SQLSTATE 40003 means PostgreSQL cannot confirm whether the last statement finished, usually after a connection or server failure.
PostgreSQL Error 40003 – statement_completion_unknown – signals that the server cannot tell if your last statement committed. The safest fix is to ROLLBACK the open transaction, reconnect, and rerun idempotent statements.
PostgreSQL Error 40003
SQLSTATE 40003 indicates that PostgreSQL lost certainty about whether the most recent SQL statement succeeded. The server returns this code instead of OK when the backend or network fails mid-transaction.
The error appears after backend crashes, timeout-driven disconnects, network splits, or when the client terminates before acknowledging the server reply. PostgreSQL flags the whole transaction as indeterminate.
Immediately issue ROLLBACK to close the ambiguous transaction. Reconnect if the session dropped.
Re-execute only idempotent statements or employ application-level retry logic to avoid duplicates.
Bulk inserts over shaky VPN links often trigger 40003. Enable synchronous_commit = off to reduce waits, or batch smaller chunks. Cloud failover events also surface the error; implement exponential-backoff retries in the driver.
Use connection pooling, keep TCP keepalives on, and wrap critical work in application retries with explicit SAVEPOINTs.
Monitor server logs for FATAL signals that correspond to 40003 events.
Errors 40001 (serialization_failure) and 57P01 (admin_shutdown) also roll back work. Handle them with the same retry strategy but note that 40001 guarantees rollback, while 40003 is uncertain.
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No. It only means PostgreSQL is unsure if the last statement ran. Rolling back prevents corruption.
No. Issue ROLLBACK first, then start a new transaction because the current one is untrustworthy.
Many drivers translate it into a retryable exception. Check your driver docs and enable automatic retries if offered.
Galaxy keeps query history and versioning, letting you quickly rerun vetted, idempotent SQL after a rollback without hunting through chat logs.
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