# ItemChannelLink error after upgrade from OH 4.3.x to v5.2.x

**URL:** <https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313>\
**Category:** Migration\
**Created:** [May 17, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313 "2026-05-17T18:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/andrewfg/32/35857_2.png) [@AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/u/AndrewFG)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/1 "2026-05-17T18:18:44Z")

</div>

I finally updated my operative system from OH 4.3.x to OH 5.2.x and all went well except for one single issue (see below). I think it is telling me that there is a duplicate Item or ItemChannelLink in my `.items` file and also in the JsonDB. HOWEVER in reality I cannot see such a duplicate. Perhaps there is a “ghost” somweher. =\> Any thoughts?

```auto
2026-05-17 19:06:02.144 [WARN] [ore.common.registry.AbstractRegistry] - Cannot add "ItemChannelLink" with key "Shower_Room_Towel_Rail_Boost_Button_Battery_Level -> zwave:device:g24:node33:battery-level". It exists already from provider "GenericItemChannelLinkProvider"! Failed to add a second with the same UID from provider "ManagedItemChannelLinkProvider"!

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/2 "2026-05-17T22:07:30Z")

</div>

I don’t think that it would be possible to have two links in the JSONDB that would cause this given how the link is are created.

But it could be the same item in multiple .items files perhaps.

Or it might be a weird orphan link that isn’t really orphaned?

When you looked for the ghost, where did you look? Where do you expect this link to be defined (.items file or JSONDB)?

Have you moved either the Item or the Thing from managed to files or the other way around? maybe there’s an edge case where the links are not handle properly I’m that process.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/andrewfg/32/35857_2.png) [@AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/u/AndrewFG)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/3 "2026-05-17T22:48:23Z")

</div>

> [@rlkoshak](#):
>
> When you looked for the ghost, where did you look? Where do you expect this link to be defined (.items file or JSONDB)?

It is actually in both. It should be in the `.items` file. But there is an extra copy in the jsondb file. I’m gonna try manually editing the latter to delete that entry..

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/4 "2026-05-18T02:45:39Z")

</div>

You could temporarily move the .items file or of the folder and then remove the JSONDB link through MainUI. Then you don’t have to muck around with manually editing the db file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/andrewfg/32/35857_2.png) [@AndrewFG](https://community.openhab.org/u/AndrewFG)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 7:13am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/5 "2026-05-18T07:13:11Z")

</div>

Aha. Good idea. One would need to do a restart of course. Many thanks for the tip.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/itemchannellink-error-after-upgrade-from-oh-4-3-x-to-v5-2-x/169313/6 "2026-05-18T14:30:47Z")

</div>

I’m not sure you need to do the restart if you remove the link through the UI/API. It should update the JOSNDB for you without a restart.