authz.erl line 139 and verify that policy endpoints no longer return HTTP 500 for valid requests.