Memory leak in long-running Node.js process: steady increase in heap usage

My Node.js service consumes more memory over time—even without increased load—and eventually crashes with heap out of memory. What's likely causing this leak?

Memory leaks in Node.js often result from lingering references such as: • Global variables or unbounded caches • Event listeners, timers, or intervals not cleared • Closures capturing unused data or holding persistent context • Improper stream handling or database connection leaks Stack Overflowmarkaicode.com+9coderkiran.com+9infinitejs.com+9markaicode.com 🛠️ How to Fix:

1. Monitor memory usage via process.memoryUsage() and heap snapshots using Chrome DevTools, Clinic.js, or heapdump.
2. Audit and remove unused event listeners, timers, and intervals.
3. Avoid global variables; limit cache size or expiration.
4. Use weak references (WeakMap, WeakRef) for observer patterns.
5. Ensure proper cleanup of database or file streams.
6. Restart long-lived processes via process managers (e.g. PM2) if memory rises beyond threshold.

🏷️ Category for All Issues Backend → Node.js → HTTP Networking & Performance / Memory Management

🧷 Suggested Tags for Posting vbnet Copy code nodejs, fetch, undici, timeout, network-error, connectTimeout, headersTimeout, memory-leaks, event-loop, agent