Inconsistent behavior between `label` and `label!` filters in `volume prune`
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Description
Description
In docker volume prune, label filters are combined with AND, while label! filters are combined with OR. This seems unexpected, and is not mentioned in the documentation, so I assume it to be a bug.
Reproduce
docker volume create --label a=b --label b=c vol1 && docker volume create --label a=b --label b=c --label d=e vol2 && docker volume create --label b=c --label c=d vol3
docker volume prune --all --filter label=a=b --filter label=y=y
*no deleted volumes*
docker volume prune --all --filter label!=a=b --filter label!=y=y
Deleted Volumes:
vol1
vol2
vol3
Expected behavior
I would expect the same logical operation to be used in both cases. By reading only remove volumes with (or without, in case label!=... is used) the specified labels, AND makes more sense, so I would not expect vol1 and vol2 being deleted in the label! example, as they do have the a=b label.
docker version
Client:
Version: 29.3.1
API version: 1.54
Go version: go1.25.8 X:nodwarf5
Git commit: 1.fc43
Built: Wed Mar 25 00:00:00 2026
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Context: default
Server:
Engine:
Version: 29.3.1
API version: 1.54 (minimum version 1.40)
Go version: go1.25.8 X:nodwarf5
Git commit: 1.fc43
Built: Wed Mar 25 00:00:00 2026
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Experimental: false
containerd:
Version: 2.1.6
GitCommit: 1.fc43
runc:
Version: 1.4.1
GitCommit:
tini-static:
Version: 0.19.0
GitCommit:
docker info
Client:
Version: 29.3.1
Context: default
Debug Mode: false
Plugins:
buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
Version: 0.31.1
Path: /usr/libexec/docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
Server:
Containers: 0
Running: 0
Paused: 0
Stopped: 0
Images: 0
Server Version: 29.3.1
Storage Driver: overlayfs
driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
Logging Driver: json-file
Cgroup Driver: systemd
Cgroup Version: 2
Plugins:
Volume: local
Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
CDI spec directories:
/etc/cdi
/var/run/cdi
Swarm: inactive
Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
Default Runtime: runc
Init Binary: /usr/bin/tini-static
containerd version: 1.fc43
runc version:
init version:
Security Options:
seccomp
Profile: builtin
selinux
cgroupns
Kernel Version: 6.19.10-200.fc43.x86_64
Operating System: Fedora Linux 43 (Workstation Edition)
OSType: linux
Architecture: x86_64
CPUs: 14
Total Memory: 30.76GiB
Name: sbrauner-thinkpadt14gen6.tpb.csb
ID: bfa28d86-9769-4985-99a5-75ec2afd61fd
Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
Debug Mode: false
Experimental: false
Insecure Registries:
::1/128
127.0.0.0/8
Live Restore Enabled: false
Firewall Backend: iptables+firewalld
Additional Info
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start at the Docker CLI entry point for docker volume prune and trace how repeated label and label!= filters are evaluated. Reproduce the commands in the issue, then inspect the related filter tests if present and add regression coverage showing the intended consistent behavior for both forms.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- docker, go
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 55/100