“Another Update Is Currently in Progress”
Updates, Migrations & Maintenance
WordPress is holding a lock for an update that already finished.
Trying to update anything returns “Another update is currently in progress.” Nothing is actually updating, and waiting changes nothing.
What it actually means
To stop two updates colliding, WordPress sets a lock in the database when one begins and clears it when it ends. While that lock exists, every other update is refused.
If an update dies before its cleanup — a timeout, a fatal error, a closed tab — the lock is never released. WordPress is being cautious about a process that stopped some time ago, and it will keep refusing until the record is removed.
The lock does expire on its own, usually within about fifteen minutes. If you are impatient or it has been far longer, clearing it by hand is safe.
What usually causes it
Most likely first.
- 1
A previous update was interrupted
It stopped before clearing the lock. The most common cause by far.
- 2
Two updates started at once
A manual update and an automatic background update overlapping.
- 3
The update timed out
PHP execution limits stopped the process mid-run.
- 4
A crashed background task
WordPress cron dying partway through an auto-update leaves the lock behind.
- 5
You are simply too early
An update genuinely is running. Worth ruling out before deleting anything.
How to fix it
Work through these in order. Take a backup before you change anything.
Step 1 — Wait fifteen minutes first
The lock expires on its own. If the message clears by itself, nothing further is needed and you have avoided touching the database.
Step 2 — Delete the lock row
In phpMyAdmin, open the wp_options table, search option_name for core_updater.lock, and delete that row. Back up the table first. Plugin and theme updaters use similarly named locks.
Step 3 — Use a plugin if you prefer not to touch the database
Several maintenance plugins offer a one-click “fix stuck updates” button that removes the same row.
Step 4 — Check for a half-finished update
Once the lock is gone, look at Updates and confirm nothing is left partly applied before continuing.
Step 5 — Update one thing at a time
Bulk updates are how most sites end up here. Individually is slower and far less likely to strand a lock.
When to stop and call someone
Call someone if the lock returns every time you try to update — that means updates are failing repeatedly rather than once — or if you would rather not edit the database directly on a live store, where a mistaken deletion in wp_options is easy to make and awkward to undo.
Frequently asked
Wait about fifteen minutes for the lock to expire on its own. If it persists, delete the row named core_updater.lock from the wp_options table in your database, or use a maintenance plugin that removes it with one click.
Yes, provided no update is genuinely running. The lock is a temporary marker rather than data, and WordPress recreates it on the next update. Take a backup of wp_options before editing, as with any database change.
Roughly fifteen minutes. WordPress treats a lock older than that as stale and ignores it, which is why waiting is the simplest fix if you are not in a hurry.
Because updates are being interrupted repeatedly, usually by PHP timeouts or memory limits on bulk updates. Raising those limits and updating one item at a time addresses the cause rather than the symptom.
You do not need to. This is a single stale row in the database, not damage to WordPress itself. Reinstalling is far more disruptive than deleting one option and risks other problems along the way.
If you’d rather not
We do this work every week. These are the services that cover it.
- Fixing WordPress PluginsOne bad plugin can take your whole site down. We fix plugin conflicts, fatal errors, and security holes fast — and build custom plugins when the off-the-shelf ones fall short.
- Fixing Broken WebsitesSite down, hacked, or falling apart? We diagnose it fast, fix what's broken, and tell you straight how to keep it from happening again.
- WordPress Speed & OptimizationA slow site loses customers before they read a word. We tune WordPress for speed, stability, and search — measured, not guessed.
See exactly what’s holding your website back.
Get a free audit of your site — speed, SEO, mobile, and security — with the fixes that matter most, delivered as a PDF to your inbox.