Error: Unhandled 'error' event (events.js / node:events)
An EventEmitter (stream, socket, child process, server) emitted 'error' and nothing listened for it, so Node crashed.
Exact message you may see
Unhandled 'error' eventEmitted 'error' event on
Seen on:
Node.js
Meaning
EventEmitters throw if an 'error' event has no listener. The underlying cause is printed below (ECONNRESET, ENOENT, EADDRINUSE…).
Common causes
- No error handler on a stream/socket/child process
- Server ‘error’ (port in use) not handled
- Library emitting errors on idle connections (Redis, DB clients)
⚡ Quick fix
- Attach .on('error', handler) to emitters
- Read the nested cause in the stack trace
- Configure reconnect logic for clients
Detailed fix by platform
Node.js
child.on('error', err => console.error('spawn failed', err));
How to diagnose
- Emitter — Which object emitted?
- Cause — What error is nested?
🔧 Still not fixed?
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Last updated 10 Oct 2026