Default max_concurrent_processing to half the CPUs pixa sees (closes #242)

The default was one image per CPU Go uses, and a container with no CPU
limit sees every CPU of the host. It is now half of runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0),
rounded down and at least 1, from imageprocessor.DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing,
which both the config and imageprocessor.New use. The two existing tests of
the default expect the new one, as the owner allowed on the issue.

"Running under upaas" gives the worst-case memory, with a per-image peak of
about 1.6 GiB measured on pixad for an 8192x8192 source in each output
format, and tells the operator to set PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING and
PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS to fit the container's memory.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -126,6 +126,17 @@ What the [upaas](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/upaas) app for pixa needs:
     - `PIXA_CACHE_MAX_BYTES`: disk cache limit in bytes; `0` disables it;
       default 75% of (free space + what the cache holds)
     - the rest are in the table under Configuration below
+- **Memory:** pixa can use up to `max_concurrent_processing` times 1.6 GiB for
+  the images it processes at once, plus `upstream_connections` times
+  `upstream_max_response_size` for the source images it has fetched that wait
+  for processing. 1.6 GiB is the most pixad's resident memory was measured to
+  grow while it processed one 8192x8192 source, the largest it accepts, into
+  each output format in turn, one at a time; it grew most for a 40 MB JPEG of
+  random pixels saved as AVIF. At the defaults that is half the CPUs pixa sees
+  times 1.6 GiB, plus 64 times 50 MiB: on a host where pixa sees 48 CPUs, 24
+  times 1.6 GiB plus 3.1 GiB, about 42 GiB. Set `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING`
+  and `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS` so that this fits the memory the container may
+  use.
 - **Health check:** the image's `HEALTHCHECK` requests
   `/.well-known/healthcheck.json`. upaas reads the container's health 60 seconds
   after a deploy and marks the deploy failed unless it is `healthy`. The probe
@@ -200,10 +211,9 @@ path under `/v1/` answers 200, in maintenance mode too.
   `image_requests_per_minute` (below); 415 when the upstream answers with a
   `Content-Type` that is not one of the source formats (below), or with an image
   whose first bytes libvips reads as another format; 502 when the upstream
-  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for an image of
+  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same
-  the same source URL that pixa can neither serve from its cache nor make from
+  source URL; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance mode; 500 for any other
-  the source image still in its cache; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance
+  failure.
-  mode; 500 for any other failure.
 - `GET` or `HEAD` `/v1/e/<token>/<name>` — an image through an encrypted URL
   (see Encrypted URLs). Needs: nothing but the URL. Answers: 200; 304 when
   `If-None-Match` matches the image's `ETag`; 400 for a token that does not
@@ -419,9 +429,7 @@ HMAC-SHA256(secret, "host:path:query:width:height:format:expiration:quality:fit"
 
 Where:
 
-- `host` — source host as the URL writes it up to the first `/`, in lower case,
+- `host` — source origin hostname (e.g. `cdn.example.com`)
-  keeping an IPv6 address's brackets and any `:` and port after it (e.g.
-  `cdn.example.com`, `cdn.example.com:8443`, `[2001:db8::1]:8443`)
 - `path` — source path (e.g. `/photos/cat.jpg`), with each `%` written as `%25`
   and each `:` as `%3A`, so `/photos/a:b.jpg` is signed as `/photos/a%3Ab.jpg`
 - `query` — source query string, empty string if none, with `%` and `:` written
@@ -476,12 +484,6 @@ entry that is neither a host name (letters, digits, hyphens, underscores and
 dots, with at most one leading dot) nor an IP address, such as one with a port
 or a `*.` wildcard, aborts startup.
 
