The Fix
pip install stripe==14.4.0a2
Based on closed stripe/stripe-python issue #703 · 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%.
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
max_network_retries = 0
ca_bundle_path = os.path.join(
- os.path.dirname(__file__), "data/ca-certificates.crt"
+ os.path.dirname(__file__), "data", "ca-certificates.crt"
)
Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install stripe==14.4.0a2\nWhen NOT to use: This fix should not be applied if the code is intended to run exclusively on non-Windows systems.\n\n
Why This Fix Works in Production
- Trigger: Certificate path broken in Windows
- Mechanism: The code uses forward slashes for path separators, causing invalid path errors on Windows
- Why the fix works: Fixes the CA bundle path issue on Windows by using an OS-agnostic path assembly. (first fixed release: 14.4.0a2).
- 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 code uses forward slashes for path separators, causing invalid path errors on Windows
- Production symptom (often without a traceback): Certificate path broken in Windows
Proof / Evidence
- GitHub issue: #703
- Fix PR: https://github.com/stripe/stripe-python/pull/704
- First fixed release: 14.4.0a2
- Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
- Last verified: 2026-02-09
- Confidence: 0.85
- Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
- Own content ratio: 0.70
Discussion
High-signal excerpts from the issue thread (symptoms, repros, edge-cases).
“This line assembles the path to the certificates bundle included with the library: However, Windows uses backslashes (\) for path separators, not forward slashes (as hard-coded above) which results in this code triggering an invalid path er”
Failure Signature (Search String)
- Certificate path broken in Windows
- However, Windows uses backslashes (`\`) for path separators, not forward slashes (as hard-coded above) which results in this code triggering an invalid path error.
Copy-friendly signature
Failure Signature
-----------------
Certificate path broken in Windows
However, Windows uses backslashes (`\`) for path separators, not forward slashes (as hard-coded above) which results in this code triggering an invalid path error.
Error Message
Signature-only (no traceback captured)
Error Message
-------------
Certificate path broken in Windows
However, Windows uses backslashes (`\`) for path separators, not forward slashes (as hard-coded above) which results in this code triggering an invalid path error.
What Broke
Users on Windows experience invalid path errors when accessing the CA bundle.
Why It Broke
The code uses forward slashes for path separators, causing invalid path errors on Windows
Fix Options (Details)
Option A — Upgrade to fixed release Safe default (recommended)
pip install stripe==14.4.0a2
Use when you can deploy the upstream fix. It is usually lower-risk than long-lived workarounds.
Fix reference: https://github.com/stripe/stripe-python/pull/704
First fixed release: 14.4.0a2
Last verified: 2026-02-09. Validate in your environment.
When NOT to Use This Fix
- This fix should not be applied if the code is intended to run exclusively on non-Windows systems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 14.4.0a2 | Fixed |
Related Issues
No related fixes found.
Sources
We don’t republish the full GitHub discussion text. Use the links above for context.