Workflow run stuck "queued" for 6+ days: cancel says "completed", force-cancel fails, delete returns 403

[kelvinlaw]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Actions Runner

Discussion Details

A scheduled workflow run in a private repository has been stuck in "queued" since 2026-10-07 and none of the documented ways to clear it work.

Run ID: 37655502837
Event: schedule
Created: 2026-10-07T16:53:14Z

What the API reports vs. what happens:

• GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs/37655502837 → status "queued", no jobs started, updated_at unchanged since creation
• gh run cancel 37655502837 → "Cannot cancel a workflow run that is completed"
• POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs/37655502837/force-cancel → fails
• gh run delete 37655502837 → HTTP 403 "Could not delete the workflow run"

So GitHub reports the run as both "queued" (REST) and "completed" (cancel endpoint), and it cannot be deleted. Newer runs of the same workflow start and finish normally, so it is not blocking anything, but it shows in every queued-run listing and breaks queue-clearing scripts.

Similar reports: #205874, #204318, #196717.

Could a GitHub staff member set this run to a final state or delete it? I can share the repository name privately if needed.

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[kelvinlaw]

Two more runs in the same state, both created by POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs/{id}/rerun called with the workflow's GITHUB_TOKEN from another workflow. The rerun call returned 201 Created, attempt 2 never started, and the run now refuses cancel the same way:

• 38496216726 (rerun requested 2026-10-14T01:44:03Z)
• 38501087603 (rerun requested 2026-10-14T02:30:37Z)
  So a rerun requested with GITHUB_TOKEN seems to leave the run in this stuck state.

[LVD-LCA]

We are seeing the same failure mode on a private repository.
Our affected run:
LVD-LCA/ANAXO-PLATFORM
Run ID:
34749579734
Run URL:
https://github.com/LVD-LCA/ANAXO-PLATFORM/actions/runs/34749579734
Created:
2026-09-13T09:29:03Z
The run is still reported as queued, but:

• it has 0 jobs
• 0 pending deployments
• 0 approvals
• normal UI cancel returns Failed to cancel workflow
• REST force-cancel returns HTTP 409:
  Cannot cancel a workflow run that has not been queued yet.
• REST delete returns HTTP 403:
  Could not delete the workflow run
  The workflow file has since been removed from current main, but the orphaned run remains non-terminal.
  In our case this is blocking a Production release safety gate because the stale workflow contains Production deployment retry logic for an obsolete SHA.
  This appears to be the same inconsistent Actions state described here. If a GitHub staff member can force-terminal or remove affected runs, our run ID is 34749579734.

[buldymenko-eng]

We are experiencing the same GitHub Actions issue with seven orphaned workflow runs in a private repository.

Affected run IDs:
37655542955, 37655541897, 37655529868, 36713848385, 36713839305, 36713839293, 36713839577.

All seven runs remain queued with zero jobs.

• Cancellation returns HTTP 409: Cannot cancel a workflow run that has not been queued yet.
• Deletion returns HTTP 403: Could not delete the workflow run.
• GitHub API Request ID: 0401:6F35D:A0447C8:E9130E4:6ADA4FB3

Newer CI workflows execute normally. These appear to be orphaned GitHub Actions backend records.

Could GitHub staff investigate and transition these seven runs to a terminal state or remove them without affecting active CI workflows?

We can provide private repository details through an official private channel if required.

Thank you.

[chaonpu]

I'm experiencing the same issue in my public repository.

• Repository: chaonpu/ziwuxilv
• Run ID: 37642338428
• Run URL: https://github.com/chaonpu/ziwuxilv/actions/runs/37642338428
• Check suite ID: 101972821982
• Created: 2026-10-07T15:06:54Z
• Status: queued, conclusion: null
• Jobs: 0
• Force cancellation: "Cannot cancel a workflow run that is completed"
• Deletion: HTTP 403, "Could not delete the workflow run"
• The last updated timestamp has not changed since creation.

Newer workflow runs have completed successfully.

The GitHub Support portal does not offer an Actions technical support category for my account.

Could GitHub staff please investigate and safely clear or reconcile this orphaned workflow run and its check suite?

Please preserve the repository, other workflow runs, and release artifacts.

Thank you.

[jarube]

Adding another case from a private repository on a personal GitHub account. This looks like the same inconsistent Actions run state.

• Run ID: 36713927650 (pull_request, attempt 1, created 2026-09-30 12:19:07 UTC).
• The run GET, attempt GET, check-suite GET and run listing all continue to report queued / conclusion: null with unchanged timestamps. Zero jobs, check-runs, artifacts and pending deployments.
• Normal cancellation via gh run cancel said "Cannot cancel a workflow run that is completed". The GitHub web UI says "Failed to cancel workflow".
• Exactly one REST force-cancel request on 2026-10-28 returned HTTP 409: "Cannot cancel a workflow run that has not been queued yet." GitHub request ID: 9FE8:4487A:2BCBDC7:3F423B4:6AE224C1.
• The associated PR is merged; newer workflow runs complete normally.
• Support ticket #4920367 was automatically closed because technical support is not included on this account, without an investigation of the backend state.

We have retained the original responses and have not retried cancellation or modified the run. Could GitHub Actions staff reconcile this run/check suite to a consistent terminal status or advise a supported safe remedy? We can share private repository details and further evidence through an appropriate private channel.