[BUG] npm error Exit handler never called!

[nina9753]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

For a Github Action Workflow that run:

- name: Install dependencies
      run: npm ci
      timeout-minutes: 10

We get an npm internal error for running the npm ci job with a 10-minute timeout

##[debug]Evaluating condition for step: 'Install dependencies'
##[debug]Evaluating: success()
##[debug]Evaluating success:
##[debug]=> true
##[debug]Result: true
##[debug]Starting: Install dependencies
##[debug]Loading inputs
##[debug]Loading env
Run npm ci
  npm ci
  shell: /usr/bin/bash -e {0}
##[debug]/usr/bin/bash -e /home/runner/work/_temp/88ace6de-572b-44f3-81ab-c7a46ac50786.sh
npm error Exit handler never called!
npm error This is an error with npm itself. Please report this error at:
npm error   <https://github.com/npm/cli/issues>
npm error A complete log of this run can be found in: /home/runner/.npm/_logs/2026-01-16T16_09_16_535Z-debug-0.log
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.
##[debug]Finishing: Install dependencies

Expected Behavior

No response

Steps To Reproduce

1. In this environment...
2. With this config...
3. Run '...'
4. See error...

Environment

Node: v22.21.1
npm: latest

[keltroth]

same here with node v24.13.0 and npm v11.6.2

[keltroth]

I resolved it by deleting package-lock.json

[mylxsw]

I resolved it by deleting package-lock.json

This works for me.

[MRagunandhan24]

Closing: this error can arise for a number of reasons; Please read this document & refile an issue with as much information as possible if you're able to consistently reproduce this error.