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Enable OPcache in the configuration loaded by PHP-FPM, not just the command-line PHP installation. Confirm that the extension is loaded, add a suitable OPcache baseline to the FPM SAPI’s php.ini or scanned .ini file, make Nginx pass requests to the intended FPM socket, restart the FPM workers, and verify the result through a web request. Nginx itself does not turn OPcache on; it forwards PHP requests to PHP-FPM through FastCGI.
The procedure below separates CLI checks from the web SAPI, keeps edited files fresh during development, and gives production deployments an explicit cache-invalidation strategy.
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What OPcache does—and what Nginx and PHP-FPM do
OPcache is a PHP extension that stores precompiled PHP bytecode in shared memory. Without it, PHP repeatedly loads and parses source scripts as requests arrive. With it, workers can reuse compiled scripts until a file changes or the cache is reset.
The request path has three separate responsibilities:
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- Nginx accepts the HTTP request and passes PHP requests to a FastCGI server.
- PHP-FPM owns the PHP workers and the PHP configuration used by those workers.
- OPcache runs inside those PHP workers and stores compiled bytecode in their shared memory.
That division explains the most common mistake: php --ini and php -m inspect the CLI SAPI. A browser request may use a different PHP version, a different php.ini, or a different extension directory through FPM. Always verify the final state through the same Nginx server block and FPM pool that serve the application.
OPcache is also different from Nginx response caching. OPcache stores compiled PHP code; Nginx fastcgi_cache stores complete HTTP responses. They have different invalidation rules and can be enabled independently.
Before changing configuration
Have shell access with permission to read PHP and Nginx configuration, edit the FPM configuration, and restart the relevant service. Record the PHP version used by the application and identify whether FPM communicates through a Unix socket or a TCP address. Make a copy of any configuration file before editing it.
Use a temporary diagnostic endpoint only on a protected development or administration path. A page containing phpinfo() exposes paths, modules, environment variables and server details; remove it as soon as verification is complete.
1. Identify the PHP-FPM configuration and extension
Use CLI commands as an initial inventory
Run these commands to see what the command-line SAPI knows:
php --ini
php -m | grep -i opcacheThe first command prints the CLI configuration file and scanned directory. The second reports whether the CLI extension is loaded. These results are useful clues, but they do not prove that the browser-facing FPM SAPI is configured the same way.
Inspect the FPM SAPI from a web request
Create a temporary PHP file in the document root, for example opcache-check.php:
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<?php
header('Content-Type: text/plain');
var_dump(opcache_get_status(false));
phpinfo();Request it through the real hostname and server block. In the output, note Loaded Configuration File, every directory listed under Scan this dir for additional .ini files, the PHP version, and the OPcache section. Those values identify the files PHP-FPM actually reads.
After you know the configuration, delete the endpoint. If you need a lower-exposure check, use a temporary script that prints only selected values:
<?php
header('Content-Type: text/plain');
$status = function_exists('opcache_get_status') ? opcache_get_status(false) : false;
var_dump([
'opcache.enable' => ini_get('opcache.enable'),
'opcache.revalidate_freq' => ini_get('opcache.revalidate_freq'),
'status' => $status ? $status['opcache_enabled'] : false,
]);This still must be removed after testing.
Load the extension only once
If OPcache was built as a shared extension and is not already loaded, PHP documents loading it with a zend_extension directive:
zend_extension=/full/path/to/opcache.soPackaged Linux installations commonly enable OPcache in a vendor-provided .ini fragment. Check the FPM SAPI’s loaded configuration before adding this line. A duplicate loader can produce startup warnings or prevent PHP from starting cleanly. If the extension is absent, install the OPcache package that matches the FPM PHP version, then repeat the web-SAPI check.
2. Add a conservative OPcache baseline to the FPM configuration
Edit the php.ini reported by the FPM diagnostic, or an OPcache-specific .ini file in the FPM SAPI’s scanned directory. PHP-FPM uses normal php.ini syntax. Do not place these directives only in the CLI configuration.
