The function you called returned a SQLSTATE that is not five characters long or not recognized, so PostgreSQL raised SQLSTATE 39001: invalid_sqlstate_returned.
PostgreSQL Error 39001 (invalid_sqlstate_returned) appears when a user-defined function or extension returns an illegal SQLSTATE. Validate that your function raises a standard five-character SQLSTATE or NULL to clear the error.
PostgreSQL Error 39001
PostgreSQL raises SQLSTATE 39001 when a user-defined function, trigger, or extension returns an invalid SQLSTATE value to the database engine. PostgreSQL expects either NULL or a five-character, uppercase alphanumeric code defined in the SQL standard.
The error stops the current transaction because PostgreSQL cannot map the malformed code to a documented condition.
Fixing it quickly is critical because the entire statement block is rolled back, which may block application workflows.
Most cases involve PL/pgSQL, PL/Perl, or C functions that use RAISE, elog, or SPI_returntuple with a hard-coded SQLSTATE that is misspelled or too short.
Third-party extensions compiled against an older server version can also emit obsolete SQLSTATE values.
Dynamic SQL that concatenates user input into a RAISE statement can unintentionally create non-standard SQLSTATE strings and trigger the error.
Locate the function, trigger, or extension that raised the exception. Verify every RETURN and RAISE statement, ensuring each SQLSTATE is exactly five characters and appears in the PostgreSQL documentation.
If you cannot find a matching code, replace it with an appropriate standard code such as 22023 for invalid parameter value.
Re-deploy the corrected function, reload the extension, and re-run your transaction. The error disappears once all invalid SQLSTATE literals are removed.
In PL/pgSQL, developers often abbreviate custom codes like 'INV01'. Change it to 'P0002' (no_data_found) or another defined state.
For C extensions, ensure errcode() macros reference valid constants like ERRCODE_FOREIGN_KEY_VIOLATION.
When using RAISE EXCEPTION format('%s', msg) USING ERRCODE = 'BAD', swap 'BAD' for a valid code or simply omit ERRCODE to default to P0001.
Hard-code only documented SQLSTATEs in functions. Add unit tests that execute all error paths and assert the absence of SQLSTATE 39001.
Enable log_error_verbosity = verbose to capture offending SQLSTATEs quickly in the server log.
If you develop in Galaxy, static analysis highlights non-standard SQLSTATE literals in your PL/pgSQL before deployment, preventing the runtime error altogether.
39004 null_value_not_allowed occurs when a function returns NULL where disallowed. 38003 statement_completion_unknown appears when a function aborts without a proper completion status. Both are fixed by validating return values in your code.
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No. The error only signals that a function returned an unrecognized SQLSTATE. Your data remains intact.
PostgreSQL does not allow disabling this check. The database must enforce valid SQLSTATEs to guarantee consistent error semantics.
The SQL standard reserves class P0001 (raise exception) for user-defined conditions. Use P0001 or pick an existing state that best matches the error.
Galaxy's linter flags non-standard SQLSTATE literals while you type, and collections let teams enforce code review to catch them before commit.
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