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What OPcache does in an Nginx setup
OPcache is a PHP extension that stores precompiled PHP bytecode in shared memory. Without it, PHP repeatedly loads and parses source files as requests arrive. With it, workers can reuse compiled scripts until a file changes or the cache is reset.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsNginx does not enable OPcache. Its FastCGI module passes a request to a PHP-FPM pool, and the PHP-FPM SAPI loads its own PHP configuration and OPcache instance. This separation explains the most common symptom: php -m reports OPcache, while a browser diagnostic says it is disabled. The CLI and FPM SAPIs can read different php.ini files and different .ini directories.
Before changing anything
- Know which PHP-FPM version serves the Nginx virtual host.
- Have permission to edit the FPM SAPI configuration and restart its service.
- Know the FPM pool’s Unix socket or TCP address.
- Be able to test the site locally or through the same hostname and server block used by the application.
- Plan to remove any diagnostic script after verification.
Keep a backup of the configuration file you edit. On packaged Linux systems, OPcache is often enabled by a vendor-provided .ini fragment already loaded by PHP. Adding a second zend_extension line can produce a duplicate-extension warning or prevent a clean startup, so inspect the loaded configuration first.
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1. Identify the configuration PHP-FPM actually uses
Use CLI commands only as an initial inventory
From a shell, run:
php --ini
php -m | grep -i opcachephp --ini shows the CLI SAPI’s main file and scanned directory. The module list confirms whether the CLI build sees OPcache, but neither command proves that the web site’s FPM workers have loaded the same extension or settings.
Confirm the FPM SAPI with a temporary web endpoint
Create a file in the document root that is served by the target Nginx server block, for example opcache-status.php:
<?php
header('Content-Type: text/plain');
if (function_exists('opcache_get_status')) {
var_export(opcache_get_status(false));
} else {
echo "OPcache functions are unavailablen";
}
You can use phpinfo() instead when you need to see the complete configuration, including the loaded php.ini path and additional scanned files:
<?php
phpinfo();
Request the file through the browser or with an HTTP client using the same host name and server block as the application. Record the FPM SAPI’s “Loaded Configuration File,” scanned .ini directory, PHP version, and OPcache values. Delete the file immediately afterward; phpinfo() exposes environment and path details that should not remain public.
2. Make sure OPcache is loaded for PHP-FPM
If the FPM diagnostic reports no OPcache functions, load the extension in the configuration read by FPM. When OPcache was built as a shared extension, PHP documents this form:
zend_extension=/full/path/to/opcache.soUse the actual path on the host. Do not copy a path from the CLI output unless the web diagnostic shows that FPM uses the same PHP installation. If an installed package already supplies an OPcache .ini fragment, edit that fragment or the FPM php.ini it includes rather than adding a duplicate declaration.
After adding or changing the extension line, a running FPM process will not normally load it retroactively. Restart the matching PHP-FPM service after the configuration checks described below.
3. Add a conservative OPcache baseline to the FPM configuration
Place the following directives in the php.ini or OPcache-specific .ini file confirmed by the web diagnostic:
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; Configuration read by PHP-FPM
opcache.enable=1
opcache.memory_consumption=128
opcache.interned_strings_buffer=8
opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000
opcache.validate_timestamps=1
opcache.revalidate_freq=2
opcache.save_comments=1The PHP manual lists 128 MB, 8 MB, 10,000 files, timestamp validation enabled, and a two-second revalidation interval as current directive defaults. These are starting points, not a performance guarantee or a universal capacity recommendation. Size the cache for the application’s codebase and deployment method.