-pixa lower-cases the host of a `/v1/image/` URL before anything else uses it, so
-`CDN.Example.com` is matched, fetched, cached and counted against
-`upstream_connections_per_host` as `cdn.example.com`. Such a URL whose host has
-a port, as in `cdn.example.com:8443`, or a `:` with no port, needs a signature
-even when the host is allowlisted. A host holding `@` is refused with 400.
-
 ### Configuration
 
 Every setting can be given as an environment variable, in a YAML config file
@@ -524,7 +526,7 @@ tell. With no file, pixa uses the environment and the defaults.
 | `PIXA_ALLOW_HTTP`                    | `allow_http`                    | Allow plain-HTTP upstreams, for testing only; default `false`                |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS_PER_HOST` | `upstream_connections_per_host` | Concurrent connections per upstream host; default `20`                       |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS`          | `upstream_connections`          | Concurrent connections to all upstream hosts together; default `64`          |
-| `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING`     | `max_concurrent_processing`     | Images processed at once; default the number of CPUs                         |
+| `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING`     | `max_concurrent_processing`     | Images processed at once; default half the CPUs, at least 1                  |
 | `PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE`     | `image_requests_per_minute`     | Image requests per client per minute; `0` turns it off; default `600`        |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_FETCH_TIMEOUT`        | `upstream_fetch_timeout`        | Time allowed for one fetch from an upstream host; default `30s`              |
 | `PIXA_UPSTREAM_MAX_RESPONSE_SIZE`    | `upstream_max_response_size`    | Largest upstream response accepted, in bytes; default 50 MiB                 |
@@ -610,10 +612,12 @@ Key settings in more detail:
   does, and `downstream_timeout` has not ended first, the request is answered
   503 with the error `server busy, try again later`
 - `max_concurrent_processing` — the most images decoded and encoded at once;
-  default the number of CPUs pixa can use (`GOMAXPROCS`), which follows a
+  default half the CPUs pixa can use (`GOMAXPROCS`, which follows a container's
-  container's CPU limit. A request that finds all of them in use waits up to 10
+  CPU limit), rounded down, and at least 1. A value that is not a whole number
-  seconds for one to free up; if none does, and `downstream_timeout` has not
+  of at least 1 aborts startup. A request that finds all of them in use waits up
-  ended first, it is answered 503 the same way
+  to 10 seconds for one to free up; if none does, and `downstream_timeout` has
+  not ended first, it is answered 503 the same way. Each one can take a lot of
+  memory: see "Running under upaas"
 - `image_requests_per_minute` — how many requests one client may send to the
   image routes per minute (see the limit on them under Routes); default `600`.
   `0` turns the limit off, and a negative or non-integer value aborts startup.

TODO.md

@@ -30,27 +30,16 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-- 2026-10-15 a cached variant is served while its source URL is in the negative
+- 2026-10-15 `max_concurrent_processing` defaults to half the CPUs pixa sees,
-  cache (closes #245): `Get` checked the negative cache before the variant
+  rounded down, and at least 1 (closes #242): it defaulted to one image per CPU,
-  cache, so once a fetch of the source failed, as one does when another variant
+  and a container with no CPU limit sees every CPU of the host, so on a 48-CPU
-  misses after the source was evicted and the upstream is down, every variant of
+  host pixa processed 48 images at once, each of which can take about 1.6 GiB.
-  that source answered 502 for 5 minutes, also one on disk or one that could be
+  `imageprocessor.DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing` gives the default to the
-  made from the cached source. The negative cache is now checked only just
+  config and to `imageprocessor.New`; `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING` still
-  before a fetch from the upstream, so a cached variant is served and a variant
+  overrides it. "Running under upaas" in `README.md` gives the worst-case
-  not in the cache is made from the cached source when there is one. `README.md`
+  memory, measured, and tells the operator to set
-  says so under `/v1/image/`. A refusal from the negative cache now counts as a
+  `PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING` and `PIXA_UPSTREAM_CONNECTIONS` to fit the
-  miss, as any other request that misses the variant cache does.
+  container's memory.
-- 2026-10-15 the host of a `/v1/image/` URL is lower-cased, and one with a port
-  needs a signature (closes #246): with `cdn.example.com` allowlisted,
-  `CDN.Example.com` and `cdn.example.com:8443` passed the allowlist too, and
-  each spelling was fetched and cached on its own and had connections of its own
-  under `upstream_connections_per_host`. The image URL parser now lower-cases
-  the host and refuses one holding `@`, which a URL reads as a user name and
-  password, with 400. A host with a port, or with a `:` and no port, needs a
-  signature even when it is allowlisted. That is checked in the image service,
-  not in `allowlist.IsAllowed`, which also matches `referer_blocklist`, where a
-  `Referer` is blocked whatever its port. A URL is signed over its host as it
-  writes it, in lower case, with any IPv6 brackets, `:` and port kept.
 - 2026-10-15 a `:` in the source path or query no longer moves where the path
   ends and the query begins (closes #247): the signed data and the cache key
   joined host, path and query with `:` and no escaping, so a URL signed for

configs/config.example.yml

@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ upstream_connections_per_host: 20
 # downstream_timeout has ended first.
 upstream_connections: 64
 
