redis-py v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible

The Fix

pip install redis==7.1.0

Based on closed redis/redis-py issue #2223 · PR/commit linked

Production note: Most teams hit this during upgrades or environment changes. Roll out with a canary and smoke critical endpoints (health, OpenAPI/docs) before 100%.

Jump to Verify Open PR/Commit

@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ def __exit__(
     def acquire(
         self,
-        *,
         sleep: Optional[Number] = None,
         blocking: Optional[bool] = None,

repro.py

lock = redis.lock(
    "_lock{0}".format(key),
    timeout=self.lock_timeout,
    sleep=self.lock_sleep,
    thread_local=self.thread_local_lock,
)

lock.acquire(False)

verify

Re-run the minimal reproduction on your broken version, then apply the fix and re-run.

fix.md

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install redis==7.1.0\nWhen NOT to use: Do not apply this fix if your application relies on the new keyword-only argument behavior.\n\n

Why This Fix Works in Production

Trigger: v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock``
Mechanism: Restores backwards compatibility for the Lock.acquire() method in version 4.3.3.
Why the fix works: Restores backwards compatibility for the Lock.acquire() method in version 4.3.3. (first fixed release: 7.1.0).

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

Production symptom (often without a traceback): v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock``

Proof / Evidence

GitHub issue: #2223
Fix PR: https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2254
First fixed release: 7.1.0
Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
Last verified: 2026-02-09
Confidence: 0.85
Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
Own content ratio: 0.60

Discussion

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

Jump to Sources Open on GitHub

“Hey this is a continuation of #2209. The API change made in https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2210/files does not restore backwards compatibility. We are calling acquire like this: this is broken by fa0be7671de6be85f859cbb57a31531b2482”

Issue thread · issue description · source

Failure Signature (Search String)

v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock``
The API change made in https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2210/files does not restore backwards compatibility.

Copy-friendly signature

signature.txt

Failure Signature
-----------------
v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock``
The API change made in https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2210/files does not restore backwards compatibility.

Error Message

Signature-only (no traceback captured)

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock``
The API change made in https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2210/files does not restore backwards compatibility.

Minimal Reproduction

repro.py

lock = redis.lock(
    "_lock{0}".format(key),
    timeout=self.lock_timeout,
    sleep=self.lock_sleep,
    thread_local=self.thread_local_lock,
)

lock.acquire(False)

Fix Options (Details)

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

pip install redis==7.1.0

When NOT to use: Do not apply this fix if your application relies on the new keyword-only argument behavior.

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

Fix reference: https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/2254

First fixed release: 7.1.0

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

When NOT to Use This Fix

Do not apply this fix if your application relies on the new keyword-only argument behavior.

Verify Fix

verify

Re-run the minimal reproduction on your broken version, then apply the fix and re-run.

Did This Fix Work in Your Case?

Quick signal helps us prioritize which fixes to verify and improve.

Prevention

Make timeouts explicit and test them (unit + integration) to avoid silent behavior changes.
Instrument retries (attempt count + reason) and alert on spikes to catch dependency slowdowns.

Version Compatibility Table

Version	Status
7.1.0	Fixed

Related Issues

No related fixes found.

Cluster: redis-py:configuration-error redis-py hub redis-py best practices All hubs All clusters

Related clusters: Retry storm Data consistency Race condition

Sources

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

redis-py v4.3.3 continues to contain backwards incompatible change to ``redis.lock.Lock`` (Fix)