exited with code 137
This error matches known, documented patterns with reliable solutions.
Quick Fix (Most Common Solution)
- Increase memory limit with -m flag
- Optimize application memory usage
Seeing "exited with code 137"? This error can be frustrating, but it's usually fixable. It typically affects your development workflow or system. Below you'll find clear, step-by-step solutions to resolve this issue.
What This Error Means
The container exceeded its memory limit and was killed.
Frequently documented in developer and vendor support forums.
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Common Causes
- Memory limit too low
- Memory leak in app
- Resource-intensive task
How to Fix
- Increase memory limit with -m flag
- Optimize application memory usage
- Check for memory leaks
Last reviewed: March 2026 How we review solutions
Optional follow-up
Some users ask whether saving fixes for recurring errors would be useful when the same issue appears again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is 137?
128 + 9 (SIGKILL), meaning forcefully killed.
Default memory limit?
No limit unless you set one.
Also Known As
- Docker container error
- Docker build failure
- Container runtime error
- Docker daemon error
Common Search Variations
- "docker container won't start"
- "docker build error fix"
- "docker image not found"
- "container exited with error"
- "docker daemon not responding"
- "fix docker network error"
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