-# Maximum number of images decoded and encoded at once (default: the
+# Maximum number of images decoded and encoded at once (default: half the
-# number of CPUs pixa can use, which follows a container's CPU limit). A
+# number of CPUs pixa can use, at least 1; the number of CPUs follows a
-# request that finds none free waits up to 10 seconds for one, and if none
+# container's CPU limit). A request that finds none free waits up to 10
-# frees up it is answered 503, unless downstream_timeout has ended first.
+# seconds for one, and if none frees up it is answered 503, unless
+# downstream_timeout has ended first.
 # max_concurrent_processing: 4
 
 # How many requests to the image routes (/v1/image/ and /v1/e/) one client

internal/config/concurrency_limits_internal_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -12,8 +13,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 // TestOmittedConcurrencyLimitsUseDefaults checks that an omitted
-// max_concurrent_processing is the number of CPUs Go uses and an omitted
+// max_concurrent_processing is half the CPUs Go uses, and at least 1, and
-// upstream_connections is 64.
+// an omitted upstream_connections is 64.
 func TestOmittedConcurrencyLimitsUseDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -22,9 +23,9 @@ func TestOmittedConcurrencyLimitsUseDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("minimal config should be valid, got error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if c.MaxConcurrentProcessing != runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0) {
+	if c.MaxConcurrentProcessing != max(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)/2, 1) {
-		t.Errorf("MaxConcurrentProcessing = %d, want %d, one per CPU",
+		t.Errorf("MaxConcurrentProcessing = %d, want %d, half the CPUs",
-			c.MaxConcurrentProcessing, runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0))
+			c.MaxConcurrentProcessing, max(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)/2, 1))
 	}
 
 	if c.UpstreamConnections != 64 {
@@ -32,6 +33,36 @@ func TestOmittedConcurrencyLimitsUseDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestOmittedMaxConcurrentProcessingIsHalfTheCPUsAndAtLeastOne checks
+// that an omitted max_concurrent_processing is half the CPUs Go uses,
+// rounded down, and 1 when Go uses one CPU.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // it sets GOMAXPROCS, which other tests read
+func TestOmittedMaxConcurrentProcessingIsHalfTheCPUsAndAtLeastOne(t *testing.T) {
+	cpusBefore := runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() { runtime.GOMAXPROCS(cpusBefore) })
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ cpus, want int }{
+		{1, 1}, {2, 1}, {3, 1}, {8, 4},
+	} {
+		runtime.GOMAXPROCS(tc.cpus)
+
+		c, err := configFromYAML(t, signingKeyLine)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("minimal config should be valid, got error: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		t.Logf("GOMAXPROCS %d: MaxConcurrentProcessing %d",
+			tc.cpus, c.MaxConcurrentProcessing)
+
+		if c.MaxConcurrentProcessing != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("GOMAXPROCS %d: MaxConcurrentProcessing = %d, want %d",
+				tc.cpus, c.MaxConcurrentProcessing, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TestExplicitConcurrencyLimitsAreUsed checks that valid values for the
 // two limits are used as given.
 func TestExplicitConcurrencyLimitsAreUsed(t *testing.T) {
@@ -160,3 +191,19 @@ func TestConcurrencyLimitsFromEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestInvalidMaxConcurrentProcessingFromEnvironmentAbortsStartup checks
+// that a PIXA_MAX_CONCURRENT_PROCESSING that is not a whole number of at
+// least 1, an empty one included, aborts startup naming the variable and
+// the key instead of taking the default.
+func TestInvalidMaxConcurrentProcessingFromEnvironmentAbortsStartup(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, value := range []string{"", " ", "0.5", "half", "-1", "4 images"} {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("value %q", value), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv(testMaxConcurrentProcessingVar, value)
+
+			_, err := configFromYAML(t, signingKeyLine)
+			wantStartupError(t, err,
+				testMaxConcurrentProcessingVar, keyMaxConcurrentProcessing)
+		})
+	}
+}

internal/config/config.go

@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
-	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 
 	"git.eeqj.de/sneak/smartconfig"
 	"go.uber.org/fx"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/imageprocessor"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/logger"
 )
 
