Introduction

Jira Data Center is a powerful tool for managing enterprise-scale workflows, but even the best platforms encounter bugs. If you’re running Jira Data Center 10.3.3, you may have noticed inconsistent behavior with asynchronous webhooks, leading to incorrect payloads, delivery delays, and increased database strain. Atlassian has documented this issue, with fixes available in later versions. In this blog, we’ll explore the details of the problem and how to resolve it.

Understanding the Webhook Issue

Webhooks are crucial for real-time data synchronization between Jira and external applications. However, in Jira 10.3.3, asynchronous webhooks suffer from a request cache mismanagement issue, leading to:

• Inconsistent payload data – Webhooks may send outdated or incorrect information.
• Delayed webhook triggers – Poor queue management results in lagging event dispatch.
• Excessive database queries – Some webhook executions generate unnecessary database load.
• Webhook failures – If queue limits are exceeded, webhooks may be dropped entirely.

Users may observe errors similar to this in their logs:

Invalid use of RequestCache by thread: webhook-dispatcher

This issue arises because asynchronous webhooks fail to properly retain the correct request cache instance, causing a disconnect between webhook events and actual data retrieval.

Temporary Workarounds for Jira 10.3.3

If upgrading is not immediately possible, consider these interim solutions:

1. Use Synchronous Webhooks
   • Synchronous webhooks do not rely on the flawed caching mechanism.
   • If your integration allows, temporarily switch critical webhooks to synchronous execution.
2. Reduce Webhook Frequency
   • Limit unnecessary webhook triggers to reduce queue congestion.
   • Adjust webhook filters to only trigger on essential events.
3. Monitor and Retry Failed Webhooks
   • Implement manual webhook retries by tracking failed webhook logs.
   • Use automation tools like scripts or API calls to resend failed events.
4. Optimize Queue Limits
   • Modify atlassian-jira.properties to adjust webhook dispatch settings.
   • Increasing queue size slightly may help mitigate dropouts.

These workarounds can help stabilize webhook behavior while waiting for a long-term fix.

Upgrade Tips: Moving to a Fixed Version

Atlassian has resolved this issue in Jira Data Center 10.3.6, 10.6.1, and 10.7.0. If possible, upgrading to one of these versions is the recommended solution.

Steps for a Smooth Upgrade

1. Backup Your Data – Always take a full database backup before upgrading.
2. Review Plugin Compatibility – Some third-party plugins may require updates.
3. Test in a Staging Environment – Run the upgrade in a test instance before deploying in production.
4. Monitor Post-Upgrade Webhook Performance – Verify that webhooks behave correctly after the update.

Upgrading to a fixed version not only resolves the webhook problem but can also improve Jira’s overall performance and stability.

Final Thoughts

Webhooks are essential for integrating Jira with external tools, automating workflows, and maintaining data consistency. If you’re facing issues with asynchronous webhooks in Jira Data Center 10.3.3, upgrading to a patched version is the best approach. If immediate upgrading isn’t feasible, the temporary workarounds discussed above can help mitigate disruptions.

Have you encountered this issue? Share your experiences and solutions in the comments!