; Place in the php.ini or OPcache .ini file 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 currently lists 128 MB for opcache.memory_consumption, 8 MB for opcache.interned_strings_buffer, 10,000 for opcache.max_accelerated_files, enabled timestamp validation, and a two-second revalidation interval as directive defaults. These are starting points, not a capacity guarantee for every application.
| Directive | Purpose | How to choose it |
|---|---|---|
opcache.enable |
Enables opcode caching for the SAPI. | Set to 1 for the FPM workers that serve the application. |
opcache.memory_consumption |
Shared memory available for cached bytecode. | Increase only when status output shows the cache approaching its limit; account for the memory available to all FPM workers and other services. |
opcache.interned_strings_buffer |
Memory reserved for interned strings. | Use the baseline first, then adjust based on the application and observed status. |
opcache.max_accelerated_files |
Maximum number of scripts that can be cached. | Choose a limit above the application’s PHP-file count, including vendor code, without setting an arbitrary value merely to make the number larger. |
opcache.validate_timestamps |
Controls whether OPcache checks source-file timestamps. | Keep it enabled while developing; disable it only when deployment always resets or replaces the cache. |
opcache.revalidate_freq |
Seconds between timestamp checks when validation is enabled. | A short interval favors freshness; a longer interval reduces filesystem checks. A value of 0 checks on every request. |
opcache.save_comments |
Retains comments and docblocks in cached scripts. | Keep it enabled unless the application is known not to use annotations. PHP warns that removing comments can break frameworks and tools that parse docblocks. |
PHP’s installation guidance also shows a deployment-oriented example using opcache.max_accelerated_files=4000 and opcache.revalidate_freq=60. That example is not a universal recommendation: select values from the application’s file count and release process rather than copying it unchanged.
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Check whether the cache is large enough
After the first restart and normal application traffic, inspect opcache_get_status(). Look for the cache’s total and used memory, the number of cached scripts, and the configured upper limit. If the cache fills, PHP may report wasted memory or stop caching additional files; increase capacity only after confirming the limit is the cause. A larger cache consumes real shared memory and does not improve an application that has few scripts.
3. Ensure Nginx sends PHP files to the intended FPM pool
A minimal Nginx location has the same core responsibilities as the official FastCGI example:
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;
}Replace the socket with the path exposed by the installed FPM pool. A pool can instead listen on a TCP endpoint such as 127.0.0.1:9000:
fastcgi_pass 127.0.0.1:9000;The PHP version and socket filename in these examples are placeholders. Inspect the pool configuration and the service status to find the live endpoint. The Nginx worker must be able to connect to a Unix socket, including any required group permissions.
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Keep the script filename safe
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name; tells FPM which file to execute. Make sure $document_root is the intended application directory and that the location does not pass arbitrary, nonexistent or user-controlled paths to PHP. An incorrect filename commonly causes “Primary script unknown” errors; an overly broad PHP location can expose files that should never be executed.
Test Nginx before reloading
Validate the syntax first:
nginx -tOnly after a successful test, reload Nginx so it rereads the server configuration. Reloading Nginx does not reload OPcache inside existing PHP-FPM workers; the FPM workers must be restarted or otherwise recycled for process-level OPcache configuration changes to take effect.
4. Apply the settings and verify them through the web SAPI
- Reload Nginx after
nginx -tsucceeds. - Restart or reload the matching PHP-FPM service with the host’s service manager. A restart is the reliable choice after changing OPcache directives because it replaces workers that already hold the old configuration. Service names vary by distribution and PHP version; use the installed unit rather than assuming a particular name.
- Request the temporary diagnostic endpoint through the same hostname and server block as the application.
- Confirm that
opcache.enableis1,opcache_get_status()reports an enabled cache, and the reported memory, file limit and revalidation settings match the FPM configuration. - Make a harmless application request and inspect the Nginx and PHP-FPM logs. FastCGI connection failures, permission errors and script-filename errors usually indicate routing or service problems rather than an OPcache directive problem.
- Delete the diagnostic file and clear any access-control exception created for it.
If the browser still reports a disabled cache, check that the request reached the expected FPM pool. Multiple PHP versions, server blocks and sockets can make a correct edit appear ineffective when traffic is routed elsewhere.
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Development and production settings are different decisions
Development: prioritize freshness
Keep opcache.validate_timestamps=1 while developing. OPcache then checks whether source files changed at the configured interval. Set opcache.revalidate_freq=0 when immediate visibility of every edit matters; a short nonzero interval reduces filesystem checks while still detecting changes automatically.
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Production: choose an explicit invalidation method
For a release process that atomically replaces the complete application tree, a team may set opcache.validate_timestamps=0 to avoid timestamp checks. PHP documents the consequence: changed files will not take effect until OPcache is reset, individual scripts are invalidated, or the web workers are restarted.
A production deployment must therefore contain a deterministic cache step. The usual options are:
- Restart the matching PHP-FPM workers after publishing the new release.
