---
title: "Modal Server session start may wait for an available container: 2026-10-03 | Harbyn"
description: "Modal Server session start may wait for an available container, announced Oct 3, 2026."
canonical: "https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-10-03-server-session-start-may-wait-for-an-available-container"
last-updated: 2026-10-08
---

# Modal Server session start may wait for an available container

Markdown version of <https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-10-03-server-session-start-may-wait-for-an-available-container>.

Behavior change - Modal. low severity. In effect.

Server.sessions.start() now waits up to 25 minutes if no container is available to place the session.

## Facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Vendor | [Modal](https://harbyn.com/vendors/modal.md) |
| Kind | Behavior change |
| Severity | low |
| Status | In effect |
| Announced | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Added to Harbyn | Oct 8, 2026 |
| Lead time | No dated deadline |
| Review | Reviewed by a person, extracted by a model |

## Find it in your code

```sh
npx harbyn scan
```

This change names no identifier the scanner can match line by line, so the scan tells you whether your repository uses Modal, from its packages and API hosts. Nothing leaves your machine.

## Sources

Where this event comes from: the page we read, when we read it, and the hash of that snapshot.

- <https://modal.com/docs/sdk/py/releases> (changelog, fetched 2026-10-08 23:25 UTC, sha256 `157ab91d1b58857dd1192a319642fb0050c12bceec92031ee033fcbb1dc973a3`)

## Related changes

### More from Modal

- [Python SDK 1.6.0 changes the JSON output of modal volume ls and modal queue list](https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-09-28-cli-json-output-formats-changed.md) (Breaking change, announced Sep 28, 2026)
- [Python SDK 1.6.0 no longer allows a custom \_\_init\_\_ on @app.cls() classes](https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-09-28-custom-constructors-no-longer-allowed-on-decorated-classes.md) (Breaking change, announced Sep 28, 2026)
- [Python SDK 1.6.0 removes the experimental modal bootstrap CLI](https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-09-28-experimental-bootstrap-cli-removed.md) (Breaking change, announced Sep 28, 2026)
- [Python SDK 1.6.0 removes the legacy Sandbox filesystem APIs](https://harbyn.com/changes/modal/2026-09-28-legacy-sandbox-filesystem-apis-removed.md) (Breaking change, announced Sep 28, 2026)

### Changes at other vendors

- [Amazon Selling Partner API: ORDER\_CHANGE notifications add PreFulfillmentStatusChange for Amazon Autos](https://harbyn.com/changes/amazon-sp-api/2026-10-14-sp-api-updates-new-listings-items-api-ivp-values-in-eu5-jp-and-ca-stores-oct-3.md) (effective Oct 28, 2026)
- [BigCommerce: 301 redirects will apply only to storefront channels](https://harbyn.com/changes/bigcommerce/2026-10-07-301-redirects-now-apply-to-storefront-channels-only.md) (effective Nov 10, 2026)
- [GitHub: Secret scanning audit log business field changes to enterprise slug](https://harbyn.com/changes/github/2026-10-20-updates-to-github-secret-scanning-7.md) (effective Nov 12, 2026)
- [Jira / Atlassian Cloud: New IP address ranges in use from January 1, 2027](https://harbyn.com/changes/atlassian-jira/2026-10-16-atlassian-cloud-adds-new-ip-address-ranges.md) (effective Jan 1, 2027)

[All upcoming deadlines](https://harbyn.com/deadlines.md)