DjangoPostgreSQL

Django CONN_MAX_AGE interferes with PgBouncer connection pooling

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configurationUpdated Mar 15, 2026(via Exa)
Sources
My Django App Was Eating Gigabytes of RAM — Here’s What Actually Fixed It | by Sizan Mahmud | Mar, 2026 | Mediummedium.com
How I Fixed Django's “Too Many Connections” Error with PgBouncermedium.com
Technologies:
Djangosubject
PostgreSQLPostgreSQL metrics correlate with this issue and help confirm diagnosis
How to detect:

Django's persistent connection feature (CONN_MAX_AGE > 0) conflicts with PgBouncer's connection pooling, preventing effective connection reuse and pool management.

Recommended action:

Set CONN_MAX_AGE = 0 in Django DATABASES configuration to disable persistent connections and ensure PgBouncer manages all connection pooling.