@@ -297,10 +297,8 @@ func newFromSmartConfig(sc *smartconfig.Config) (*Config, error) {
 			keyUpstreamConnectionsPerHost, DefaultUpstreamConnectionsPerHost),
 		UpstreamConnections: loader.intVal(
 			keyUpstreamConnections, DefaultUpstreamConnections),
-		// Decoding and encoding are CPU-bound, so the default is one image
+		MaxConcurrentProcessing: loader.intVal(keyMaxConcurrentProcessing,
-		// per CPU Go uses, which follows a container's CPU limit.
+			imageprocessor.DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing()),
-		MaxConcurrentProcessing: loader.intVal(
-			keyMaxConcurrentProcessing, runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)),
 		UpstreamFetchTimeout: loader.durationVal(
 			keyUpstreamFetchTimeout, DefaultUpstreamFetchTimeout),
 		UpstreamMaxResponseSize: loader.int64Val(

internal/imageprocessor/imageprocessor.go

@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ import (
 var vipsOnce sync.Once
 
 // initVips initializes libvips with quiet logging, one worker thread per
-// image and no operation cache. Process already works on one image per CPU
+// image and no operation cache. With one thread each, the images processed
-// by default, so more threads per image would only compete for the CPUs.
+// at once use no more CPUs than MaxConcurrentProcessing. Each request
-// Each request decodes different source bytes, so the operation cache
+// decodes different source bytes, so the operation cache would rarely be
-// would rarely be hit and would hold memory outside MaxConcurrentProcessing;
+// hit and would hold memory outside MaxConcurrentProcessing; repeated
-// repeated requests are served from pixa's disk cache instead.
+// requests are served from pixa's disk cache instead.
 func initVips() {
 	vipsOnce.Do(func() {
 		vips.LoggingSettings(nil, vips.LogLevelError)
@@ -179,10 +179,19 @@ type Params struct {
 	// If <= 0, DefaultMaxInputBytes is used.
 	MaxInputBytes int64
 	// MaxConcurrentProcessing is the most images processed at once.
-	// If <= 0, the number of CPUs Go uses (runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)) is used.
+	// If <= 0, DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing() is used.
 	MaxConcurrentProcessing int
 }
 
+// DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing returns the most images processed at once
+// when none is set: half the CPUs Go uses (runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0), which
+// follows a container's CPU limit), rounded down, and at least 1.
+func DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing() int {
+	const cpusPerImage = 2
+
+	return max(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)/cpusPerImage, 1)
+}
+
 // New creates a new image processor with the given parameters.
 // A zero-value Params{} uses sensible defaults.
 func New(params Params) *ImageProcessor {
@@ -195,7 +204,7 @@ func New(params Params) *ImageProcessor {
 
 	maxConcurrentProcessing := params.MaxConcurrentProcessing
 	if maxConcurrentProcessing <= 0 {
-		maxConcurrentProcessing = runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)
+		maxConcurrentProcessing = DefaultMaxConcurrentProcessing()
 	}
 
