[JENKINS-72192] Jenkins does not start until "nodes" dir is cleared

Hello!  We just experienced a failure, where Jenkins would not come up after restart.

 

```

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: 2023-10-16 22:48:49.072+0000 [id=26]#011SEVERE#011hudson.util.BootFailure#publish: Failed to initialize Jenkins

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: java.lang.InterruptedException

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at java.base/java.lang.Object.wait(Native Method)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at java.base/java.lang.Object.wait(Object.java:328)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor.execute(Reactor.java:288)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.InitReactorRunner.run(InitReactorRunner.java:49)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.model.Jenkins.executeReactor(Jenkins.java:1199)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.model.Jenkins.(Jenkins.java:987)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.model.Hudson.(Hudson.java:86)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.model.Hudson.(Hudson.java:82)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.WebAppMain$3.run(WebAppMain.java:247)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: Caused: hudson.util.HudsonFailedToLoad

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.WebAppMain$3.run(WebAppMain.java:264)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: 2023-10-16 22:48:49.075+0000 [id=26]#011SEVERE#011h.i.i.InstallUncaughtExceptionHandler$DefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler#uncaughtException: A thread (Jenkins initialization thread/26) died unexpectedly due to an uncaught exception. This may leave your server corrupted and usually indicates a software bug.

```

We are on Jenkins 2.401.3

 

We were able to get Jenkins to start by renaming the "nodes" folder and creating a new empty "nodes" folder.

 

I then checked all the config.xml files in the old folder, and they are all well-formed and valid XML.

We did change the slave instance type earlier today, not sure if that had anything to do with it.

---
Originally reported by atsaloli, imported from: Jenkins does not start until "nodes" dir is cleared

• assignee: thoulen
  
• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): ec2-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 3
  
• imported: 2025-12-06
  

Raw content of original issue

Hello!  We just experienced a failure, where Jenkins would not come up after restart.


 


```


Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: 2023-10-16 22:48:49.072+0000 [id=26]#011SEVERE#011hudson.util.BootFailure#publish: Failed to initialize Jenkins

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: java.lang.InterruptedException

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at java.base/java.lang.Object.wait(Native Method)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at java.base/java.lang.Object.wait(Object.java:328)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor.execute(Reactor.java:288)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.InitReactorRunner.run(InitReactorRunner.java:49)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.model.Jenkins.executeReactor(Jenkins.java:1199)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at jenkins.model.Jenkins.<init>(Jenkins.java:987)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.model.Hudson.<init>(Hudson.java:86)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.model.Hudson.<init>(Hudson.java:82)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.WebAppMain$3.run(WebAppMain.java:247)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: Caused: hudson.util.HudsonFailedToLoad

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: at hudson.WebAppMain$3.run(WebAppMain.java:264)

Oct 16 22:48:49 ip-172-16-53-13 jenkins_logs[10332]: 2023-10-16 22:48:49.075+0000 [id=26]#011SEVERE#011h.i.i.InstallUncaughtExceptionHandler$DefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler#uncaughtException: A thread (Jenkins initialization thread/26) died unexpectedly due to an uncaught exception. This may leave your server corrupted and usually indicates a software bug.


```


We are on Jenkins 2.401.3


 


We were able to get Jenkins to start by renaming the "nodes" folder and creating a new empty "nodes" folder.


 


I then checked all the config.xml files in the old folder, and they are all well-formed and valid XML.


We did change the slave instance type earlier today, not sure if that had anything to do with it.