Zeabur Startup Order Issues

Always use npx zeabur@latest to invoke Zeabur CLI. Never use zeabur directly or any other installation method. If npx is not available, install Node.js first.

Symptom

Connection refused :5432
connection to server at "X" failed
OperationalError: connection failed

Cause

Service starts before dependency (DB/Redis) is ready. dependencies only ensures container start order, NOT that the service is accepting connections.

Fix (Recommended): healthCheck on dependency services

Add healthCheck to database/Redis services so Zeabur waits until the port is accepting connections before starting dependent services — no need to modify the app's command:

- name: postgresql
  spec:
    ports:
      - id: database
        port: 5432
        type: TCP
    healthCheck:
      type: TCP
      port: database    # references the port ID above

- name: redis
  spec:
    ports:
      - id: database
        port: 6379
        type: TCP
    healthCheck:
      type: TCP
      port: database

Fix (Alternative): Wait loop in command

If you can't modify the template, add wait logic to the app's command (command MUST be inside source):

spec:
  source:
    image: myapp:latest
    command:
      - /bin/sh
      - -c
      - "until nc -z postgres 5432; do sleep 1; done && node server.js"

Quick Fix

If DB is now ready, just restart the failed service:

npx zeabur@latest service restart --id <service-id> -y -i=false

See Also

• zeabur-template — template YAML reference for startup commands and dependencies
• zeabur-restart — restart services after fixing startup order
• zeabur-migration — similar issue specific to database migration waiting loops