Issue Summary

Restarting a Confluence DC node during a rolling upgrade (before finalizing) may result in the node failing to start with the following error:

checkConfigurationOnStartup Confluence cluster node will not start up because the finalized build number in the database [9109] doesn't match either the application build number [9116] or the home directory build number [9116].

Steps to Reproduce

1. Deploy a Confluence 9.2.13 two node Cluster
   • Ensure both nodes are running
2. Enter Rolling Upgrade mode
3. Upgrade Node 2 to Confluence 9.2.21
4. Upgrade Node 1 to Confluence 9.2.21
5. Do not finalize the upgrade yet
6. Restart Node 1 (wait for it to come back up)
7. Restart Node 2 multiple times (wait for it to come back up each time)

Expected Results

1. Restarting Node 1 should start up without any errors
   • local confluence.cfg.xml buildNumber should be updated to 9116
   • local confluence.cfg.xml finalizedBuildNumber should remain at 9109

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <buildNumber>9116</buildNumber>
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9109</property>
     ..
     

2. Restarting Node 2 should start up without any errors
   • local confluence.cfg.xml buildNumber should be updated to 9116
   • local confluence.cfg.xml finalizedBuildNumber should remain at 9109

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <buildNumber>9116</buildNumber>
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9109</property>
     ..
     

3. When ready, connect back to Confluence Administration » Rolling Upgrades and finalize the Upgrade
   • buildNumber and finalizedBuildNumber should then be updated to 9116

Actual Results

NODE 1

1. The first startup of the upgraded Node 1 will load the GUI
   • However, the local confluence.cfg.xml has the finalizedBuildNumber incorrectly updated to 9116

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <buildNumber>9116</buildNumber>
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9116</property>
     ..
     

2. Upon another restart of Node 1, it will fail to start with the following error in the atlassian-confluence.log:

   2026-06-11 23:01:36,118 ERROR [Catalina-utility-1] [atlassian.confluence.setup.BootstrapApplicationStartupListener] checkConfigurationOnStartup Confluence cluster node will not start up because the finalized build number in the database [9109] doesn't match either the application build number [9116] or the home directory build number [9116].
   

3. Confluence UI will show this error:
   

NODE 2

1. The first restart of the upgraded Confluence leaves the local confluence.cfg.xml in the correct state
   • local confluence.cfg.xml buildNumber updated to 9116
   • local confluence.cfg.xml finalizedBuildNumber remains at 9109

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <buildNumber>9116</buildNumber>
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9109</property>
     ..
     

2. Another restart of the upgraded Confluence is still okay
3. However, additional restarts of the upgraded Confluence results in an incorrect confluence.cfg.xml finalizedBuildNumber
   • The local confluence.cfg.xml has the finalizedBuildNumber incorrectly updated to 9116

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <buildNumber>9116</buildNumber>
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9116</property>
     ..
     

4. Upon another restart of Confluence, it will fail to start with this entry in atlassian-confluence.log:

   2026-06-11 23:07:40,236 ERROR [Catalina-utility-1] [atlassian.confluence.setup.BootstrapApplicationStartupListener] checkConfigurationOnStartup Confluence cluster node will not start up because the finalized build number in the database [9109] doesn't match either the application build number [9116] or the home directory build number [9116].
   

5. Confluence UI will show this error:
   

Workaround

If the rolling upgrade failed after finalising the upgrade tasks, roll back, address the error and re-attempt the upgrade.

If the rolling upgrade was never finalised but the build number mismatch shows:

1. Shutdown all Confluence nodes
2. On one Confluence node, edit the <local confluence home>/confluence.cfg.xml and set the finalizedBuildNumber to the expected previous unfinalized build number.
   • E.g. if the error message in the logs says:

     Confluence cluster node will not start up because the finalized build number in the database [9109] doesn't match either the application build number [9116] or the home directory build number [9116].
     

   • the local <local confluence home>/confluence.cfg.xml should have the finalizedBuildNumber set to the 9109

     <confluence-configuration>
     ..
       <properties>
     ..
         <property name="finalizedBuildNumber">9109</property>
     

3. Also check whether finalizedBuildNumber is present in the <Confluence-Shared-Home>/confluence.cfg.xml and ensure the finalizedBuildNumber is also set to 9109 if the line is present there.
4. Start Confluence
   • Connect to Confluence Administration » General Configuration » Rolling Upgrades
   • Finalize the upgrade
5. Bring each of the remaining Confluence cluster nodes online (one at a time)