LFS smudge error Git Origin: Build & delivery Last updated 13 Oct 2026

Error downloading object: x: Smudge error / This repository is over its data quota

Git LFS couldn’t download a large file — missing LFS install, auth problems, or the LFS bandwidth/storage quota is exhausted.

Exact message you may see Smudge errorThis repository is over its data quotaError downloading object
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Seen on: Git

Meaning

LFS pointers are replaced by real files on checkout (“smudge”). Without git-lfs or with quota exceeded, checkout fails.

Common causes

  • git-lfs not installed
  • LFS bandwidth/storage quota exceeded
  • Auth failure to the LFS endpoint

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Install LFS: git lfs install
  2. Skip downloads temporarily: GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE=1 git clone …
  3. Buy more LFS data or reduce usage

Detailed fix by platform

Git

  1. GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE=1 git clone git@github.com:owner/repo.git

How to diagnose

  1. LFS — git lfs env works?
  2. Quota — Over limit?

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Build & delivery. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

Authentication failed — fatal: Authentication failed for 'https://github.com/x/y.git/' (Git)Authentication failedbranch exists — fatal: a branch named 'x' already exists (Git)branch existscannot lock ref — error: cannot lock ref 'refs/remotes/origin/x': is at … but expected … / unable to update local ref (Git)cannot lock refcannot rebase — error: cannot pull with rebase: You have unstaged changes. Please commit or stash them. (Git)cannot rebaseGH001 large files — remote: error: GH001: Large files detected. File x is 120 MB; this exceeds GitHub's file size limit of 100.00 MB (Git)GH001 large filesmerge commit revert — error: commit x is a merge but no -m option was given. (Git)merge commit revertunknown revision HEAD — fatal: ambiguous argument 'HEAD': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. (Git)unknown revision HEADLFS smudg…

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