REST Endpoints in Confluence 3.1.x don't work

Platform Notice: Data Center Only - This article only applies to Atlassian apps on the Data Center platform.

Note that this KB was created for the Data Center version of the product. Data Center KBs for non-Data-Center-specific features may also work for Server versions of the product, however they have not been tested. Support for Server* products ended on February 15th 2024. If you are running a Server product, you can visit the Atlassian Server end of support announcement to review your migration options.

*Except Fisheye and Crucible

Symptoms

The general symptom is that REST endpoints implemented using the REST module type won't work. More specificly features like gadgets or the "Confluence Gadgets" dialog stop working.

Select 'Confluence Gadgets' from the Browse menu, and it gives error:

An error has occurred while trying to load the gadget directory.

Cause

This is caused by the fact that on JDK 1.6 Atlassian Plugins exports the javax.xml.bind (JAXB) packages from the host (Confluence). Those packages are also exported by the REST module plugin. If the a plugin containing a REST module (like the Confluence gadgets plugin) binds to the packages exported by the host, it will not work, as the annotations used to mark a class as a REST resource are loaded from different class loaders.

Workaround

The current workaround is to place a patched jdk6-packages.txt in the WEB-INF/classes directory and restart Confluence.

jdk6-packages.txt

# Java package list pulled from Java SE 6 (excluding java.*) with those in jdk-packages.txt removed # Copied from the packages frame in the Javadocs - http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/index.html javax.activation javax.annotation javax.annotation.processing javax.jws javax.jws.soap javax.lang.model javax.lang.model.element javax.lang.model.type javax.lang.model.util javax.script javax.tools javax.xml.crypto javax.xml.crypto.dom javax.xml.crypto.dsig javax.xml.crypto.dsig.dom javax.xml.crypto.dsig.keyinfo javax.xml.crypto.dsig.spec javax.xml.soap javax.xml.stream javax.xml.stream.events javax.xml.stream.util javax.xml.transform.stax javax.xml.ws javax.xml.ws.handler javax.xml.ws.handler.soap javax.xml.ws.http javax.xml.ws.soap javax.xml.ws.spi javax.xml.ws.wsaddressing

Resolution

Track a resolution at CONF-17417.

Updated on September 25, 2025

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