avoid_ref_inside_state_dispose

v0.4.0 Warning Riverpod State

This rule catches ref usage inside the dispose() method of ConsumerState classes. By the time dispose() runs, providers may already be torn down, so reading or watching them can throw unexpected errors or return stale data.

Why use this rule

In Riverpod, the lifecycle of providers and widgets is not tightly coupled. When dispose() fires, there is no guarantee that the providers you are trying to access are still alive. Accessing ref in dispose() can silently read disposed state or throw UnmountedRefException, leading to hard-to-debug crashes in production.

See also: Riverpod automatic disposal

Don’t

class MyWidgetState extends ConsumerState<ConsumerStatefulWidget> {
  @override
  void dispose() {
    // ref may already be invalid at this point
    ref.read(someProvider);
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) => const SizedBox();
}

Do

class MyWidgetState extends ConsumerState<ConsumerStatefulWidget> {
  @override
  void dispose() {
    // Clean up without accessing ref
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    // ref is safe to use in build
    final value = ref.watch(someProvider);
    return Text(value);
  }
}

Configuration

This rule is in the recommended preset, so it is on with preset: recommended or preset: opinionated. Add it to preset: core with avoid_ref_inside_state_dispose: true.

To turn it off:

many_lints.yaml

rules:
  avoid_ref_inside_state_dispose: false

To keep the rule on but skip certain paths, use per-rule exclude.

Related rules

• avoid_ref_read_inside_build — Subscribe in build; do not read once.
• avoid_ref_watch_outside_build — Subscribe only in build; read once everywhere else.
• use_ref_and_state_synchronously — Check ref.mounted before using ref or state after an await.
• async_value_nullable_pattern — Matching AsyncValue(:final value?) on a nullable value hides a legitimate null result.