redis-py TypeError when running ssl example from

The Fix

pip install redis==7.1.0

Based on closed redis/redis-py issue #3217 · 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%.

Open PR/Commit

@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ DESTDIR=`dirname "$0"`/keys
 cd ${DESTDIR}
 
-SSL_SUBJECT="/C=CA/ST=Winnipeg/L=Manitoba/O=Some Corp/OU=IT Department/CN=example.com"
 which openssl &>/dev/null
 if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then

fix.md

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install redis==7.1.0\nWhen NOT to use: Do not use this fix if the SSL connection requires specific certificate requirements.\n\n

Why This Fix Works in Production

Trigger: IndexError: pop from empty list
Mechanism: The SSL connection example in the documentation used an incorrect keyword argument 'ssl_cert_reqs'
Why the fix works: Fixes the CNs in the test certificates and updates the documentation for SSL connections in redis-py. (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

Shows up under Python 3.5.1 in real deployments (not just unit tests).
The SSL connection example in the documentation used an incorrect keyword argument 'ssl_cert_reqs'
Surfaces as: IndexError: pop from empty list

Proof / Evidence

GitHub issue: #3217
Fix PR: https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/3226
First fixed release: 7.1.0
Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
Last verified: 2026-02-08
Confidence: 0.85
Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
Own content ratio: 0.77

Discussion

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

Jump to Sources Open on GitHub

“@boris-garvis Thanks for reporting this. Not only the documentation was off, also the test certificates had some issues.”

@gerzse · 2024-05-09 · source

Failure Signature (Search String)

IndexError: pop from empty list

Error Message

Stack trace

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
IndexError: pop from empty list

Stack trace

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
TypeError: __init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'ssl_cert_reqs'

Environment

Python: 3.5.1

What Broke

Users experienced TypeError when attempting to establish SSL connections using the provided example.

Why It Broke

The SSL connection example in the documentation used an incorrect keyword argument 'ssl_cert_reqs'

Fix Options (Details)

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

pip install redis==7.1.0

When NOT to use: Do not use this fix if the SSL connection requires specific certificate requirements.

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/3226

First fixed release: 7.1.0

Last verified: 2026-02-08. Validate in your environment.

When NOT to Use This Fix

Do not use this fix if the SSL connection requires specific certificate requirements.

Did This Fix Work in Your Case?

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

Prevention

Add a TLS smoke test that performs a real handshake in CI (include CA bundle validation and hostname checks).
Alert on handshake failures by error string and endpoint to catch cert/CA changes quickly.

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 TypeError when running ssl example from documentation (Fix)