timed out while waiting for target LSN n/n to be written; current s…

Symptoms

A statement failed with SQLSTATE 57014 (query_canceled), reported at severity ERROR. This is a Operator Intervention condition: PostgreSQL emits the message timed out while waiting for target LSN n/n to be written; current standby_write LSN n/n.

• The client receives SQLSTATE 57014 (query canceled).
• The operation is rejected at ERROR level; the statement does not complete.

What the server log shows

ERROR:  timed out while waiting for target LSN n/n to be written; current standby_write LSN n/n

Why PostgreSQL raises this

Class 57 (Operator Intervention) is raised when an administrator action or server lifecycle event interrupts the session — shutdown, cancellation, or a forced termination.

As described in PostgreSQL’s Section 19.6 Error Handling and Appendix A (PostgreSQL Error Codes), SQLSTATE 57014 carries the condition name query_canceled in class Operator Intervention. (Paraphrased — see the linked reference for the exact wording.)

Common causes

• The administrator cancelled the query or terminated the backend.
• The server is shutting down or in recovery.
• A statement or idle-in-transaction timeout fired.

How to fix it

1. Retry once the server is available again.
2. Investigate why the backend was cancelled/terminated.
3. Tune the relevant timeout if cancellations are unintended.

Version applicability

This message text is present in PostgreSQL 19. It was introduced around PostgreSQL 19; earlier releases do not emit this exact text.

Related & next steps

• SQLSTATE 57014 — Query Canceled (full reference)
• PostgreSQL error code index

Reference: PostgreSQL Section 19.6 Error Handling.