- Run a controlled operation that calls
opcache_reset()for the relevant cache. - Invalidate selected scripts with
opcache_invalidate()when the deployment system can identify exactly what changed.
Do not expose reset functions through an unauthenticated web URL. Run them from a restricted deployment mechanism or use the FPM restart approach. If the release process can leave old and new files mixed in one tree, do not disable timestamp validation without first fixing that deployment risk.
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| Concern | Development profile | Production profile |
|---|---|---|
| Source freshness | Timestamp validation enabled; recheck immediately or at a short interval. | Validation can be longer or disabled only when every release performs an invalidation step. |
| Deployment action | Edits are discovered automatically. | Restart FPM or reset/invalidate OPcache as part of the release. |
| Compatibility | Retain comments and docblocks unless the project proves they are unnecessary. | Use the same compatibility setting; performance tuning is not a reason to remove annotations blindly. |
| Verification | Check the web SAPI after configuration edits. | Check the new release with a web request and review FastCGI and FPM logs. |
Troubleshooting common failures
“CLI says enabled, but the browser says disabled”
CLI and FPM can load different configuration files, extension directories and PHP versions. Use the temporary web diagnostic to read the FPM Loaded Configuration File, scanned .ini directory, PHP version and OPcache status. Edit that configuration, restart the matching FPM service, and test through the application’s server block. Do not try to solve an FPM mismatch by editing the CLI php.ini repeatedly.
“I changed a PHP file, but the old code still runs”
Check opcache.validate_timestamps and opcache.revalidate_freq in the web SAPI. With validation disabled, a filesystem change is intentionally invisible until you reset OPcache, invalidate the script or restart the FPM workers. With validation enabled, wait for the configured interval, then verify that the request is reaching the expected document root and release directory.
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“A 502 Bad Gateway appeared after changing Nginx”
A 502 generally means Nginx cannot reach the FastCGI endpoint. Confirm that the FPM service is running, that fastcgi_pass names its live Unix socket or TCP address, and that the Nginx worker has permission to use a Unix socket. Check both Nginx’s error log and the FPM service log. If the socket filename contains a PHP version that is no longer installed, update the location to the active pool and reload Nginx after a successful syntax test.
“Primary script unknown” or the wrong file executes
Inspect SCRIPT_FILENAME, $document_root, the server block selected for the hostname, and the actual release path. The file must exist where FPM expects it, and the FPM user must be able to traverse its directories and read it. Tighten the PHP location so only intended PHP files are passed to FPM; never use a document-root expression that can be manipulated into an arbitrary filesystem path.
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Keep opcache.save_comments=1. Some frameworks and command-line tools inspect docblock annotations at runtime. If comments were disabled, restore the setting and restart FPM so newly cached scripts retain them.
“The extension fails to load or PHP will not start”
Look for duplicate zend_extension lines, a path that does not exist, or a module built for a different PHP version. Remove the duplicate loader, install a matching module, or correct the path in the FPM-scanned configuration. Validate the configuration and inspect the service log before sending traffic back to the pool.
Capacity, pools and monitoring
OPcache memory is shared by the PHP-FPM workers using a cache. The configured memory size must be large enough for the application’s compiled scripts and interned strings, but allocating more does not automatically make requests faster. Consider the total memory budget of the host, the number of FPM pools, and whether separate pools use separate caches in your PHP build and operating-system packaging.
Monitor the values returned by opcache_get_status() during normal traffic: enabled state, used and free memory, cached-script count, restart indicators and wasted-memory information. A cache that repeatedly reaches its file or memory limit needs capacity planning; a cache with ample free space does not justify arbitrary increases.
There is no universal percentage speed-up established by the official configuration documentation. Treat the published directive values as configuration defaults and measure your own application if you need a performance decision. Compare like-for-like requests, keep deployment and database conditions constant, and record whether the test used a warm cache.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Confirm the PHP version and FPM pool serving the application.
- Use
php --iniandphp -monly as CLI inventory checks. - Read the FPM configuration from a temporary, protected web diagnostic.
- Ensure OPcache is loaded once, not duplicated across scanned
.inifiles. - Set the baseline directives in the FPM SAPI configuration.
- Keep comments when the application or its tools use annotations.
- Verify
fastcgi_passandSCRIPT_FILENAMEin the Nginx server block. - Run
nginx -tbefore reloading Nginx. - Restart the matching FPM workers after OPcache configuration changes.
- Verify status through the application’s web path, then remove diagnostic files.
- Document whether releases restart FPM, reset OPcache or invalidate individual scripts.
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