502 Bad Gateway

Apache Restarts

Apache restarts happen every 2 hours on the shared hosting servers. During the restarts on the Johnny server, your site may display a 502 error to visitors. On the Morty and Tommy servers, a 504 error may display. These errors typically last no longer than a couple of minutes and are resolved once Apache has finished restarting.

The difference in error messages (502 vs. 504) is due to the restart method used. A hard restart interrupts Apache abruptly, leading to a 502 (Bad Gateway), and a graceful restart will give the 504 (Gateway Timeout). The restart approach on Johnny is different in order to minimize downtime and address user concerns about longer wait times for the server to come back up. Because the wait time for restarts on Morty and Tommy is much quicker, the graceful approach is preferred on these servers.

To check the status of our servers, please visit the visit the HelioHost Services Status Page. The status page provides a real-time overview of your server’s status and includes a history of past incidents.

If you prefer not to have Apache restart, you can sign up for a VPS, where you can leave Apache or Nginx running for months without a restart. We offer a range of VPS plans, and a 10% discount when you pay for 6 months upfront.