Fix 'Another git process seems to be running' in Git

Overview

The Git error “Another git process seems to be running in this repository” usually means a previous Git command didn’t exit cleanly and left a lock file (e.g., .git/index.lock). It can also occur when multiple tools (shells, IDEs, CI jobs) operate on the same repo concurrently.

This guide shows quick fixes, safe cleanup, steps for Windows/Linux/macOS, and prevention in DevOps workflows.

Quickstart (safe checklist)

• Close IDEs and terminals running Git in this repo.
• Check for running Git processes.
• If none, remove stale lock files (commonly .git/index.lock).
• If a merge/rebase is in progress, abort or continue properly.
• Verify repo health with git status and git fsck.

Minimal working example (local throwaway repo)

This demonstrates the error and fix safely:

# Create a demo repo
mkdir demo-git-lock && cd demo-git-lock
git init

# Simulate a stale lock (do NOT do this in real repos)
touch .git/index.lock

# Git will now complain
git status
# fatal: Unable to create '.../.git/index.lock': File exists.

# Fix: remove the stale lock
rm .git/index.lock

git status
# On branch master
# nothing to commit, working tree clean

Step-by-step resolution

1. Ensure only one tool is using the repo

• Close editors (VS Code, IntelliJ), GUI Git clients, terminals, background tasks.

1. Check for active Git processes

• Linux/macOS:

pgrep -af git || echo "no running git processes"
# Optional: see which process has the lock (if present)
lsof .git/index.lock 2>/dev/null || true

• Windows (PowerShell):

Get-Process git -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

If any Git process is actively working in this repo, wait for it to finish or stop it gracefully.

1. Abort any in-progress operation safely If the lock relates to an operation in progress, prefer an abort over deleting locks:

# Run whichever applies
git merge --abort 2>/dev/null || true
git rebase --abort 2>/dev/null || true
git am --abort 2>/dev/null || true
git cherry-pick --abort 2>/dev/null || true

1. Remove stale lock files (only if no Git process is running) Common lock files:

• .git/index.lock (most common)
• .git/config.lock
• .git/packed-refs.lock
• .git/HEAD.lock

Linux/macOS:

# List top-level locks
find .git -maxdepth 1 -name "*.lock" -print
# Remove known stale ones if present
rm -f .git/index.lock .git/config.lock .git/packed-refs.lock .git/HEAD.lock

Windows (PowerShell):

# Remove if they exist
$locks = @(".git/index.lock",".git/config.lock",".git/packed-refs.lock",".git/HEAD.lock")
$locks | ForEach-Object { if (Test-Path $_) { Remove-Item $_ -Force } }

1. Verify repository health

git status
git fsck --full
git log -1 --oneline 2>/dev/null || true

If fsck reports issues, consider restoring from a known-good clone/backup.

1. Resume your workflow

• Re-run the original Git command.
• If the error returns immediately, re-check for background tools or CI tasks acting on the same directory.

Special cases

• Editor opened by commit: If git commit launched an editor that’s still open, close it first. The editor can hold the lock.
• Rebase/merge conflicts: Use git status to see the state. Prefer --abort or --continue rather than deleting locks mid-operation.
• Disk full or network share: Locks can remain if disk space ran out or if the repo is on a flaky network filesystem. Free space or move the repo to a local disk.

CI/CD and DevOps guidance

• Avoid sharing a single working directory between concurrent jobs. Use separate clones or git worktree add per job.
• When caching repos between jobs, restore to per-job directories to prevent lock contention.
• For monorepos, prefer separate clones/worktrees for independent pipelines instead of multiple jobs operating in-place.
• If you must share a bare mirror for fetch speed, clone from it per job rather than running commands against it concurrently.

Prevention tips

• One repo, one active Git operation at a time per working directory.
• Don’t kill Git mid-operation; if it happens, run git status and git gc once stable.
• Keep Git up to date; newer versions improve robustness of locking and maintenance.
• Exclude the .git directory from aggressive antivirus/file indexers on Windows.
• Prefer local disk over network/NFS for working directories.
• Configure your IDE to reduce background Git scans or disable features that constantly refresh status.

Performance notes

• Use separate clones/worktrees to eliminate lock contention; this scales better than sharing one working directory across tools or jobs.
• In CI, fetching from a local mirror or cache per job is faster and safer than concurrent in-place operations.
• Periodic maintenance can keep operations quick and reduce long-running tasks that hold locks:

git maintenance start   # background maintenance (Git 2.30+)
git gc --aggressive     # run manually during off-hours (rarely needed)

• On large repos, minimize simultaneous expensive operations (gc, repack, large rebases) across the same directory.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Deleting lock files while a Git process is actually running can corrupt the repo.
• Using sudo/Administrator to force-delete locks may hide permission issues—fix the root cause.
• Deleting random files in .git beyond known lock files risks data loss.
• Repeated locks often indicate external interference (IDE, antivirus), disk issues, or concurrency in CI—address those, not just the symptom.

Tiny FAQ

• What is a Git lock file?

  • A temporary file (e.g., .git/index.lock) that prevents concurrent writes. It should be removed automatically when Git finishes.

• Is it safe to delete .git/index.lock?

  • Yes, only after you confirm no Git process is running and no operation (merge/rebase) is in progress.

• How do I see what holds the lock?

  • Linux/macOS: lsof .git/index.lock. Windows: check Task Manager or Get-Process git.

• Why does this happen after a crash or power loss?

  • Git couldn’t clean up the lock; remove the stale lock and verify with git fsck.

• How do I stop this in CI?

  • Avoid concurrent operations in the same working directory. Use per-job clones or worktrees and isolate caches.