workflow/docs/errors/corrupted-event-log.mdx

Workflow SDK - Build durable, resilient, and observable workflows

---
title: corrupted-event-log
description: The workflow's event log contains an event that no consumer can process, indicating corruption or invalid state.
type: troubleshooting
summary: Resolve corrupted event log errors caused by duplicate or orphaned events.
prerequisites:
  - /docs/foundations/workflows-and-steps
related:
  - /docs/foundations/errors-and-retries
---

This error occurs when the Workflow runtime repeatedly cannot replay events in the event log. This usually means the event log is in an invalid state, such as duplicate or orphaned events, or that a runtime determinism bug persists across retry attempts.

This is a **workflow-level fatal error**. It cannot be caught or handled inside your workflow code. The runtime first retries transient replay divergence automatically; it marks the run as failed with this error only after replay still cannot recover.

## Error Message

```
Workflow replay diverged <n> times after automatic recovery replays; latest divergent event was <eventId>. Last divergence: <details>
```

## Why This Happens

Workflows persist their progress as an ordered event log. During replay, the runtime processes each event in sequence — every event must be consumed by a matching callback (e.g., a step or sleep waiting for its result). When an event has no matching consumer, the runtime cannot advance past it, which would block all subsequent events and hang the workflow indefinitely.

Instead of silently hanging, the runtime retries a divergent replay before failing the workflow and surfacing this terminal error.

Common scenarios that produce this error:

1. **Duplicate completion events** — Two `wait_completed` events for a single `wait_created`, or two `step_completed` events for the same step. The first is consumed normally, but the second has no consumer.
2. **Orphaned events** — A `step_completed` or `wait_completed` event whose `correlationId` doesn't match any step or sleep in the workflow code.
3. **Events after terminal state** — An event that arrives after its corresponding step or wait has already reached a terminal state (e.g., `step_retrying` after `step_completed`).

## What To Do

This error indicates a bug in the Workflow SDK or Workflow server — not in your workflow code. Your workflow code does not need to change. Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

### 1. Upgrade to the latest `workflow` package

The bug that caused the corrupted event log may have already been identified and fixed in a newer version. Update to the latest version:

```bash
npm install workflow@latest
```

### 2. Retry the failed run

If this error is displayed, automatic replay recovery has already been exhausted and the run has been marked as `failed`. You can re-run it using the **Re-run** button in the Workflow Dashboard.

### 3. Report the issue

If the error persists after upgrading, please [open an issue on GitHub](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/issues/new) so we can investigate and fix the underlying bug. Include the following details to help us diagnose the problem:

- The version of the `workflow` package you are using
- The run ID(s) of the affected workflow run(s)
- The error message (including `eventType`, `correlationId`, and `eventId`)
- Any details about the event log or the workflow that triggered the error

## This Error Cannot Be Caught

Unlike other workflow errors, a corrupted event log error is **not catchable** inside your workflow function. Because the event log itself is invalid, the runtime cannot safely continue executing any user code. The entire run fails immediately and is marked as `failed`.

To handle this programmatically from outside the workflow, you can check the run status:

```typescript lineNumbers
import { getRun } from "workflow/api";

const run = getRun("wrun_abc123");
const status = await run.status;
if (status === "failed") {
  console.error("Run failed");
}
```