[JENKINS-56242] Jenkins pipeline lock mechanism is throwing null pointer exceptions

I am getting this null pointer exception and the lock is not getting freed, it was working correctly for a long and suddenly started to throw this exceptions

 

// code placeholder

stage('Deploy to iDev') {

    steps {

lock(resource: "$DEV_LOCK", inversePrecedence: true) {

    script {

       .

.

.

    }

}

    }

}

 Below is the exception thrown:

 

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```
java.lang.NullPointerException at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockableResourcesManager.freeResources(LockableResourcesManager.java:323) at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockableResourcesManager.unlockNames(LockableResourcesManager.java:367) at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockStepExecution$Callback.finished(LockStepExecution.java:125) at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.BodyExecutionCallback$TailCall.onSuccess(BodyExecutionCallback.java:114) at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsBodyExecution$SuccessAdapter.receive(CpsBodyExecution.java:368) at com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.Outcome.resumeFrom(Outcome.java:73)
```

{{}}

 

---
Originally reported by rgowdatmx, imported from: Jenkins pipeline lock mechanism is throwing null pointer exceptions

• status: Open
  
• priority: Critical
  
• component(s): pipeline
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 2
  
• imported: 2025-12-08
  

Raw content of original issue

I am getting this null pointer exception and the lock is not getting freed, it was working correctly for a long and suddenly started to throw this exceptions


 



// code placeholder

stage('Deploy to iDev') {

    steps {

        lock(resource: "$DEV_LOCK", inversePrecedence: true) {

            script {

               .

                .

                .

            }

        }

    }

}





 Below is the exception thrown:


 


{{}}



java.lang.NullPointerException at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockableResourcesManager.freeResources(LockableResourcesManager.java:323) at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockableResourcesManager.unlockNames(LockableResourcesManager.java:367) at org.jenkins.plugins.lockableresources.LockStepExecution$Callback.finished(LockStepExecution.java:125) at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.BodyExecutionCallback$TailCall.onSuccess(BodyExecutionCallback.java:114) at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsBodyExecution$SuccessAdapter.receive(CpsBodyExecution.java:368) at com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.Outcome.resumeFrom(Outcome.java:73)



{{}}


 

• environment: Jenkins ver. 2.157

Start by inspecting LockableResourcesManager.java at lines 323 and 367, then follow the cleanup callback at LockStepExecution.java:125. Reproduce the supplied pipeline lock scenario and determine what causes the null pointer; done means the exception no longer occurs and the lock is freed correctly.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.