Error with sieve - affects all attempts to download mail

24 Oct 2026


      I have my test server working properly.  I copied the new configuration over to the production mail server and anytime someone tries to connect to dovecot I get the following error logged:
Oct 24 09:59:17 mail dovecot[96435]: imap-login: Logged in: user=<doug>, method=PLAIN, rip=10.0.1.250, lip=10.0.1.230, mpid=96557, TLS, TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits), session=<dkrGA5le5jUKAAH6>, port=143
Oct 24 09:59:17 mail dovecot[96435]: imap(doug): Error: Couldn't load required plugin /usr/local/lib/dovecot/lib20_mail_log_plugin.so: Plugin notify must be loaded also (you must set: mail_plugins=$mail_plugins notify) (trying to load modules: sieve mail_log)
I have not been able to find anything different between the two systems.  The test system just works, the production does not.
mail# doveconf
2.4.5 (0cbb641e3e): /usr/local/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
Pigeonhole version 2.4.5 (742bb892)
OS: FreeBSD 15.1-RELEASE-p2 arm64  ufs
Hostname: mail
27 default setting changes since version 2.4.2
dovecot_config_version = 2.4.2
auth_mechanisms = plain cram-md5
base_dir = /var/run/home_mail/
dovecot_storage_version = 2.4.0
first_valid_gid = 0
imap_capability = SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE LITERAL+ STARTTLS LOGINDISABLED "AUTH=CRAM-MD5"
lda_mailbox_autocreate = yes
log_debug = category=mail
login_log_format_elements = user=<%{user}> method=%{mechanism} rip=%{remote_ip} lip=%{local_ip} mpid=%{mail_pid} %{secured} %{ssl_security} session=<%{session}> port=%{local_port}
mail_driver = maildir
mail_gid = 2222
mail_home = /var/mail/home_mail/%{user | username}
mail_log_events = delete undelete expunge copy mailbox_delete mailbox_rename
mail_log_fields = uid box msgid size from
mail_log_prefix = %{protocol}(%{user})[%{remote_ip}]<%{session}>:
mail_path = /var/mail/home_mail/%{user | username}/Maildir
mail_temp_scan_interval = 0
mail_uid = 2222
postmaster_address = doug@sermon-archive.info
protocols = imap
syslog_facility = local1
verbose_proctitle = yes
namespace inbox {
inbox = yes
mailbox Drafts {
autoexpunge = 5 days
special_use = "\\Drafts"
}
mailbox Junk {
autoexpunge = 5 days
special_use = "\\Junk"
}
mailbox Trash {
autoexpunge = 50 days
special_use = "\\Trash"
}
mailbox Sent {
autoexpunge = 30 days
special_use = "\\Sent"
}
mailbox "Sent Messages" {
autoexpunge = 30 days
special_use = "\\Sent"
}
}
passdb passwd-file {
auth_username_format = %{user | username}
default_password_scheme = CRYPT
driver = passwd-file
passwd_file_path = /usr/local/etc/dovecot/users
}
userdb static {
driver = static
fields {
allow_all_users = yes
home = /var/mail/home_mail/{user|domain}/{user|username}
}
}
service imap-login {
inet_listener imap {
port = 143
}
inet_listener imaps {
port = 993
ssl = yes
}
inet_listener imaps2 {
port = 998
ssl = yes
}
}
service auth {
unix_listener auth-userdb {
group = vmail
mode = 0666
user = vmail
}
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
group = postfix
mode = 0660
user = postfix
}
}
service stats {
unix_listener stats-reader {
group = vmail
mode = 0660
user = vmail
}
unix_listener stats-writer {
group = vmail
mode = 0660
user = vmail
}
}
ssl_server {
cert_file = /www/certs/mail.pem
dh_file = /usr/local/etc/dovecot/dh.pem
key_file = # hidden, use -P to show it
}
protocol lda {
mail_plugins {
sieve = yes
}
}
protocol imap {
imap_metadata = yes
mail_plugins {
sieve = yes
mail_log = yes
}
}
protocol pop3 {
mail_plugins {
mail_log = yes
notify = yes
}
}
sieve_script personal {
active_path = /var/mail/home_mail/%{user | username}/.dovecot.sieve
driver = file
path = /var/mail/home_mail/%{user | username}/sieve
}
mail_attribute {
dict file {
path = %{home}/Maildir/dovecot-attributes
}
}
-- Doug

Error with sieve - affects all attempts to download mail

Doug Hardie

2.4.5 (0cbb641e3e): /usr/local/etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf

Pigeonhole version 2.4.5 (742bb892)

OS: FreeBSD 15.1-RELEASE-p2 arm64 ufs

Hostname: mail

27 default setting changes since version 2.4.2