Cannot start docker container, "ERROR [routing] cannot reverse routing changes", and "ERROR setting up routing"

[robertwittmann]

Is this urgent?

No

Host OS

OrangePi Debian

CPU arch

aarch64

VPN service provider

ProtonVPN

What are you using to run the container

docker compose

What is the version of Gluetun

Running version latest built on 2026-01-27T09:16:51.996Z (commit facc6df)

What's the problem 🤔

I'm trying to run the docker compose for gluetun and tunnel qbittorrent through it, but the gluetun container won't launch. I've tried with different protonvpn settings and privileges, though I'm no expert, so might not have done it correctly. I always get the same error and shutdown. I haven't been able to find other similar issues. Hope someone can point me in the right direction.

gluetun  | Running version latest built on 2026-01-27T09:16:51.996Z (commit facc6df)

gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:12+01:00 INFO [routing] default route found: interface eth0, gateway 172.18.0.1, assigned IP 172.18.0.2 and family v4
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:12+01:00 INFO [routing] local ethernet link found: eth0
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:12+01:00 INFO [routing] local ipnet found: 172.18.0.0/16
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:12+01:00 INFO [firewall] enabling...
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:12+01:00 INFO [firewall] enabled successfully
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO [storage] merging by most recent 20717 hardcoded servers and 20717 servers read from /gluetun/servers.json
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO Alpine version: 3.22.2
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO OpenVPN 2.5 version: 2.5.10
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO OpenVPN 2.6 version: 2.6.16
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO IPtables version: v1.8.11
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO Settings summary:
gluetun  | ├── VPN settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── VPN provider settings:
gluetun  | |   |   ├── Name: protonvpn
gluetun  | |   |   └── Server selection settings:
gluetun  | |   |       ├── VPN type: wireguard
gluetun  | |   |       ├── Countries: netherlands
gluetun  | |   |       └── Wireguard selection settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Wireguard settings:
gluetun  | |       ├── Private key: aET...ks=
gluetun  | |       ├── Interface addresses:
gluetun  | |       |   └── 10.2.0.2/32
gluetun  | |       ├── Allowed IPs:
gluetun  | |       |   ├── 0.0.0.0/0
gluetun  | |       |   └── ::/0
gluetun  | |       └── Network interface: tun0
gluetun  | |           └── MTU: 1320
gluetun  | ├── DNS settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── Keep existing nameserver(s): no
gluetun  | |   ├── DNS server address to use: 127.0.0.1
gluetun  | |   ├── DNS forwarder server enabled: yes
gluetun  | |   ├── Upstream resolver type: dot
gluetun  | |   ├── Upstream resolvers:
gluetun  | |   |   └── cloudflare
gluetun  | |   ├── Caching: yes
gluetun  | |   ├── IPv6: no
gluetun  | |   ├── Update period: every 24h0m0s
gluetun  | |   └── DNS filtering settings:
gluetun  | |       ├── Block malicious: yes
gluetun  | |       ├── Block ads: no
gluetun  | |       └── Block surveillance: no
gluetun  | ├── Firewall settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Enabled: yes
gluetun  | ├── Log settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Log level: info
gluetun  | ├── Health settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── Server listening address: 127.0.0.1:9999
gluetun  | |   ├── Target addresses:
gluetun  | |   |   ├── cloudflare.com:443
gluetun  | |   |   └── github.com:443
gluetun  | |   ├── Small health check type: ICMP echo request
gluetun  | |   |   └── ICMP target IPs:
gluetun  | |   |       ├── 1.1.1.1
gluetun  | |   |       └── 8.8.8.8
gluetun  | |   └── Restart VPN on healthcheck failure: yes
gluetun  | ├── Shadowsocks server settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Enabled: no
gluetun  | ├── HTTP proxy settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Enabled: no
gluetun  | ├── Control server settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── Listening address: :8000
gluetun  | |   ├── Logging: yes
gluetun  | |   └── Authentication file path: /gluetun/auth/config.toml
gluetun  | ├── Storage settings:
gluetun  | |   └── Filepath: /gluetun/servers.json
gluetun  | ├── OS Alpine settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── Process UID: 1000
gluetun  | |   ├── Process GID: 1000
gluetun  | |   └── Timezone: europe/copenhagen
gluetun  | ├── Public IP settings:
gluetun  | |   ├── IP file path: /tmp/gluetun/ip
gluetun  | |   ├── Public IP data base API: ipinfo
gluetun  | |   └── Public IP data backup APIs:
gluetun  | |       ├── ifconfigco
gluetun  | |       ├── ip2location
gluetun  | |       └── cloudflare
gluetun  | └── Version settings:
gluetun  |     └── Enabled: yes
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO [routing] default route found: interface eth0, gateway 172.18.0.1, assigned IP 172.18.0.2 and family v4
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO [routing] default route found: interface eth0, gateway 172.18.0.1, assigned IP 172.18.0.2 and family v4
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO [routing] deleting route for 0.0.0.0/0
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 ERROR [routing] cannot reverse routing changes: removing routes for inbound traffic from default IP: deleting rule: deleting rule for default route interface eth0, gateway 172.18.0.1, assigned IP 172.18.0.2 and family v4: listing rules: netlink receive: operation not supported
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 ERROR setting up routing: adding routes for inbound traffic from default IP: adding rule: adding rule for default route interface eth0, gateway 172.18.0.1, assigned IP 172.18.0.2 and family v4: listing rules: netlink receive: operation not supported
gluetun  | 2026-02-03T12:46:14+01:00 INFO Shutdown successful