How to fix KubeletHasDiskPressure, pods evicted, node under disk pressure in Kubernetes

KubernetesINTERMEDIATEHIGHUpdated Dec 6, 2025· 130 views

Nodes run out of disk space, triggering eviction of pods. Fix by cleaning up disk space, configuring proper storage limits, and monitoring disk usage.

Quick fix

Fixes DISK_PRESSURE

kubectl describe node <node-name> | grep Disk
df -h /var/lib/kubelet
  1. Check disk usage
  2. Clean up old containers and images
  3. Clean up log files
  4. Set ephemeral storage limits
kubernetes — error
kubectl describe node <node-name> | grep Disk
df -h /var/lib/kubelet
KubeletHasDiskPressure, pods evicted, node under disk pressure

What this error means

When a node runs low on disk space, the kubelet marks the node with DiskPressure condition and starts evicting pods to reclaim space. Critical pods are evicted last, but best-effort pods go first.

Typical symptoms

  • Node shows DiskPressure condition
  • Pods suddenly evicted without user request
  • kubectl get nodes shows disk pressure warnings
  • Application pods killed unexpectedly

Common causes

  1. Container logs filling disk
  2. Old images and containers not cleaned up
  3. Large temporary files accumulating
  4. Ephemeral storage limits too low

How to fix "KubeletHasDiskPressure, pods evicted, node under disk pressure"

1Check disk usage
bash
kubectl describe node <node-name> | grep Disk
df -h /var/lib/kubelet
2Clean up old containers and images
bash
sudo docker system prune -a
sudo crictl rmi --prune
3Clean up log files
bash
sudo find /var/log -type f -name "*.log" -exec truncate {} \;
4Set ephemeral storage limits
yaml
resources:
  limits:
    ephemeral-storage: "1Gi"
5Monitor disk usage

Configure alerts for disk pressure.

Advanced notes

Use kubelet flags like --image-gc-high-threshold and --image-gc-low-threshold.

Frequently asked questions

What does "DISK_PRESSURE" mean?
When a node runs low on disk space, the kubelet marks the node with DiskPressure condition and starts evicting pods to reclaim space. Critical pods are evicted last, but best-effort pods go first.
How do I fix "DISK_PRESSURE"?
Nodes run out of disk space, triggering eviction of pods. Fix by cleaning up disk space, configuring proper storage limits, and monitoring disk usage.
What causes "DISK_PRESSURE"?
Container logs filling disk Old images and containers not cleaned up Large temporary files accumulating
Is the "DISK_PRESSURE" error serious?
Yes. This is a high-severity error that usually blocks work until it is fixed, but the steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading