Docker Compose service dependency is undefined

Error recorded 1 times in PanelAlpha Engine deploys on Dockerfile. The deploy log below is the recorded failure output.

Seen1 times
WhereDockerfile

Why it happens

The Dockerfile deployment reached the Compose startup step, but the app service depends on traefik, which is not defined in the Compose project Engine started. The missing ACME_EMAIL variable is a warning, but the undefined service makes the Compose file invalid. This may result from Compose profiles, service filtering, or a mismatch between depends_on and the declared service name.

What the log looks like

Deploy log
Starting application (docker compose up -d)time="2026-09-10T23:17:30Z" level=warning msg="The \"ACME_EMAIL\" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string."service "app" depends on undefined service "traefik": invalid compose projectDeploy failed: Failed to start app

Try PanelAlpha Engine yourself.

The easiest way to turn your server into a safe, controlled environment for your AI agent. Deploy, manage and maintain any project from Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or any other MCP client. Open source under Apache 2.0, free to run.

Requires Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 · 2 GB RAM · 1 CPURead the documentation