Docker Build SIGKILL 137: Fixing OOM Killer Terminations During Multi-Stage Image Builds
Quick Fix Summary
TL;DRIncrease Docker daemon memory limit and rebuild with --memory flag.
Exit code 137 (SIGKILL) indicates the Docker build process was killed by the Linux Out-of-Memory (OOM) Killer due to excessive memory consumption, typically during resource-intensive stages like compiling large dependencies.
Diagnosis & Causes
Recovery Steps
Step 1: Verify OOM Killer Activity
Check system and Docker logs to confirm the OOM Killer terminated the process.
sudo journalctl -k | grep -i 'killed process'
sudo dmesg -T | grep -E -i 'killed process|oom|out of memory'
docker system events --since '5m ago' --filter 'event=die' --format '{{.Status}}'Step 2: Increase Docker Daemon Memory Limit (Docker Desktop)
Permanently allocate more RAM to the Docker engine via settings.
# Open Docker Desktop -> Settings -> Resources -> Memory slider.
# Increase limit (e.g., from 2GB to 4-8GB). Apply & Restart.Step 3: Limit Build Container Memory with --memory
Use the --memory flag to explicitly set a higher, enforced limit for the build container, preventing host OOM.
docker build --memory 4g --memory-swap 4g -t myapp:latest .Step 4: Optimize Dockerfile for Multi-Stage Builds
Reduce intermediate layer memory footprint by splitting operations and cleaning up in the same RUN instruction.
# BAD: Creates large intermediate layers.
RUN apt-get update && \
apt-get install -y huge-package ...
RUN ./compile-my-app # Uses lots of RAM
RUN rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* # Cleanup too late
# GOOD: Cleanup in same layer.
RUN apt-get update && \
apt-get install -y huge-package \
&& \
./compile-my-app \
&& \
apt-get purge -y --auto-remove huge-package \
&& \
rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*Step 5: Use BuildKit and --mount=type=cache
Leverage BuildKit's cache mounts to avoid re-downloading dependencies, reducing memory pressure on subsequent builds.
# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1
FROM alpine AS base
RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/apk \
apk add --no-cache go gcc musl-devStep 6: Adjust BuildKit Resources (for CI/CLI)
Configure BuildKit daemon settings to increase memory limits if using docker buildx or standalone buildkitd.
# Create or edit /etc/buildkitd.toml
[worker.oci]
max-parallelism = 1
[[worker.oci.lowlevel]]
max-parallelism = 1
"memory" = 4294967296 # 4GB in bytes
# Restart BuildKit
sudo systemctl restart buildkitArchitect's Pro Tip
"The OOM Killer often targets the *buildkitd* or *runc* process, not your application binary. If builds fail intermittently on a shared host (like a CI agent), it's likely due to memory contention from other jobs. Isolate build agents or implement resource quotas."
Frequently Asked Questions
I increased Docker Desktop memory to 8GB but still get error 137. Why?
Your build might be exceeding the per-container limit. Use `docker build --memory 8g` to apply the limit directly. Also, ensure no other memory-intensive processes are running on the host.
Can I disable the OOM Killer for Docker?
Not recommended in production. Disabling it can cause the entire host to become unstable. The correct fix is to properly allocate resources and optimize your build process.