 	return &ImageProcessor{

internal/imageprocessor/max_concurrent_processing_internal_test.go

@@ -115,14 +115,14 @@ func waitForEntries(t *testing.T, entered <-chan struct{}, count int) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestNewDefaultsMaxConcurrentProcessingToCPUs(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNewDefaultsMaxConcurrentProcessingToHalfTheCPUs(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	for _, limit := range []int{0, -1} {
 		proc := New(Params{MaxConcurrentProcessing: limit})
-		if got := cap(proc.processingSemaphore); got != runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0) {
+		if got := cap(proc.processingSemaphore); got != max(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)/2, 1) {
-			t.Errorf("MaxConcurrentProcessing %d: %d slots, want %d, one per CPU",
+			t.Errorf("MaxConcurrentProcessing %d: %d slots, want %d, half the CPUs",
-				limit, got, runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0))
+				limit, got, max(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)/2, 1))
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -132,6 +132,30 @@ func TestNewDefaultsMaxConcurrentProcessingToCPUs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestNewDefaultIsHalfTheCPUsAndAtLeastOne checks that New, given no
+// MaxConcurrentProcessing, makes one slot for every two CPUs Go uses,
+// rounded down, and one slot when Go uses one CPU.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // it sets GOMAXPROCS, which other tests read
+func TestNewDefaultIsHalfTheCPUsAndAtLeastOne(t *testing.T) {
+	cpusBefore := runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() { runtime.GOMAXPROCS(cpusBefore) })
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ cpus, want int }{
+		{1, 1}, {2, 1}, {3, 1}, {8, 4},
+	} {
+		runtime.GOMAXPROCS(tc.cpus)
+
+		got := cap(New(Params{}).processingSemaphore)
+		t.Logf("GOMAXPROCS %d: %d slots", tc.cpus, got)
+
+		if got != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("GOMAXPROCS %d: %d slots, want %d", tc.cpus, got, tc.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TestProcessNeverExceedsMaxConcurrentProcessing starts more Process calls
 // than MaxConcurrentProcessing allows and holds the first ones inside
 // Process until the test lets them go. No more than the limit may be

internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go

@@ -94,71 +94,6 @@ func TestNegativeCache_Expired(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestService_Get_ServesCachedVariantOfNegativeCachedURL caches a variant of
-// the test photo, then keeps a failed fetch of the photo's URL in the negative
-// cache, as a failed fetch for another variant does once the source has been
-// evicted. The cached variant is still served, and a variant not in the cache
-// is made from the cached source. Once the source is evicted, a variant not in
-// the cache needs a fetch and is refused.
-func TestService_Get_ServesCachedVariantOfNegativeCachedURL(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
-
-	resp, err := svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Get() first request error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_ = resp.Content.Close()
-
-	err = svc.cache.StoreNegative(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover),
-		httpStatusBadGateway, "upstream answered 503")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("StoreNegative() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Get() of the cached variant error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_ = resp.Content.Close()
-
-	if resp.CacheStatus != CacheHit {
-		t.Errorf("cached variant CacheStatus = %q, want %q",
-			resp.CacheStatus, CacheHit)
-	}
-
-	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 40, FitCover))
-	t.Logf("Get() of a variant made from the cached source: error = %v", err)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Get() of a variant made from the cached source error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_ = resp.Content.Close()
-
-	contentHash, _, err := svc.cache.LookupSource(t.Context(),
-		photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover))
-	if err != nil || contentHash == "" {
-		t.Fatalf("LookupSource() = %q, %v, want the cached source", contentHash, err)
-	}
-
-	err = svc.cache.evictSourceBlob(t.Context(), contentHash)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("evictSourceBlob() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 60, FitCover))
-	t.Logf("Get() of a variant whose source was evicted: error = %v", err)
-
-	if !errors.Is(err, ErrNegativeCached) {
-		t.Errorf("Get() of a variant whose source was evicted error = %v, want %v",
-			err, ErrNegativeCached)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestService_Get_ReturnsErrorForNegativeCachedURL(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/service.go

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/url"
 	"runtime/debug"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ type ServiceConfig struct {
 	// Allowlist is the list of hosts that don't require signatures
 	Allowlist []string
 	// MaxConcurrentProcessing is the most images processed at once; zero
-	// uses the image processor's default, one per CPU
+	// uses the image processor's default, half the CPUs
 	MaxConcurrentProcessing int
 	// Logger for logging
 	Logger *slog.Logger
@@ -130,13 +129,25 @@ func NewService(cfg *ServiceConfig) (*Service, error) {
 var ErrNegativeCached = errors.New("request is in negative cache (recently failed)")
 
 // Get retrieves a processed image, fetching and processing if necessary.
-// While its source URL is in the negative cache, a cached variant is still
-// served and a variant not in the cache is still made from a cached source;
-// only a request that needs the source fetched is refused.
 func (s *Service) Get(ctx context.Context, req *ImageRequest) (*ImageResponse, error) {
 	// Propagate AllowHTTP setting to the request
 	req.AllowHTTP = s.allowHTTP
 
