The Fix
pip install celery==5.5.0
Based on closed celery/celery issue #8282 · PR/commit linked
Production note: This usually shows up under retries/timeouts. Treat it as a side-effect risk until you can verify behavior with a canary + real traffic.
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ jobs:
Run tox for
"${{ matrix.python-version }}-smoke"
- timeout-minutes: 20
+ timeout-minutes: 30
run: >
this bug.
Follow the reproduction steps, confirm the failure, apply the fix, and repeat the same steps to verify the behavior changes.
Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install celery==5.5.0\nWhen NOT to use: This fix should not be used if backward compatibility with older shutdown mechanisms is required.\n\n
Why This Fix Works in Production
- Trigger: Ctrl-C Does not properly Kill the celery interactive process
- Mechanism: The Celery worker did not handle Ctrl-C signals properly, leading to unresponsive processes
- Why the fix works: Introduces a soft shutdown mechanism for the Celery worker, allowing for a more graceful shutdown process. (first fixed release: 5.5.0).
- If left unfixed, the same config can fail only in production (env differences), causing startup failures or partial feature outages.
Why This Breaks in Prod
- The Celery worker did not handle Ctrl-C signals properly, leading to unresponsive processes
- Production symptom (often without a traceback): Ctrl-C Does not properly Kill the celery interactive process
Proof / Evidence
- GitHub issue: #8282
- Fix PR: https://github.com/celery/celery/pull/9213
- First fixed release: 5.5.0
- Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
- Last verified: 2026-02-09
- Confidence: 0.95
- Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
- Own content ratio: 0.80
Discussion
High-signal excerpts from the issue thread (symptoms, repros, edge-cases).
“Hey @xiTiRuoLiWong :wave:, Thank you for opening an issue”
Failure Signature (Search String)
- Ctrl-C Does not properly Kill the celery interactive process
- - [ ] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues
Copy-friendly signature
Failure Signature
-----------------
Ctrl-C Does not properly Kill the celery interactive process
- [ ] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues
Error Message
Signature-only (no traceback captured)
Error Message
-------------
Ctrl-C Does not properly Kill the celery interactive process
- [ ] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues
Minimal Reproduction
- this bug.
What Broke
Users experienced unresponsive Celery workers that could not be terminated with Ctrl-C.
Why It Broke
The Celery worker did not handle Ctrl-C signals properly, leading to unresponsive processes
Fix Options (Details)
Option A — Upgrade to fixed release Safe default (recommended)
pip install celery==5.5.0
Use when you can deploy the upstream fix. It is usually lower-risk than long-lived workarounds.
Fix reference: https://github.com/celery/celery/pull/9213
First fixed release: 5.5.0
Last verified: 2026-02-09. Validate in your environment.
When NOT to Use This Fix
- This fix should not be used if backward compatibility with older shutdown mechanisms is required.
Verify Fix
Follow the reproduction steps, confirm the failure, apply the fix, and repeat the same steps to verify the behavior changes.
Did This Fix Work in Your Case?
Quick signal helps us prioritize which fixes to verify and improve.
Prevention
- Capture the exact failing error string in logs and tests so you can reproduce via a minimal script.
- Pin production dependencies and upgrade only with a reproducible test that hits the failing path.
Version Compatibility Table
| Version | Status |
|---|---|
| 5.5.0 | Fixed |
Related Issues
No related fixes found.
Sources
We don’t republish the full GitHub discussion text. Use the links above for context.