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Postgres error: 'could not access status of transaction' when PostgREST runs LISTEN

Last edited: 9/9/2026

The error#

You'll see this in your database logs:

  • Error: could not access status of transaction
  • Detail: Could not open file "pg_xact/[ID]": No such file or directory
  • Application: PostgREST (shown as PostgREST 13.0.5 or similar)
  • Command: LISTEN

If you see the first error message without the pg_xact detail, or outside PostgREST, it may be a different issue.

What's happening#

This is an upstream Postgres bug but affects PostgREST. The notification queue gets stuck and tries to access old transaction IDs that no longer exist.

Fix#

Run this command in the SQL editor:

select pg_notification_queue_usage();

This clears the stuck queue. Your Data API will become responsive again, and the errors should stop.

If it happens again#

Run the command above again.

If you upgrade to PostgREST v14.8+, the logs will include a HINT that tells you to run SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage();. You can upgrade PostgREST and Postgres in Infrastructure Settings.