CI "Connection reset by peer" (ECONNRESET)

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

The remote end closed the TCP connection mid-transfer (RST). In CI this is a transient network or upstream blip during a download, push, or API call, not a logic error.

What this error means

A network step fails with Connection reset by peer, ECONNRESET, or socket hang up. Re-running the unchanged job usually succeeds.

npm error code ECONNRESET
npm error network request to https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash failed, reason: read ECONNRESET

Common causes

The upstream dropped the connection

A load balancer or server reset an in-flight connection, often under load or during a brief restart.

Transient network instability

Packet loss or a brief path change can surface as a reset on the runner side.

How to fix it

Retry the interrupted transfer

Retries absorb a one-off reset.

npm config set fetch-retries 5
npm ci
# or for git
git config --global http.lowSpeedLimit 1000
git config --global http.lowSpeedTime 30

Reduce stress on the connection

1. Lower download concurrency to ease pressure on the upstream.
2. Use a mirror/cache to shorten the path.
3. Authenticate to avoid throttling-induced resets.

How to prevent it

• Configure retries for network operations.
• Cache dependencies to reduce remote hits.
• On managed runners, transient connection resets are detected and the job is automatically retried, so a one-off reset does not fail the build.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation