How to fix fatal: Operation cancelled in Git

GitINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

The 'Operation cancelled' error in Git typically occurs when GPG signing fails due to terminal issues, when the credential helper times out, or when a network operation is interrupted. The fix depends on whether the error stems from GPG configuration, authentication, or connectivity problems.

What this error means

This error indicates that Git was unable to complete an operation because it was cancelled before finishing. The cancellation can happen for several different reasons: 1. **GPG Signing Failed**: When Git is configured to sign commits with GPG and the signing process cannot complete—typically because GPG cannot access the terminal to prompt for your passphrase. 2. **Credential Helper Timeout**: On Windows, the Git Credential Manager may time out while waiting for authentication, especially when there are configuration conflicts between system and global credential helper settings. 3. **Network Operation Interrupted**: A push, pull, fetch, or clone operation may be cancelled due to network instability, proxy issues, or the remote server being unavailable. 4. **User Cancellation**: The user manually cancelled the operation (Ctrl+C) or dismissed an authentication/passphrase prompt. The full error message often provides more context. For example, `gpg: signing failed: Operation cancelled` indicates a GPG problem, while `fatal: TaskCanceledException encountered` (on Windows) points to credential helper issues.

How to fix "fatal: Operation cancelled"

1Set GPG_TTY environment variable

If the error mentions GPG signing, the most common fix is setting the GPG_TTY variable so GPG can access your terminal:

Add to your shell configuration:

bash

# Add to ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.profile
export GPG_TTY=$(tty)

Apply immediately:

bash

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

For tmux users, ensure this is in a file that's sourced for non-login shells (like ~/.bashrc for Bash, not just ~/.bash_profile).

Verify it's set:

bash

echo $GPG_TTY
# Should output something like /dev/pts/0

2Restart the GPG agent

If GPG signing suddenly stopped working, restart the GPG agent:

bash

# Kill the running GPG agent
gpgconf --kill gpg-agent

# The agent will restart automatically on next GPG operation

Test signing works:

bash

echo "test" | gpg --clearsign

# If this prompts for your passphrase and succeeds, GPG is working

If the test fails, the issue is with your GPG configuration, not Git.

3Configure pinentry for your environment

If GPG cannot show a passphrase prompt, configure the appropriate pinentry program:

For terminal-only environments (SSH, tmux):

bash

# Edit ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf
echo "pinentry-program /usr/bin/pinentry-tty" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf

# Restart the agent
gpgconf --kill gpg-agent

For macOS with GUI:

bash

# Install pinentry-mac
brew install pinentry-mac

# Configure GPG to use it
echo "pinentry-program $(which pinentry-mac)" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf

# Restart the agent
killall gpg-agent

For Linux with GUI:

bash

# Use the GTK or Qt pinentry
echo "pinentry-program /usr/bin/pinentry-gtk-2" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf
# or
echo "pinentry-program /usr/bin/pinentry-qt" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf

gpgconf --kill gpg-agent

4Check and renew expired GPG keys

Expired GPG keys will cause signing to fail:

Check your key status:

bash

# List your keys with expiration dates
gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format SHORT

# Look for [expired] or check the expiration date

Extend an expired key:

bash

# Edit the key (replace KEYID with your key ID)
gpg --edit-key KEYID

# At the gpg> prompt:
expire
# Enter new expiration (e.g., "1y" for 1 year)
# Save and quit
save

Verify Git is using the correct key:

bash

# Check configured signing key
git config --global user.signingkey

# Set if not configured
git config --global user.signingkey KEYID

5Fix Windows credential helper configuration

On Windows, credential helper conflicts can cause TaskCanceledException errors:

Check current configuration:

powershell

# View system-level config
git config --list --system | Select-String credential

# View global-level config
git config --list --global | Select-String credential

Fix by using consistent credential helper:

powershell

# Option 1: Use wincred (older, simpler)
git config --global credential.helper wincred

# Option 2: Remove conflicting system setting
git config --system --unset credential.helper

# Option 3: Use the newer Git Credential Manager
git config --global credential.helper manager-core

Clear cached credentials if needed:

powershell

# Open Credential Manager
control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager

# Find and remove entries starting with "git:"

6Check network connectivity and service status

If the error occurs during push, pull, or clone operations:

Test network connectivity:

bash

# Test connection to GitHub
ssh -T [email protected]

# Or for HTTPS
curl -I https://github.com

Check service status:
- GitHub: [githubstatus.com](https://www.githubstatus.com/)
- GitLab: [status.gitlab.com](https://status.gitlab.com/)
- Bitbucket: [bitbucket.status.atlassian.com](https://bitbucket.status.atlassian.com/)

If using a proxy:

bash

# Configure proxy settings
git config --global http.proxy http://proxy.example.com:8080
git config --global https.proxy https://proxy.example.com:8080

# Or unset if proxy is causing issues
git config --global --unset http.proxy
git config --global --unset https.proxy

7Temporarily disable GPG signing

If you need to commit urgently and can't fix GPG issues immediately:

Disable for a single commit:

bash

git commit --no-gpg-sign -m "Your commit message"

Disable globally (temporary workaround):

bash

git config --global commit.gpgsign false

# Re-enable later with:
git config --global commit.gpgsign true

Note: This is a workaround, not a fix. If your organization requires signed commits, you should resolve the underlying GPG issue.

How to fix fatal: Operation cancelled in Git

What this error means

Typical symptoms

Common causes

How to fix "fatal: Operation cancelled"

Advanced notes

Related errors

Official resources & further reading