| Directive | Baseline | What it controls | Operational guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
opcache.enable |
1 |
Enables OPcache for the SAPI. | Confirm the effective value through FPM, not only CLI. |
opcache.memory_consumption |
128 MB |
Shared memory available for compiled scripts. | Increase only when the application and status output show the cache is too small. |
opcache.interned_strings_buffer |
8 MB |
Shared storage for interned strings. | Keep the baseline unless the application’s measured usage justifies a change. |
opcache.max_accelerated_files |
10000 |
Maximum number of scripts that can be cached. | Compare this limit with the application’s PHP file count. |
opcache.validate_timestamps |
1 |
Whether OPcache checks source-file timestamps. | Use 1 while developing; disabling it requires explicit invalidation or worker restarts. |
opcache.revalidate_freq |
2 seconds |
Interval between timestamp checks when validation is enabled. | Use 0 for a check on every request during sensitive development work, accepting the extra filesystem checks. |
opcache.save_comments |
1 |
Preserves comments and docblocks in cached scripts. | Keep enabled unless you have verified that no framework or tool reads annotations. |
Choose values around the release process, not a copied snippet
PHP’s deployment-oriented example uses opcache.max_accelerated_files=4000 and opcache.revalidate_freq=60. That example is not a requirement. A larger application may need a higher file limit; a release process that replaces code atomically may prefer a longer check interval or no timestamp checks at all.
Keeping opcache.save_comments=1 is the compatible choice. Disabling comments can break frameworks and tools that inspect docblock annotations, even when the PHP code itself still executes.
4. Decide between development and production behavior
| Concern | Development setting | Production option | Required consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detecting edits | opcache.validate_timestamps=1 |
Keep enabled with a longer interval, or set it to 0 for a controlled release process. |
With validation disabled, changed files are not noticed automatically. |
| Recheck frequency | opcache.revalidate_freq=0 checks every request, or use a short interval. |
A longer interval such as 60 seconds can reduce filesystem checks when releases are controlled. | Edits may remain unseen until the next check when the interval is greater than zero. |
| Invalidating a release | Timestamp checks normally find changed files. | Call an approved reset/invalidation routine or restart the FPM workers after each release. | Skipping the reset can leave old bytecode serving the application. |
| Compatibility | Keep comments saved. | Keep comments saved unless annotation use has been ruled out. | Discarded comments can break annotation-dependent code. |
For a release that atomically replaces the complete application tree, opcache.validate_timestamps=0 can reduce filesystem-check overhead. It is safe only when every release includes an explicit OPcache reset, invalidation, or FPM worker restart. PHP documents this consequence directly: with timestamp validation disabled, filesystem changes require manual invalidation or a web-server/worker restart.
Do not confuse this bytecode cache with Nginx response caching. OPcache stores compiled PHP inside PHP workers. Nginx fastcgi_cache stores HTTP responses and has separate freshness, personalization, and invalidation rules. Enabling one does not enable or invalidate the other.
5. Route PHP requests from Nginx to the intended FPM pool
OPcache settings cannot help if Nginx sends the request to a different PHP version or pool. A minimal location has these responsibilities:
location ~ .php$ {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_index index.php;
}The socket shown is an example. Use the Unix socket exposed by the installed FPM pool, or a TCP endpoint such as 127.0.0.1:9000 when that is how the pool listens. The PHP version and socket filename must match the service that owns the configuration you edited.
Why each line matters
include fastcgi_paramssupplies the standard FastCGI request parameters used by the server’s configuration.fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME ...gives FPM the filesystem path of the script. An incorrect value causes “primary script unknown” errors or can expose files outside the intended document root.fastcgi_passselects the FPM Unix socket or TCP listener. A stale or wrong endpoint commonly produces a 502 response.fastcgi_index index.phpidentifies the default PHP index file for FastCGI handling.
Keep the PHP location narrow enough that Nginx does not pass arbitrary non-PHP files to FPM. Ensure the computed SCRIPT_FILENAME remains inside the intended document root and that the location’s regular expression and other server rules do not override the security boundary.
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6. Validate and apply the configuration
- Save the PHP configuration and Nginx server-block changes.
- Test Nginx syntax before touching live traffic:
nginx -t- If the test succeeds, reload Nginx so its FastCGI routing changes are active.
- Restart, or perform an equivalent worker restart for, the matching PHP-FPM service. This is the reliable step for process-level OPcache configuration changes and clears workers that still hold the old settings.
