[Bug]: Stream is not readable using plugin GraphQL [Strapi v4]

[coderdiaz]

Link to the documentation page or resource

https://docs-v4.strapi.io/dev-docs/configurations/middlewares#body

Describe the bug

Currently, in some request I have this issue with apollo-koa-server when you enables raw-body into body middleware.

Additional context

No response

Suggested improvements or fixes

No response

Related issue(s)/PR(s)

No response

[github-actions]

🤖 I've analyzed your question and here's what I found:

Thanks a lot for taking the time to report this and for linking the middleware documentation page — that’s really helpful context.

From what you describe, this looks less like a documentation issue and more like an interaction/bug between the body middleware configuration (with rawBody enabled) and the GraphQL server (apollo-koa-server) in Strapi v4. The v4 docs you linked explain that the body middleware is based on koa-body and can be configured (e.g. multipart, limits, etc.), but they don’t cover any known incompatibility with GraphQL or rawBody specifically, and our current v5 docs also don’t mention such a limitation or workaround. [Middlewares config]

In Strapi 5, the GraphQL plugin is now based on Apollo Server v4 and uses the same global body middleware stack, but again there’s no explicit note about rawBody or a “stream is not readable” error in the official docs. [GraphQL plugin; Apollo v4 upgrade]

Because of that, I can’t confidently point to an official, documented fix for this exact error. However, based on how middlewares and GraphQL are wired, here are some concrete things you can try and/or share back:

1. Confirm it’s tied to rawBody

   • Temporarily disable the rawBody option in your body middleware configuration and see if the GraphQL request succeeds.
   • If disabling rawBody makes the error disappear, that strongly suggests a bug in how the request stream is being consumed before Apollo gets it.

2. Check your body middleware configuration

   • In v5, a typical custom body config looks like this (v4 is conceptually similar):

     // ./config/middlewares.js
     module.exports = [
       // ...
       {
         name: 'strapi::body',
         config: {
           jsonLimit: '3mb',
           formLimit: '10mb',
           textLimit: '256kb',
           encoding: 'utf-8',
           // rawBody: true, // try toggling this
         },
       },
       // ...
     ];

     [Body middleware]

   • If you’re using rawBody, try:

     • Removing it entirely, or
     • Restricting it only to the routes that really need it (e.g. via a custom middleware or route-level logic in REST, and leaving GraphQL requests untouched).

3. Isolate GraphQL traffic

   • Since GraphQL uses a single /graphql endpoint, you can sometimes work around issues by:
     • Keeping the global body middleware “simple”, and
     • Adding any special parsing/headers logic either:
       • In a custom global middleware that only runs on /graphql, or
       • In GraphQL middlewares attached to resolvers via resolversConfig (for logic that doesn’t need to touch the raw HTTP stream). [GraphQL middlewares; Global middlewares]

4. Why this likely needs core attention

   • The fact that enabling rawBody can cause “stream is not readable” for GraphQL suggests the request stream may be consumed in a way Apollo doesn’t expect.
   • This is not documented as a limitation, so it’s reasonable to treat it as a product bug rather than a documentation-only issue.
   • Tagging for potential transfer to the main repo: @pwizla

---

Since the official docs don’t currently describe this behavior or a specific fix, the best next steps are:

• If you can, add more details to the issue:
  • Your exact ./config/middlewares.js (or .ts) configuration
  • The Strapi v4 version you’re on
  • Whether this happens for all GraphQL requests or only specific ones (e.g. multipart, large payloads, etc.)
• If you’d like more community input:
  • You can also share this on the Strapi Forum or Discord, where other users who rely on rawBody + GraphQL might share their workarounds:
    • Forum: https://forum.strapi.io
    • Discord: https://discord.strapi.io [Community & support]

Thanks again for surfacing this. Your report helps us improve both the product and the docs, and with a bit more detail it should be easier for the core team to reproduce and address it properly.

📚 Relevant documentation:

• Apollo Server v3 upgraded to Apollo Server v4
• Community & Support
• GraphQL API
• GraphQL plugin
• GraphQL plugin - Code-based configuration
• GraphQL plugin - CORS exceptions for Landing Page
• GraphQL plugin - Middlewares
• GraphQL plugin - Usage
• Middlewares configuration
• Middlewares configuration - Internal middlewares configuration reference
• Middlewares customization - Implementation
• Release notes - Chore, fixes, typos, and other improvements
• Strapi Support Policy - Community resources
• The GraphQL API has been updated - Migration
• What debugging information do we need to assist you?

---

ℹ️ This response was generated automatically. If this doesn't fully answer your question or if you need further assistance, please mention @pwizla in a comment and a human maintainer will help you.

You can also try our interactive AI chat for more detailed assistance.

💡 For feature requests or product feedback, visit feedback.strapi.io.