Jekyll build command suddenly needs `bundle install & bundle exec`?

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1

Suddenly, on 2026-01-07, one of my Jekyll project builds (blog-jbrains-ca) started to fail with

12:01:01 AM: build.command from netlify.toml                               
12:01:01 AM: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
12:01:01 AM: ​
12:01:01 AM: $ jekyll build
12:01:01 AM: bash: line 1: jekyll: command not found

This build worked on 2026-01-06 (as well as for years before that) and I changed nothing in the intervening time.

The next day, another Jekyll project (blog-thecodewhisperer-com) started to fail with the same error.

I changed the build command from jekyll build to bundle install && bundle exec jekyll build to make both these builds work. I tried bundle exec jekyll build, but then got the error that gems weren’t installed, so I added bundle install first.

The build documentation claims that jekyll build is the correct command. I infer that something that used to invoke bundle install and install jekyll on the project’s behalf has stopped doing that.

So…

  • Is there a bigger problem and my workaround is masking it?
  • Did things change and the documentation needs to be updated?

Thank you.

1 Like
2

Same problem here :

$ bundle exec jekyll build
bundler: command not found: jekyll
Install missing gem executables with bundle install

First seen on 2026-01-08 but not always happening.

I’ve also changed my Build command to bundle install && bundle exec jekyll build

3 Likes
4

I’m checking this with the devs.

5

This should now be fixed.

1 Like
6

Thank you for that. I’m glad to know it was a defect and could be fixed.

I presume that it is safe, even if it shouldn’t be necessary, to continue to use bundle install && bundle exec jekyll build as our build command. Would you agree or does that seem likely to cause future problems?

7

It won’t cause any issues, though you might end up spending more time in your build.

8

I see. I suppose it is safe but redundant. Thank you.

1 Like