Spring Boot 4 and Logbook Compatibility Issue: ClassNotFoundException

If you’re upgrading to Spring Boot 4 and using Zalando’s Logbook library for HTTP request/response logging, you’ve likely encountered this frustrating error:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jackson.JacksonAutoConfiguration

It’s easy to recreate this error by simply creating a new Spring Boot 4 project using https://start.spring.io/ and adding the Logbook starter as a dependency.

implementation 'org.zalando:logbook-spring-boot-starter:3.12.3'

The Problem and Error Details

Logbook, Zalando’s popular HTTP request and response logging library, is not currently compatible with Spring Boot 4. The library fails to start due to missing Spring Boot autoconfiguration classes that have been refactored or removed in the latest Spring Boot release.

The full stack trace typically looks like this:

Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jackson.JacksonAutoConfiguration
	at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:580) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:490) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
	at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:547) ~[na:na]
	at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.forName(ClassUtils.java:302) ~[spring-core-7.0.1.jar:7.0.1]
	at org.springframework.util.ClassUtils.resolveClassName(ClassUtils.java:343) ~[spring-core-7.0.1.jar:7.0.1]

Root Cause

Spring Boot 4 introduced significant changes to its autoconfiguration architecture, including:

Refactoring of Jackson autoconfiguration classes
Updates to conditional annotations and configuration loading
Changes in the Spring Boot starter dependencies structure

Logbook’s autoconfiguration relies on specific Spring Boot internal classes that have been modified or relocated in Spring Boot 4, causing the ClassNotFoundException.

Current Status

As documented in GitHub issue #2177, the Logbook maintainers are aware of this compatibility issue. However, there’s no official release yet that supports Spring Boot 4.

The Best Solution for now

Stay on Spring Boot 3.x

If Logbook is critical to your application and you don’t need Spring Boot 4 features immediately:

<parent>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
    <version>3.3.5</version>
    <relativePath/>
</parent>

There are alternative (and more manual) logging solutions that are too plentiful to list here, especially considering the number of available clients for Spring 7.

If you MUST upgrade, it may be worth looking into a replacement.

Recommendations

Monitor the GitHub issue for updates on Spring Boot 4 compatibility
Consider the urgency of your Spring Boot 4 upgrade vs. Logbook dependency
Plan migration strategy if you choose temporary alternatives
Test thoroughly if you implement custom logging solutions

Next Steps

The Logbook community is actively working on Spring Boot 4 compatibility. Keep an eye on:

Logbook GitHub repository
Issue #2177 for status updates

Spring Boot 4 and Logbook: ClassNotFoundException