+	// Check negative cache first - skip fetching for recently-failed URLs
+	negHit, err := s.cache.checkNegativeCache(ctx, req)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.log.Warn("negative cache check failed", "error", err)
+	}
+
+	if negHit {
+		s.log.Debug("negative cache hit",
+			"host", req.SourceHost,
+			"path", req.SourcePath,
+		)
+
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", httpfetcher.ErrUpstreamError, ErrNegativeCached)
+	}
+
 	// Check variant cache first (disk only, no DB)
 	result, err := s.cache.Lookup(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -207,16 +218,7 @@ func (s *Service) ValidateRequest(req *ImageRequest) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid source URL: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// An allowlist entry names no port, so a host followed by ":", with or
+	if s.allowlist.IsAllowed(parsedURL) {
-	// without a port, needs a signature. The port is read from the parsed
-	// URL, as the fetcher reads it: in an IPv6 address written without
-	// brackets, such as 2001:db8::1:8443, it is what follows the last ":".
-	// This is checked here and not in allowlist.IsAllowed, which also matches
-	// referer_blocklist, where a Referer must be blocked whatever its port.
-	hostHasPort := parsedURL.Port() != "" ||
-		strings.HasSuffix(parsedURL.Host, ":")
-
-	if !hostHasPort && s.allowlist.IsAllowed(parsedURL) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -421,28 +423,12 @@ func (s *Service) processFromSourceOrFetch(
 
 // fetchAndProcess fetches from upstream, processes, and caches the result.
 // It counts the fetch with the bytes read from upstream, including when
-// reading the response or a later step fails. It fetches nothing while the
+// reading the response or a later step fails.
-// source URL is in the negative cache.
 func (s *Service) fetchAndProcess(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req *ImageRequest,
 	cacheKey VariantKey,
 ) (*processedVariant, error) {
-	// Check negative cache - skip fetching for recently-failed URLs
-	negHit, err := s.cache.checkNegativeCache(ctx, req)
-	if err != nil {
-		s.log.Warn("negative cache check failed", "error", err)
-	}
-
-	if negHit {
-		s.log.Debug("negative cache hit",
-			"host", req.SourceHost,
-			"path", req.SourcePath,
-		)
-
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", httpfetcher.ErrUpstreamError, ErrNegativeCached)
-	}
-
 	// Fetch from upstream
 	sourceURL := req.SourceURL()
 

internal/imgcache/service_internal_test.go

@@ -250,97 +250,6 @@ func TestService_ValidateRequest_SignatureExactHostMatch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestService_ValidateRequest_HostWithPortNeedsSignature verifies that a host
-// followed by a port, or by a colon with no port, matches no allowlist entry,
-// so that a request for it without a signature is refused, while the same
-// host with no port is allowlisted.
-func TestService_ValidateRequest_HostWithPortNeedsSignature(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	svc, _ := SetupTestService(t,
-		WithSigningKey(testSigningKey),
-		WithAllowlist(testHostCDN, "203.0.113.5", "2001:db8::1"),
-	)
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		host        string
-		allowlisted bool
-	}{
-		{testHostCDN, true},
-		{"cdn.example.com:8443", false},
-		{"cdn.example.com:443", false},
-		{"cdn.example.com:", false},
-		{"203.0.113.5", true},
-		{"203.0.113.5:8080", false},
-		{"[2001:db8::1]", true},
-		{"[2001:db8::1]:8443", false},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.host, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-
-			req := &ImageRequest{
-				SourceHost: tt.host,
-				SourcePath: testPathCat,
-				Size:       Size{Width: 50, Height: 50},
-				Format:     FormatJPEG,
-				Quality:    85,
-				FitMode:    FitCover,
-			}
-
-			err := svc.ValidateRequest(req)
-			t.Logf("ValidateRequest() for host %q with no signature: %v",
-				tt.host, err)
-
-			if allowlisted := err == nil; allowlisted != tt.allowlisted {
-				t.Errorf("host %q served without a signature = %v, want %v",
-					tt.host, allowlisted, tt.allowlisted)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
-
-// TestService_ValidateRequest_UnbracketedIPv6PortNeedsSignature verifies that
-// an allowlisted IPv6 address written without brackets and followed by a
-// port, or by a colon with no port, needs a signature. Go's URL parser, which
-// the fetcher uses, reads 2001:db8::1:8443 as the host 2001:db8::1 with the
-// port 8443.
-func TestService_ValidateRequest_UnbracketedIPv6PortNeedsSignature(
-	t *testing.T,
-) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	svc, _ := SetupTestService(t,
-		WithSigningKey(testSigningKey),
-		WithAllowlist("2001:db8::1"),
-	)
-
-	for _, host := range []string{"2001:db8::1:8443", "2001:db8::1:"} {
-		t.Run(host, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-
-			req := &ImageRequest{
-				SourceHost: host,
-				SourcePath: testPathCat,
-				Size:       Size{Width: 50, Height: 50},
-				Format:     FormatJPEG,
-				Quality:    85,
-				FitMode:    FitCover,
-			}
-
-			err := svc.ValidateRequest(req)
-			t.Logf("ValidateRequest() for host %q with no signature: %v",
-				host, err)
-
-			if err == nil {
-				t.Errorf("host %q served without a signature, want refused",
-					host)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
-
 func TestService_Get_InvalidFile(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/urlparser.go