- Check that the FPM service remains running, then request a harmless PHP page through the target hostname.
The exact service-manager command varies by operating system and package. Use the service name associated with the FPM version that owns the socket in fastcgi_pass; restarting a different PHP version does not update the workers serving this server block.
7. Verify OPcache from the web request
Open the temporary status endpoint again after the FPM restart. A successful result should show all of the following:
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- The PHP version and loaded configuration path belong to the intended FPM pool.
Exercise a harmless application request after deployment and inspect the Nginx and PHP-FPM logs for FastCGI connection failures, “primary script unknown” messages, or startup warnings. Remove both the status script and any phpinfo() endpoint once the checks are complete.
Understanding effective settings and capacity
OPcache directives are process settings, so the value that matters is the value printed by the FPM request, not the value in an editor or in a shell session. If several scanned .ini fragments define the same directive, the effective configuration is the one PHP-FPM reports after loading them. This is why a web diagnostic should be part of the change: it reveals the PHP version, main file, scanned directory, extension state, and final directive values together.
The memory and file limits solve different capacity problems. opcache.memory_consumption reserves shared memory for compiled scripts, while opcache.max_accelerated_files limits how many scripts can be stored. An application can fit under one limit and still exceed the other. Count the PHP files that the application actually loads, include framework and vendor directories when appropriate, and compare that count with the accelerated-file limit. Use the status output after a representative request to decide whether the baseline is sufficient instead of increasing both values automatically.
The interned-string buffer is separate from the main bytecode allocation. Leave the documented 8 MB starting value unless measurements from the running application justify a change. Increasing a setting consumes additional shared memory; it is not a substitute for fixing a request that is routed to the wrong pool or a deployment that never invalidates stale scripts.
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Reloads, restarts, and invalidation are different operations
Reloading Nginx applies changes to request routing and FastCGI parameters. It does not make an already-running PHP-FPM worker reread OPcache directives. A PHP-FPM restart, or an equivalent restart of the workers in the serving pool, is the dependable action after changing zend_extension or OPcache settings.
When timestamp validation is disabled, a worker restart is also one way to discard bytecode from the previous release. PHP additionally exposes opcache_reset() and opcache_invalidate() for controlled invalidation. If you use an application or deployment hook to call them, protect that hook so an unauthenticated web visitor cannot clear or manipulate the cache. Whichever method you choose, make it an explicit, observable deployment step rather than relying on an operator remembering it later.
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With validation enabled and opcache.revalidate_freq=2, a changed file can remain cached until the next permitted check. Setting the frequency to 0 checks every request and is useful for development, but it adds filesystem checks to every request. A longer interval, such as the 60-second value in PHP’s deployment example, is appropriate only when that delay is acceptable and releases are controlled.
Common configuration mistakes to avoid
- Editing only the CLI file: a successful
php --iniresult does not identify the FPM file. - Declaring the extension twice: check vendor fragments before adding another
zend_extensionline. - Restarting the wrong PHP version: match the service to the socket named in
fastcgi_pass. - Changing Nginx but not testing it: run
nginx -tbefore reloading. - Using a broad PHP location: ensure
SCRIPT_FILENAMEcannot map requests outside the intended document root. - Disabling comments to save space: docblock-dependent frameworks and tools may stop functioning.
- Leaving diagnostics online: remove status and
phpinfo()files after verification.
Troubleshooting by symptom
CLI reports OPcache, but the browser reports it disabled
That is usually an SAPI mismatch. The CLI and FPM processes may use different PHP installations, main configuration files, or scanned directories. Use the web-only diagnostic to identify FPM’s loaded configuration, then place the directives in that file or its included OPcache fragment. Restart the matching FPM workers and test again.
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Code changes do not appear
Check opcache.validate_timestamps first. If it is 0, OPcache will not discover edits through timestamp checks; reset or invalidate the affected scripts, or restart the FPM workers. If validation is enabled, inspect opcache.revalidate_freq: a nonzero value permits old bytecode to remain until the next scheduled check. Also confirm that the request reaches the pool you restarted rather than another socket or PHP version.
