nginx: directive is not terminated by ";" Nginx / Apache Origin: Edge & web server OSI layer 7 · Application Last updated 5 Nov 2026

Nginx: nginx: [emerg] directive "proxy_pass" is not terminated by ";" in /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/app:15

A directive's arguments run into the next line because the ; is missing (or a quote is unbalanced).

Exact message you may see nginx: [emerg] directive "proxy_pass" is not terminated by ";"[emerg] directive is not terminated by ";" in /etc/nginx[emerg] invalid number of arguments in "server_name" directive[emerg] unknown directive in /etc/nginx[emerg] invalid parameter "x" in /etc/nginx
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Seen on: Nginx Linux

Meaning

The error names the directive and line. Check for the missing semicolon at the end of that directive, an unclosed quote inside the value, or a stray {/}. Also "invalid number of arguments in X directive" means wrong argument count.

Common causes

  • Missing ; at the end of the line
  • Unclosed quote in a value
  • Special characters not quoted ($, ;)
  • Wrong number of arguments
  • Line break inside a value

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Add ; to the named directive
  2. Quote values with spaces/special characters
  3. Run nginx -t after each change

Detailed fix by platform

Linux

  1. sudo nginx -t prints the exact line

How to diagnose

  1. Directive — Named in message?
  2. Quote — Balanced?
  3. Args — Right count?

🔧 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: Edge & web server. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

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