# Onchain issues CLN, cant send UTXO's **URL:** \ **Category:** DIY Community\ **Tags:** diy, services\ **Created:** [June 18, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261 "2026-06-18T19:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UC20](https://community.start9.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@UC20](https://community.start9.com/u/UC20)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/1 "2026-06-18T19:30:49Z")
Dear bitcoiners, could you help me out with the following issues. I run Start9 on a nuc, version 0.3.5.1 with core lightning 25.12.1-1 I have closed all my channels and would like to send my onchain funds back, but I can’t. I have 2 UTXO’s UTXO A = 25.000 sats UTXO B If I try to send UTXO A, there is an error about it being the threshold for min\_emergency\_msat see [min-emergency-msat requirement even with zero channels open · Issue #7301 · ElementsProject/lightning · GitHub](https://github.com/ElementsProject/lightning/issues/7301) I cant seem to properly restart CLN with the extra line –min\_emergency\_msat=0 or –min-emergency-msat=546000 (dust limit). How do I properly restart CLN with this extra line? The second problem is UTXO B, it has been over 2 months and it is still unconfirmed. If I look it up in the mempool, it isnt there. Also in RTL there are 15 channels awaiting unilateral close, but it has been 2 months. I have tried everything, resynched the blockchain, reinstalled CLN, but it just stays unconfirmed. Any suggestion how I can get my funds out? ---
**Author:** ![StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/user_avatar/community.start9.com/stupleb/32/195_2.png) [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/2 "2026-06-19T15:04:40Z")
CLN’s min-emergency-msat reserve (default 25,000 sats) is enforced only when you have anchor channels that may need on-chain fee bumps. The withdraw command will refuse to spend amounts below that “if we have any anchor channels.” In your case RTL shows “15 channels awaiting unilateral close” — CLN considers those 15 force-closes in flight and is keeping the 25k to fee-bump their anchor outputs. Forcing a withdrawal can let you take that one UTXO, but it won’t touch the funds locked in the 15 channels (which are likely much more valuable). Once those 15 closes finish, the reserve is released and you won’t need the config workaround. You’ll have to close all your channels before you can access any onchain funds, you should try closing them again. For 15 cooperative channels to not close, either you’re not connected to the internet, or you’ve not got that latest information from Bitcoin or CLNs graph. ---
**Author:** ![UC20](https://community.start9.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@UC20](https://community.start9.com/u/UC20)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 7:06am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/3 "2026-06-20T07:06:08Z")
Thanks Stu! That sounds plausible. The only thing is that the 15 channels were openend by CLBoss, never properly openend but were all still stuck pending for a long time, so I forced closed them. But there are now stuck in awaiting unilateral close for a while (longer than expected \>2 months). I’m properly connected to the internet, blockchain is synced, have reinstalled CLN and performed a rescan. In CLN it just shows the 25k sats, but in RTL it shows this, with disconnected peers, even though I am connected to other peers. ![image](https://community.start9.com/uploads/default/original/2X/6/65cbdc020907fc3b9a0290e1933b4b0e5785f992.png) ---
**Author:** ![StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/user_avatar/community.start9.com/stupleb/32/195_2.png) [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/4 "2026-06-20T11:42:40Z")
I’m kind of confused about whether you have open channels or not. If you have open channels then you can’t and should not be moving any onchain funds anywhere and CLN is completely right to stop you from doing so. I would assume these channels you have open and never closed are very small, otherwise you’d notice the missing funds onchain, right? I assume you also don’t want to lose those funds. I think your first steps should be: - `lightning-cli listpeerchannels` (or `listfunds`) and note each channel’s state and its **funding txid:output**. - Look up each funding txid on mempool.space and check whether that funding output has been **spent** or not If you’re convinced that everything you had is currently on chain and it’s CLN that’s wrong, we can instead look at prying CLN’s sticky hands off the UTXOs ---
**Author:** ![UC20](https://community.start9.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@UC20](https://community.start9.com/u/UC20)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 8:50am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/5 "2026-06-24T08:50:32Z")
Allright I’m getting somewhere: listfunds show that UTXOs UTXO A = confirmed UTXO B = unconfirmed Channels 1 confirmed closed channel, closing complete, but peer is not connected 15 channels are awaiting unilateral close, but the peer is not connected All funding transactions cannot be found in the mempool or a block explorer. Even from the confirmed closed channel! If I try to connect to the peers I get error 401, error connecting, tor server reply host unreachable, connection refused I don’t think it’s my connection, because all blocks are coming in, I succesfully openend and closed other channels before. These channels are the remnant of CLBoss. Tried to reset my tor connection, but having the same error. ---
**Author:** ![StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/user_avatar/community.start9.com/stupleb/32/195_2.png) [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/6 "2026-06-25T20:10:53Z")
> [@UC20](#): > > 15 channels are awaiting unilateral close, but the peer is not connected > > All funding transactions cannot be found in the mempool or a block explorer. Even from the confirmed closed channel! They’ll await unilateral close forever since they don’t exist. No funding TX means the funds never left your server. ---
**Author:** ![UC20](https://community.start9.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@UC20](https://community.start9.com/u/UC20)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/7 "2026-06-27T19:51:03Z")
Do you think in this case I can enable the developer mode and `dev-forget-channel?` Found a closed issue for start9 CLN how to enable developer mode > > > \### Prerequisites > > \- \[x\] I have searched for existing issues that already sugges…t this feature. > > \### Describe the Feature Request > > Some more advanced troubleshooting requires running CLN with the \`--developer\` flag. Can this be surfaced int he Start9 config so users have this as a breakglass option. > > \### Describe the Use Case > > https://docs.corelightning.org/docs/faq#how-to-forget-about-a-channel > Enables more advanced troubleshooting. Specifically, I have a channel that never confirmed and the peer went offline. I have been unsuccessful in recovering those sats because I cannot run dev commands as specified int he linked FAQ. > > \### Describe Preferred Solution > > a simple toggle in configuration would suffice. > > \### Describe Alternatives > > Unsure. > > \### Anything else? > > \`\`\` > root@c-lightning:~/.lightning# lightning-cli dev-rescan-outputs > { > "code": -32601, > "message": "Command \\"dev-rescan-outputs\\" is developer-only" > } > \`\`\` ---
**Author:** ![StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/user_avatar/community.start9.com/stupleb/32/195_2.png) [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/8 "2026-06-29T14:20:41Z")
Yeah, we’re in territory here where this isn’t StartOS support, but fully within the world of CLN issues and where your funds are in your hands. In my opinion, yes, you now need to go through a series of steps to force CLN into a correct state since everything it seems to think it knows about itself is wrong. The CLN docs and the CLN github issues are your friends here. While not a CLN expert myself, I would check if you need to do something else before forgetting channels. I don’t recall if you’re supposed to make sure your funds reappear onchain before or after that step. Check that first. ---
**Author:** ![UC20](https://community.start9.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@UC20](https://community.start9.com/u/UC20)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 9:38am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/onchain-issues-cln-cant-send-utxos/5261/9 "2026-07-01T09:38:12Z")
Solved. `lightning-cli dev-rescan-outputs` solved my UTXO problem, the incorrect non confirmed UTXO got removed after that I still got the min\_emergency\_sat error, but after forgetting the onconfirmed channels with `lightning-cli dev-forget-channel $NODEID`, CLN accepted the sending of the remaining UTXO’s. @StuPleb thanks for you help! > **[Troubleshooting & FAQ](https://docs.corelightning.org/docs/faq)** > > Common issues and frequently asked questions on operating a CLN node.