toggle_discussions() doesn't open new window - draft_notes error 404

[HunterretnuH]

Prerequsities

• I'm on the latest version of the plugin
• I've installed the required dependencies
• I've run :h gitlab.nvim.troubleshooting and followed the steps there

Setup Configuration and Environment

return {
    "harrisoncramer/gitlab.nvim",
    dependencies = {
        "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
        "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
        "sindrets/diffview.nvim",
        "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons"
    },
    lazy = false,
    build = function() require("gitlab.server").build(true) end, -- Builds the Go binary
    keys = function()
        local map = require('map')
        map.map('n', '<leader>gm', function() require("gitlab").choose_merge_request() end, { desc = "[m]erge request view (gitlab)" } )
        map.exportKeys()
    end,
    config = function()
        require("gitlab").setup({
            auth_provider = function()
                return "<redacted>", "<redacted>", nil
            end,
            connection_settings = {
                insecure = true,
            },
            debug = {
                request = true,
                response = true,
                gitlab_request = true,
                gitlab_response = true,
            },
        })
    end,
}

Bug Description

require("gitlab").toggle_discussions() does not open discussion window.
Error notificaiton:
gitlab.nvim: Could not get draft notes: 404 Not Found

Reproduction Steps

1. Add my plugin configuration file to neovim with Lazy.nvim installed (tested without other plugins).
2. Run require("gitlab").choose_merge_request(), select MR.
3. Use gld to open discussion window.
4. Result: No new windows is opened. Error message about draft_notes being not found appears.

Additional info

Output's of commands from gitlab.nvim.troubleshooting:

1. checkhealth gitlab

==============================================================================
gitlab:                                       require("gitlab.health").check()

gitlab.nvim ~
- ⚠️ WARNING stevearc/dressing.nvim is a recommended dependency

2. require("gitlab").print_settings() - prints defaults + changes from my config as expected.

3. require("gitlab.server").build(true)

gitlab.nvim: Installed successfully!

4. require("gitlab.server").start(function() print("Server started") end)

gitlab.nvim: Failed to initialize Gitlab client: GitLab instance URL cannot be empty
gitlab.nvim: Golang gitlab server exited: job_id: 3, exit_code: 1

but if I first use require("gitlab").choose_merge_request() and then do require("gitlab.server").restart() then server is restarted without any issue:

gitlab.nvim: Restarted server

5. I've enabled debug logs and here is example of failure in logs:

-- REQUEST TO GO SERVER --
GET /mr/draft_notes/ HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost:45393
Accept: */*
Private-Token: REDACTED
User-Agent: curl/7.81.0

-- REQUEST TO GITLAB --
GET /api/v4/projects/2253/merge_requests/710/draft_notes HTTP/1.1
Host: <redacted>
Accept: application/json
Private-Token: REDACTED
User-Agent: go-gitlab

-- RESPONSE FROM GITLAB --
HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Length: 25
Cache-Control: no-cache
Connection: keep-alive
Content-Type: application/json
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:25:01 GMT
Server: nginx
Vary: Origin
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
X-Gitlab-Feature-Category: not_owned
X-Request-Id: 01K59RXX1PQGGYRNDE1B63SDFV
X-Runtime: 0.011073

{"error":"404 Not Found"}

-- RESPONSE FROM GO SERVER --
HTTP/0.0 500 Internal Server Error
Content-Length: 66
Content-Type: application/json

{"message":"Could not get draft notes","details":"404 Not Found"}

Update

One more observation. I am able to create comments, but creation of draft comment fails.
After I create a comment diagnostic symbols for comments are finally loaded and I can list comments via diagnostic listing.

Also:

 curl --insecure --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <redacted>" --url "https://<redacted>/api/v4/projects/2253/merge_requests/710/draft_note"

fails with error 404, but:

 curl --insecure --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <redacted>" --url "https://<redacted>/api/v4/projects/2253/merge_requests/710/discussions"

returns valid JSON.
And

 curl --insecure --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <redacted>" --url "https://<redacted>/api/v4/projects/2253/merge_requests/710/notes"

also returns valid JSON.

Update 2

I've found the root cause, it seems like draft_notes API was introduced in version 16.0 (or at least somewhere between 15.0 and 16.0). The gitlab that I have to use is version 13.12.
Am I correct to assume that there is nothing I can do to make it work?

[jakubbortlik]

Hi @HunterretnuH, how do you set GITLAB_URL? Your point 4 says gitlab.nvim: Failed to initialize Gitlab client: GitLab instance URL cannot be empty. It seems to me you're not setting the URL correctly. See :h gitlab.nvim.connecting-to-gitlab on how to do it. Sorry I didn't read your post carefully. Please ignore the first part of the comment.

The draft_notes is a different issue. Draft notes are all over the place in the code base and it wouldn't be easy to make the plugin work without them, I'm afraid.