[JENKINS-63436] PowerShell Pipeline step throws an error when using Set-PSDebug -Strict, and $LASTEXITCODE is not defined

The PowerShell command Set-PSDebug -Strict makes PowerShell throw an error if an undefined variable is referenced.

The $LASTEXITCODE automatic variable returns the exit code of the last external executable that was run in the PowerShell session.  If no external executables have been run, then $LASTEXITCODE does not exist.

The PowerShell Pipeline step apparently wraps the content of the specified script in some additional code, which checks the $LASTEXITCODE variable.

If no external executables have been run in the script, and Set-PSDebug -Strict is enabled, then the PowerShell Pipeline step throws an error like this:

```
powershell.exe : The variable '$LASTEXITCODE' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set.
At D:\Jenkins.jenkins\workspace\test-pipeline@​tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellWrapper.ps1:3 char:1
+ & powershell -NoProfile -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Comm ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (The variable '$...s not been set.:String) [], RemoteException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandError

At D:\Jenkins.jenkins\workspace\test-pipeline@​tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellScript.ps1:9 char:6
+ exit $LASTEXITCODE;

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (LASTEXITCODE:String) [], RuntimeException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : VariableIsUndefined



The variable '$LASTEXITCODE' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set.

At line:1 char:96

+ ... eline@​tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellScript.ps1'; exit $LASTEXITCODE;

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (LASTEXITCODE:String) [], RuntimeException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : VariableIsUndefined

```

Here is a demonstration script:

node ('master') {

    powershell(label: "test", 

script: '''

Set-PSDebug -Strict

"Either of the commented out lines below will make the error below go away." | Out-Host

# cmd.exe /c :: Running cmd.exe will make PowerShell define the LASTEXITCODE variable

# Set-PSDebug -Strict:$false

"Does the LASTEXITCODE variable exist?" | Out-Host

Test-Path Variable:LASTEXITCODE

''')

}

---
Originally reported by langtonben, imported from: PowerShell Pipeline step throws an error when using Set-PSDebug -Strict, and $LASTEXITCODE is not defined

• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): durable-task-plugin
  
• label(s): pipeline, powershell
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 1
  
• imported: 2025-12-09
  

Raw content of original issue

The PowerShell command Set-PSDebug -Strict makes PowerShell throw an error if an undefined variable is referenced.


The $LASTEXITCODE automatic variable returns the exit code of the last external executable that was run in the PowerShell session.  If no external executables have been run, then $LASTEXITCODE does not exist.


The PowerShell Pipeline step apparently wraps the content of the specified script in some additional code, which checks the $LASTEXITCODE variable.


If no external executables have been run in the script, and Set-PSDebug -Strict is enabled, then the PowerShell Pipeline step throws an error like this:



powershell.exe : The variable '$LASTEXITCODE' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set.

 At D:\Jenkins.jenkins\workspace\test-pipeline@tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellWrapper.ps1:3 char:1

 + & powershell -NoProfile -NonInteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Comm ...

 + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (The variable '$...s not been set.:String) [], RemoteException

     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandError

  

 At D:\Jenkins.jenkins\workspace\test-pipeline@tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellScript.ps1:9 char:6

 + exit $LASTEXITCODE;

 

 +      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

     + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (LASTEXITCODE:String) [], RuntimeException

 

     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : VariableIsUndefined

 

  

 

 The variable '$LASTEXITCODE' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set.

 

 At line:1 char:96

 

 + ... eline@tmp\durable-0edceab5\powershellScript.ps1'; exit $LASTEXITCODE;

 

 +                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

     + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (LASTEXITCODE:String) [], RuntimeException

 

     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : VariableIsUndefined

 



Here is a demonstration script:



node ('master') {

    powershell(label: "test", 

        script: '''

Set-PSDebug -Strict

"Either of the commented out lines below will make the error below go away." | Out-Host

# cmd.exe /c :: Running cmd.exe will make PowerShell define the LASTEXITCODE variable

# Set-PSDebug -Strict:$false

"Does the LASTEXITCODE variable exist?" | Out-Host

Test-Path Variable:LASTEXITCODE

''')

}

environment

```
Jenkins 2.252

Durable Task Plugin 1.3.4

Windows Server 2019

PowerShell 5.1.17763.1007

Adopt OpenJDK 11
```