Nginx returns 502 Bad Gateway
Verify that the FPM service is running and that fastcgi_pass names its live Unix socket or listening TCP address. A versioned socket filename is easy to leave behind after a PHP upgrade. Check Nginx’s error log and the FPM service log, then retest the configuration and reload Nginx after correcting the endpoint.
“Primary script unknown” or the wrong script executes
Inspect SCRIPT_FILENAME and compare the resulting path with the real document root and requested file. A mismatch between $document_root, symlinks, and the server block can point FPM at a nonexistent script. Make sure the PHP location cannot map arbitrary paths outside the intended application tree.
Framework annotations stop working
Set opcache.save_comments=1 and restart FPM. Some frameworks and developer tools parse docblock annotations; discarding comments can make those components fail even though ordinary PHP execution appears normal.
The status page shows a different PHP version or pool
Check the hostname, Nginx server block, fastcgi_pass endpoint, and FPM pool configuration as one chain. A diagnostic file requested through a different host header can land in another server block, while a copied socket path can route to an older PHP installation. Verify the route from the same URL users access.
Operational checklist for future releases
- Confirm the release strategy: automatic timestamp checks or an explicit reset/restart.
- If timestamp validation is disabled, include OPcache invalidation or an FPM worker restart in every deployment.
- Keep the file-count and memory limits large enough for the current application, based on status output rather than a generic benchmark.
- Preserve comments unless annotation compatibility has been tested.
- After a release, make one harmless web request and check logs for FastCGI and script-path errors.
- Keep diagnostic endpoints removed from the public document root.
There is no universal percentage speed improvement established by the cited PHP and Nginx documentation. The measurable benefit depends on the application’s code size, request mix, worker count, filesystem, and deployment process. The reliable outcome of this configuration is that PHP-FPM can reuse compiled bytecode instead of parsing every script on every request, while your chosen validation and restart policy determines how quickly new code becomes visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which php.ini file does PHP-FPM use?
The FPM SAPI can use a different main php.ini and scanned .ini directory than CLI PHP. Create a temporary web diagnostic with phpinfo() or opcache_get_status(), request it through the target Nginx hostname, and use the reported loaded configuration path.
Does Nginx enable OPcache?
No. Nginx passes PHP requests to PHP-FPM through FastCGI. The FPM workers load the OPcache extension and directives.
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CLI and FPM are separate SAPIs and may use different PHP installations or configuration directories. Verify the FPM request directly, then configure and restart the pool that serves the Nginx server block.
Do I need to restart PHP-FPM after changing opcache.ini?
Yes. Restart the matching FPM service or perform an equivalent worker restart so new extension and process-level OPcache settings are loaded. Reloading Nginx alone is not sufficient.
Should opcache.validate_timestamps be disabled in production?
Only when the deployment process explicitly resets or invalidates OPcache, or restarts the FPM workers, after every release. Keep it enabled when automatic detection of changed files is required.
What does opcache.revalidate_freq=0 do?
With timestamp validation enabled, zero checks for changed scripts on every request. It improves development freshness at the cost of more filesystem checks.
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Can I use fastcgi_cache instead of OPcache?
No. OPcache caches compiled PHP bytecode inside PHP workers. Nginx fastcgi_cache caches HTTP responses and has separate freshness and invalidation behavior; the two features are not substitutes.
Why do framework annotations fail after enabling OPcache?
Ensure opcache.save_comments=1. Discarding comments can remove docblock annotations that frameworks and developer tools inspect.
What causes a 502 after changing the configuration?
Check that the FPM service is running and that Nginx’s fastcgi_pass points to its current Unix socket or TCP listener. Confirm the PHP version and socket belong to the same pool you restarted.
Is the example socket path universal?
No. /run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock is only an example. Use the socket exposed by the installed FPM pool, or its configured TCP endpoint.
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