SQLSTATE[HY001]: Memory allocation error: 1038 Out of sort memory, consider increasing server sort buffer size

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The error SQLSTATE[HY001]: Memory allocation error: 1038 Out of sort memory, consider increasing server sort buffer size occurs when MySQL runs out of memory while sorting data. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Increase sort_buffer_size in MySQL Configuration

The sort_buffer_size determines the amount of memory allocated for sorting operations. Increasing it can help resolve the issue.

Option 1: Temporarily Increase sort_buffer_size (Session-Level)

Run the following command in MySQL to increase the buffer size for the current session:

 SET SESSION sort_buffer_size = 4M;

(Default is usually 256K, so 4M is a reasonable increase.)

Option 2: Permanently Increase sort_buffer_size (Server-Level)

If the issue persists, edit the MySQL configuration file (my.cnf or my.ini):

  • Locate the MySQL configuration file:
    Linux: /etc/my.cnf or /etc/mysql/my.cnf
    Windows: C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server X.X\my.ini
  • Add or modify the following line under [mysqld] 
     sort_buffer_size = 4M
  • Restart MySQL for the changes to take effect: 
     sudo systemctl restart mysql

    Or

    service mysql restart

 

2. Optimize Queries to Reduce Sorting Needs

  • Use INDEXES on columns that are used for sorting (ORDER BY).
  • Avoid ORDER BY RAND(), as it forces sorting in memory.
  • Reduce unnecessary sorting by limiting result sets with LIMIT.

3. Check MySQL Available Memory

Ensure that MySQL has enough memory allocated. You can check the current value of sort_buffer_size using:

SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'sort_buffer_size';

If your server has low RAM, consider upgrading hardware or optimizing other memory settings (innodb_buffer_pool_size, join_buffer_size, etc.).

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