# Why can a Helm 4 upgrade stopped with SIGKILL leave the release in pending-upgrade when Ctrl+C doesn't?

Helm, Hard (Expert), Troubleshooting. https://k8wiz.com/uquiz/why-can-a-helm-4-upgrade-stopped-with-sigkill-leave-the-release-in-pending-upgrade-when-ctrlc-doesnt

- A. Ctrl+C makes Helm roll back first, which SIGKILL never allows
- B. SIGKILL stops the API request that removes the release lock
- C. Helm traps SIGINT and SIGTERM to record failed; SIGKILL can't be trapped
- D. Kubernetes deletes the release Secret on SIGINT but not on SIGKILL

**Answer:** Helm traps SIGINT and SIGTERM to record failed; SIGKILL can't be trapped

**Explanation:** During an upgrade, Helm listens for SIGINT and SIGTERM, cancels the operation and records the revision as failed, which doesn't block later upgrades. SIGKILL ends the process at once, so the revision keeps its pending-upgrade status. That's why CI job timeouts should be longer than Helm's own --timeout.