Core Lightning stuck channel / force-close TX rejected with missing-inputs

[angelohori]

Title: Core Lightning stuck channel / force-close TX rejected with missing-inputs

Umbrel Core Lightning v25.09.3 with Bitcoin Knots.

Problem channel:

peer_id:
03da872791c43022c0bad6dc46b0e5f2fa7b92f635aeacf1aab55285cf41343e3f

channel_id:
b22d58d0e22b17b274e03a8f061e3516f699c9fdabeb0e7e6d17976ff07514e5

funding_txid:
e51475f06f97176d7e0eebabfdc999f616351e068f3ae074b2172be2d0582db2

funding_outnum:
0

Current CLN state:
AWAITING_UNILATERAL

State change:

Forcibly closed by close command timeout
Force-close TXID:
a60d81dcc52307133fad88fc1c0841a4ad3a22fe07e699693754e7c5c3af2f2d

Bitcoin Knots testmempoolaccept result:
allowed: false
reject-reason: missing-inputs

CLN listtransactions shows the force-close TX with blockheight: 0.

Bitcoin Knots does not see the funding output as unspent.

Question: What is the safe recovery path for this channel state? Should this be handled with CLN rescan/recovery tooling, and what exact commands are safe to run?

[daywalker90]

I can't find the funding txid on my node. Is it possible this channel never actually opened?

[cdecker]

Sounds like it, yes, the funding TX never made it into the blockchain, and the closing TX is just a courtesy for the peer, essentially returning the funds to the funder should the funding TX ever accidentally be broadcast.

@angelohori do you happen to have a copy of the funding TX, or its inputs so we can check whether it was double-spent or not?

[angelohori]

Sounds like it, yes, the funding TX never made it into the blockchain, and the closing TX is just a courtesy for the peer, essentially returning the funds to the funder should the funding TX ever accidentally be broadcast.

@angelohori do you happen to have a copy of the funding TX, or its inputs so we can check whether it was double-spent or not?

i try to answer to your eMail you send to me but your mail address is full

[angelohori]

== Time ==
2026-05-20T05:29:28+00:00

== Channel record ==
{
"found": true,
"peer_id": "03da872791c43022c0bad6dc46b0e5f2fa7b92f635aeacf1aab55285cf41343e3f",
"channel_id": "b22d58d0e22b17b274e03a8f061e3516f699c9fdabeb0e7e6d17976ff07514e5",
"state": "AWAITING_UNILATERAL",
"opener": "local",
"closer": "local",
"lost_state": false,
"funding_txid": "e51475f06f97176d7e0eebabfdc999f616351e068f3ae074b2172be2d0582db2",
"funding_outnum": 0,
"funding": {
"local_funds_msat": 150000000,
"remote_funds_msat": 0,
"pushed_msat": 0
},
"to_us_msat": 150000000,
"total_msat": 150000000,
"htlcs": []
}

== CLN wallet transaction records: funding + force-close ==
[
{
"label": "funding_tx",
"txid": "e51475f06f97176d7e0eebabfdc999f616351e068f3ae074b2172be2d0582db2",
"found": false
},
{
"label": "force_close_tx",
"txid": "a60d81dcc52307133fad88fc1c0841a4ad3a22fe07e699693754e7c5c3af2f2d",
"found": true,
"blockheight": 0,
"rawtx": "02000000000101b22d58d0e22b17b274e03a8f061e3516f699c9fdabeb0e7e6d17976ff07514e500000000004476e080024a01000000000000220020f78fb00cbd8f9ccf7c4f1190ba5c7021e414398a8f0d4486b1702b61405f2416df410200000000002200207986e34a7d27fd4af144a90ef8dc95b0cfb882f5c91fbd675e2242b9d6d02857040047304402201442f7b79153547403c77a7756048a82c105d922e5abf38c677b3736f0db67f902200f44cf61e8f739ecc8be11cdcc2628b0b8db8619998c387775cd9c0065b258230147304402207f5124e4e070d122d76c3c1f94504cf3fe1c1ee9818057b1ab071eb8c1074514022006df83bf338ac4205f307c434d31e356b3969a62a3917bd4b95b4a0f352d47410147522102a87e86ba118acdfe514ca9ec5f6cc17ae6c430c4b4c45261d0562217920fea0f21038f6c00894b139326f59c3980f67f63b27eacb04306b224fd6cafece1357668ce52ae32c99d20",
"inputs": [
{
"txid": "e51475f06f97176d7e0eebabfdc999f616351e068f3ae074b2172be2d0582db2",
"index": 0,
"sequence": 2162193988
}
],
"outputs": [
{
"index": 0,
"amount_msat": 330000,
"scriptPubKey": "0020f78fb00cbd8f9ccf7c4f1190ba5c7021e414398a8f0d4486b1702b61405f2416"
},
{
"index": 1,
"amount_msat": 147935000,
"scriptPubKey": "00207986e34a7d27fd4af144a90ef8dc95b0cfb882f5c91fbd675e2242b9d6d02857"
}
]
}
]

== Bitcoin Knots funding output check ==