redis-py Seeking guidance for `hiredis` dependency on

The Fix

pip install redis==7.1.0

Based on closed redis/redis-py issue #3392 · 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

@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@
 # HIDE_END
 res7 = r.sinter("bikes:racing:france", "bikes:racing:usa")
-print(res7)  # >>> {'bike:1'}
+print(res7)  # >>> ['bike:1']
 # STEP_END

repro.py

try:
    import hiredis  # noqa

    # Only support Hiredis >= 3.0:
    HIREDIS_AVAILABLE = int(hiredis.__version__.split(".")[0]) >= 3
    HIREDIS_PACK_AVAILABLE = hasattr(hiredis, "pack_command")
except ImportError:
    HIREDIS_AVAILABLE = False
    HIREDIS_PACK_AVAILABLE = 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 use this fix if hiredis is not installed, as it may lead to unexpected behavior.\n\n

Why This Fix Works in Production

Trigger: Since `redis-py` updates automatically as it is implicit, it can lead to a version mismatch where `redis-py` is updated, but `hiredis` remains locked to an…
Mechanism: The redis-py library incorrectly checks for hiredis availability, leading to errors with lower versions
Why the fix works: Upgrades the required hiredis-py version to be at least 3.0.0 to avoid segmentation faults when parsing RESP3 sets. (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

The redis-py library incorrectly checks for hiredis availability, leading to errors with lower versions
Production symptom (often without a traceback): Since `redis-py` updates automatically as it is implicit, it can lead to a version mismatch where `redis-py` is updated, but `hiredis` remains locked to an older version, causing an unsynchronized state.

Proof / Evidence

GitHub issue: #3392
Fix PR: https://github.com/redis/redis-py/pull/3324
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: 0.62

Discussion

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

Jump to Sources Open on GitHub

“Hi, this bug could be reproduced with redis-py 5.1.0 and hiredis-py 2.4.0”

@dmaier-redislabs · 2024-10-02 · confirmation · source

“With version 5.1.0 I started to face the error message: NameError: name 'hiredis' is not defined The error was introduced by the code inside redis/utils.py…”

@helissonomc · 2024-09-30 · source

“I noticed that in the recent redis-py update (5.1.0), the author forgot to mention the hiredis dependency, although it is mentioned here: Including such a…”

@ramchandra-st · 2024-09-29 · source

“So I request to add this information on release notes of 5.1.0 :)”

@ramchandra-st · 2024-09-29 · source

Failure Signature (Search String)

Since `redis-py` updates automatically as it is implicit, it can lead to a version mismatch where `redis-py` is updated, but `hiredis` remains locked to an older version, causing
Including such a change in the release log would be quite helpful for other developers.

Copy-friendly signature

signature.txt

Failure Signature
-----------------
Since `redis-py` updates automatically as it is implicit, it can lead to a version mismatch where `redis-py` is updated, but `hiredis` remains locked to an older version, causing an unsynchronized state.
Including such a change in the release log would be quite helpful for other developers.

Error Message

Signature-only (no traceback captured)

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
Since `redis-py` updates automatically as it is implicit, it can lead to a version mismatch where `redis-py` is updated, but `hiredis` remains locked to an older version, causing an unsynchronized state.
Including such a change in the release log would be quite helpful for other developers.

Minimal Reproduction

repro.py

try:
    import hiredis  # noqa

    # Only support Hiredis >= 3.0:
    HIREDIS_AVAILABLE = int(hiredis.__version__.split(".")[0]) >= 3
    HIREDIS_PACK_AVAILABLE = hasattr(hiredis, "pack_command")
except ImportError:
    HIREDIS_AVAILABLE = False
    HIREDIS_PACK_AVAILABLE = False

Why It Broke

The redis-py library incorrectly checks for hiredis availability, leading to errors with lower versions

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 hiredis is not installed, as it may lead to unexpected 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/3324

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 hiredis is not installed, as it may lead to unexpected 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

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
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 Seeking guidance for `hiredis` dependency on `redis-py` (Fix)