@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 var (
 	ErrInvalidPath       = errors.New("invalid image path")
 	ErrMissingHost       = errors.New("missing source host")
-	ErrInvalidHost       = errors.New("invalid source host")
 	ErrMissingSize       = errors.New("missing size specification")
 	ErrInvalidSize       = errors.New("invalid size format")
 	ErrInvalidFormat     = errors.New("invalid or unsupported format")
@@ -144,17 +143,6 @@ func parseImageComponents(remainder string) (*ParsedURL, error) {
 		return nil, ErrMissingHost
 	}
 
-	// A URL reads what comes before "@" as a user name and password, and the
-	// rest as the host
-	if strings.Contains(host, "@") {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %q holds @", ErrInvalidHost, host)
-	}
-
-	// Host names do not depend on letter case, so the allowlist, the upstream
-	// connection limits, the cache and the signature see one spelling of each
-	// host
-	host = strings.ToLower(host)
-
 	// Extract query string if present in path
 	if qIndex := strings.Index(path, "?"); qIndex != -1 {
 		query = path[qIndex+1:]

internal/imgcache/urlparser_internal_test.go

@@ -234,49 +234,6 @@ func TestParseImagePath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestParseImagePath_LowerCasesHost verifies that the host is lower-cased, so
-// that every spelling of its letter case is the same host to the allowlist,
-// the upstream connection limits and the cache, and that the path keeps its
-// case.
-func TestParseImagePath_LowerCasesHost(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	got, err := ParseImagePath("CDN.Example.COM/Photos/Cat.jpg/800x600.webp")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("ParseImagePath() error = %v", err)
-	}
-
-	t.Logf("parsed host %q, path %q", got.Host, got.Path)
-
-	if got.Host != testHostCDN {
-		t.Errorf("Host = %q, want %q", got.Host, testHostCDN)
-	}
-
-	if got.Path != "/Photos/Cat.jpg" {
-		t.Errorf("Path = %q, want %q", got.Path, "/Photos/Cat.jpg")
-	}
-}
-
-// TestParseImagePath_RefusesUserinfo verifies that a host holding "@" is
-// refused: a URL reads what comes before the "@" as a user name and password
-// and the rest as the host.
-func TestParseImagePath_RefusesUserinfo(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	for _, input := range []string{
-		"user@cdn.example.com/photos/cat.jpg/800x600.webp",
-		"user:password@cdn.example.com/photos/cat.jpg/800x600.webp",
-	} {
-		got, err := ParseImagePath(input)
-		t.Logf("ParseImagePath(%q) = %+v, error = %v", input, got, err)
-
-		if !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidHost) {
-			t.Errorf("ParseImagePath(%q) error = %v, want %v",
-				input, err, ErrInvalidHost)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestParsedURL_ToImageRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()