PostgreSQL throws 42P15 - invalid_schema_definition when a CREATE SCHEMA statement contains illegal object references or options.
PostgreSQL Error 42P15 – invalid_schema_definition – appears when a CREATE SCHEMA command includes an illegal object reference, option, or dependency. Remove cross-schema references, TEMP/UNLOGGED keywords, or reorder objects so tables are created after their dependencies to resolve the error.
PostgreSQL Error 42P15
Error 42P15 signals that PostgreSQL rejected a CREATE SCHEMA block because one or more statements inside it break the rules for defining a new schema.
The server validates every object created inside CREATE SCHEMA in a single transaction.
Any illegal reference makes the whole statement fail, so fixing the offending part clears the error.
The error fires when objects inside the CREATE SCHEMA clause reference other schemas, use disallowed keywords, or appear in the wrong order. PostgreSQL expects all internal references to point to objects created in the same statement or already existing in the current database.
Dependencies are also checked.
Creating a table that inherits from another table listed later in the same block raises 42P15 because the parent does not yet exist.
Identify the first statement that violates schema-creation rules. Simplify the CREATE SCHEMA call by moving complex objects outside, removing cross-schema qualifications, and ordering objects so dependencies resolve top-down.
Run the corrected CREATE SCHEMA statement.
PostgreSQL will accept the definition once every internal object is valid and self-contained.
Scenario: A table uses UNLOGGED inside CREATE SCHEMA. Solution: Create the table after the schema exists, or drop UNLOGGED.
Scenario: A table inherits FROM public.parent inside CREATE SCHEMA. Solution: Move the table definition outside the CREATE SCHEMA or reference the parent without a schema qualifier.
Create only simple tables and views inside CREATE SCHEMA.
Add advanced features such as constraints, indexes, and inheritance in separate ALTER statements.
Test multi-object scripts in a staging database or via Galaxys sandbox run feature to catch invalid definitions before deployment.
Error 42P06 (duplicate_schema) occurs when a schema name already exists. Drop or rename the existing schema before running CREATE SCHEMA.
Error 42P07 (duplicate_table) appears when tables inside CREATE SCHEMA duplicate existing names. Use IF NOT EXISTS or rename tables.
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IF NOT EXISTS prevents duplicate_schema errors but does not bypass invalid object definitions. Fix offending statements first.
Error code remains 42P15 across versions 9.6 to 16. Newer versions enforce stricter checks, so always test scripts.
Galaxy highlights cross-schema references in real time and lets you run CREATE SCHEMA in an isolated sandbox, catching 42P15 before production deployment.
No. PostgreSQL validates the entire CREATE SCHEMA atomically. Create dependent objects after the initial schema when ordering is complicated.
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