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GitKraken Desktop – Common Issues and Fixes

Last updated: March 2026

Use this page to troubleshoot common GitKraken Desktop problems related to licensing, integrations, SSH, WSL, platform-specific behavior, and known error messages. Start with the Quick Start checklist for the most common fixes, then use the matching section below when you need issue-specific recovery steps.

Requirements and limits

Scope: High-frequency troubleshooting for account, integration, SSH, WSL, platform, and known error conditions
First-step usage: Start with the Quick Start checklist before using issue-specific sections
Integration recovery pattern: Browser sign-out, cache clearing, and reconnecting from Preferences > Integrations resolves many 1000-series errors
WSL limitation: Do not run GitKraken Desktop as root, and prefer native WSL2 GUI support over XServer-based setups
Experimental Git note: Some issues may be tied to the Git Executable setting in Preferences > Experimental
Escalation path: Contact GitKraken Support if the matching section does not resolve the problem

Quick Start

Account or license not recognized: Verify you are signed in with the email address linked to your subscription, and that the correct organization is selected in GitKraken Desktop and on gitkraken.dev.
Integration errors (1002, 1003, 1005, 1007): Sign out of your browser, clear its cache, and reconnect your integration from Preferences > Integrations.
Clone always uses HTTPS instead of SSH: Add or generate an SSH key under Preferences > Integrations > [Integration], then restart GitKraken Desktop.
Commit Details panel missing: Go to View > Show Commit Details panel to restore it.
Performance problems: See the Performance Issues guide, or try running Perform Repo Maintenance from the Command Palette.
Push failed with Cannot read property 'fullName' of undefined: Rename your local branch to match the remote branch name exactly.
WSL issues: Avoid running GitKraken Desktop as root; use native WSL2 GUI support instead of XServer.

If the steps on this page do not resolve your issue, contact GitKraken Support.

How to fix account, license, and entitlement issues

My account shows Trial/Free/Community despite being a paid customer

In GitKraken Desktop, verify you’re logged in with the correct account:

Ensure you are signed in with the email address linked to your subscription. Avoid using GitHub or Google login options if your subscription is tied to an email address.

The account is correct but it says I don’t have AI tokens

Make sure the correct organization is selected:

AI token access is determined by the selected organization.

GitKraken.dev shows my account as TRIAL / COMMUNITY

Select the correct organization:

This issue can occur if you’re viewing an organization that doesn’t have a subscription.

How to fix common GitKraken Desktop issues

Clone repo always uses HTTPS instead of SSH

GitKraken Desktop defaults to HTTPS. To use SSH:

Go to Preferences > Integrations > [INTEGRATION]
Add or generate an SSH key
Restart GitKraken Desktop

Issue tracker error appears on repo startup or tab switch

This happens if a disconnected issue tracker is set as default.

Go to Preferences > Issue Tracker
Select None
Check Use this as the default for all repositories

Commit details panel is missing

To re-enable it: View > Show Commit Details panel

The right-side commit panel can be toggled from the View menu.

Can’t minimize/maximize or exit full-screen mode

Toggle full-screen mode with F11 (for Windows/Linux) or Ctrl + Cmd + F (for macOS)

Keyboard shortcut to toggle full screen in GitKraken Desktop.

Diff shows entire file instead of changes

This can occur due to differences in line endings or encoding.

Enable “Ignore trailing whitespace”
If the message changes to “File contents are unchanged,” the files are identical

Line ending or whitespace differences may cause misleading diffs.

Private organization repositories not visible (GitHub)

Ensure GitKraken Desktop has organization access:

Check your GitHub application settings to confirm permissions.

GitHub Application Access Settings

How to fix WSL issues

GitKraken window is too small

GitKraken Desktop may not respect Windows DPI scaling when running in WSL.

Use this workaround: gitkraken --force-device-scale-factor=1.5

GitKraken doesn’t launch from the console

Avoid running GitKraken as root. Switch to a regular user.

GitKraken closes suddenly and won’t reopen

This is a known WSL issue triggered by network changes.

Terminate GitKraken: pkill -f gitkraken
Launch another GUI app (e.g., gedit) to restore GUI functionality

GitKraken GUI does not launch or scales incorrectly under WSL2 with XServer

XServer is not required. Use native WSL2 GUI support instead.

How to fix Linux issues on Ubuntu

File explorer does not open

GitKraken’s Electron window may be hidden behind the app.

Minimize GitKraken or use Alt + Tab

GitKraken does not load my environment variables

GitKraken sources .bashrc or .zshrc for environment variables

File watching failed to start

Increase file watchers in /etc/sysctl.conf:

fs.inotify.max_user_instances=8192
fs.inotify.max_user_watches=524288

How to fix Windows-specific issues

Use GitKraken Desktop with PuTTY/Plink

Set GIT_SSH or GIT_SSH_COMMAND to point to Plink
Or configure core.sshCommand in .gitconfig
Also update Git Executable under Preferences > Experimental > Git Executable

How to fix macOS-specific issues

Git hooks fail with `command not found`

GUI apps on macOS do not inherit shell environment variables.

Try launching GitKraken from terminal
Use launchctl setenv YOURVAR value to set GUI-accessible environment variables

How to troubleshoot GitKraken Desktop 9.4.0 and later

The Git Executable option may affect Git behavior.

Steps to modify:

Go to Preferences > Experimental
Choose system Git version instead of the bundled one
Download Git if needed

Switch Git Executable version under Preferences > Experimental.

Disable the executable if problems continue:

Report persistent issues via GitKraken Support.

Blog post on migrating to Git Executable

How to fix 1000-series integration errors

Error codes include:

1002
1003
1005
1007

Example: Authentication error during integration.

Solution:

Check credentials
Sign out from your browser, then try again in GitKraken
Clear browser cache
Try a different default browser

Still stuck? Contact Support

How to fix the `Cannot read property 'fullName' of undefined` push error

Push error caused by case mismatch in branch name.

Solution:
Rename the local branch to match the remote branch exactly. Use an intermediate name if necessary:

git branch -m Test-branch temp-branch
git branch -m temp-branch test-branch

How to fix missing branches or files caused by capitalization issues

On case-insensitive file systems like Windows, branches or files differing only by case may not appear correctly.

End of document.

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