Task Runner starts despite N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=false

[alan3011]

Bug Description

Version: 2.6.3 (also reproduced on 2.4.6, 2.4.8)
Environment: Docker (docker-compose)

Problem:
Task runner process starts and creates zombie processes even when disabled via environment variables.

Environment variables set:

• N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=false
• N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=off

But task runner still runs:
node --disallow-code-generation-from-strings ... @n8n/task-runner/dist/start.js

This creates ~30 zombie processes per hour, requiring periodic restarts.

Expected behavior:
Task runner should not start when N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=false

To Reproduce

1. Set environment variables in docker-compose.yml:
   • N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=false
   • N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=off
2. Start n8n container: docker-compose up -d
3. Wait 1-2 minutes
4. Check running processes: ps aux | grep task-runner
5. Task runner is running despite being disabled
6. Zombie processes accumulate (~30 per hour)

Expected behavior

Task runner should not start when N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=false is set.
No zombie processes should be created.

Debug Info

2.6.3

Operating System

Ubuntu 22.04.5

n8n Version

2.6.3

Node.js Version

v22.22.0

Database

SQLite (default)

Execution mode

main (default)

Hosting

self hosted

[n8n-assistant]

Hey @alan3011,

Thank you for reaching out! We’ve received your issue and are looking into it. To help us track this internally, we’ve created a Linear ticket with the reference: "GHC-6639".

We’ll keep you updated as we make progress, but if you have any additional details or context to share, feel free to add them here - it’s always helpful!

Thanks for your patience and for bringing this to our attention.

---

For INTERNAL use only: GHC-6639

[MookieLian]

@alan3011 Thanks for bringing this up! After reviewing the details, it seems like the behaviour you've reported is actually expected and not a bug. We can understand how this might seem confusing, so we've added a note to clarify things.

If you have any questions or need more details, feel free to reach out again, we're here to help!

Note that the environment variable N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED is no longer supported and is deprecated. However, the N8N_RUNNERS_MODE variable can only have two values: internal and external. Refer to the documentation on task runner environment variables for more information.

#closed:working-as-expected