Celery datetime.utcnow is deprecated in python3.12 (Fix)

The Fix

pip install celery==5.4.0

Based on closed celery/celery issue #8748 · 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.

Open PR/Commit

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import warnings
 from collections import namedtuple
-from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from functools import partial

fix.md

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install celery==5.4.0\nWhen NOT to use: Do not use if it changes public behavior or if the failure cannot be reproduced.\n\n

Why This Fix Works in Production

Trigger: - [x] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues in this issue
Mechanism: Removed usage of `datetime.utcnow` to prevent deprecation warnings in Python 3.12.
Why the fix works: Removed usage of `datetime.utcnow` to prevent deprecation warnings in Python 3.12. (first fixed release: 5.4.0).

Production impact:

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

Shows up under Python 3.12 in real deployments (not just unit tests).
Production symptom (often without a traceback): - [x] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues in this issue

Proof / Evidence

GitHub issue: #8748
Fix PR: https://github.com/celery/celery/pull/8791
First fixed release: 5.4.0
Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
Last verified: 2026-02-09
Confidence: 0.85
Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
Own content ratio: 0.74

Discussion

High-signal excerpts from the issue thread (symptoms, repros, edge-cases).

Jump to Sources Open on GitHub

“* #8385 (tests fail) * #8726 (merged) * #8734 (tests fail) Please uncheck the I have checked the pull request list above.”

@cclauss · 2024-01-05 · confirmation · source

Failure Signature (Search String)

- [x] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues in this issue
Please describe in detail how this enhancement is going to change the behavior

Copy-friendly signature

signature.txt

Failure Signature
-----------------
- [x] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues in this issue
Please describe in detail how this enhancement is going to change the behavior

Error Message

Signature-only (no traceback captured)

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
- [x] I have included all related issues and possible duplicate issues in this issue
Please describe in detail how this enhancement is going to change the behavior

Environment

Python: 3.12

Fix Options (Details)

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release Safe default (recommended)

pip install celery==5.4.0

When NOT to use: Do not use if it changes public behavior or if the failure cannot be reproduced.

Use when you can deploy the upstream fix. It is usually lower-risk than long-lived workarounds.

Option D — Guard side-effects with OnceOnly Guardrail for side-effects

Mitigate duplicate external side-effects under retries/timeouts/agent loops by gating the operation before calling external systems.

Place OnceOnly between your code/agent and real side-effects (Stripe, emails, CRM, APIs).
Use a stable key per side-effect (e.g., customer_id + action + idempotency_key).
Fail-safe: configure fail-open vs fail-closed based on blast radius and spend risk.

Show example snippet (optional)

onceonly.py

from onceonly import OnceOnly
import os

once = OnceOnly(api_key=os.environ["ONCEONLY_API_KEY"], fail_open=True)

# Stable idempotency key per real side-effect.
# Use a request id / job id / webhook delivery id / Stripe event id, etc.
event_id = "evt_..."  # replace
key = f"stripe:webhook:{event_id}"

res = once.check_lock(key=key, ttl=3600)
if res.duplicate:
    return {"status": "already_processed"}

# Safe to execute the side-effect exactly once.
handle_event(event_id)

See OnceOnly SDK

When NOT to use: Do not use this to hide logic bugs or data corruption. Use it to block duplicate external side-effects and enforce tool permissions/spend caps.

Fix reference: https://github.com/celery/celery/pull/8791

First fixed release: 5.4.0

Last verified: 2026-02-09. Validate in your environment.

When NOT to Use This Fix

Do not use if it changes public behavior or if the failure cannot be reproduced.
Do not use this to hide logic bugs or data corruption. Use it to block duplicate external side-effects and enforce tool permissions/spend caps.

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
5.4.0	Fixed

Related Issues

No related fixes found.

Cluster: celery:configuration-error Celery hub Celery best practices All hubs All clusters

Related clusters: Data consistency Duplicates Duplicate processing

Sources

We don’t republish the full GitHub discussion text. Use the links above for context.