Gemini CLI error
Gemini CLI: You are currently configured to use a Google Cloud Project but lack a...
You are currently configured to use a Google Cloud Project but lack a Gemini Code Assist license. Please contact your administrator to request a license.Status: WorkaroundLast verified 2 documented fixes2 sources
What it means
Login found a Google Cloud project configured but no Gemini Code Assist license tied to the account.
Causes
- Maintainer (srithreepo, #19216): if you are using the free tier you should not be using a Google Cloud Project. Using one may cause Gemini CLI to look for a license and find that you do not have one, or to block Gemini 3 based on admin controls for the Preview release channel.
How to fix it
- Fix 1.
Free-tier users: remove the GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT environment variable. Maintainers link discussion #13516 for when a project is and is not needed.
Terminalunset GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT - Fix 2.
Licensed organization users: ask your administrator for a Gemini Code Assist license, as the message says. Maintainers also reported a server-side mitigation in #19216, which was closed as completed on 2026-04-13.
More Gemini CLI errors
All 19 Gemini CLI errorsYou must be a named user on your organization's Gemini Code Assist Standard edition subscription to use this service. Please contact your administrator to request an entitlement to Gemini Code Assist Standard edition.Status: WorkaroundFailed to sign in. Message: Your current account is not eligible... because it is not currently available in your location.Status: By designFailed to sign in. Message: Request contains an invalid argumentStatus: WorkaroundUNABLE_TO_GET_ISSUER_CERT_LOCALLY or unable to get local issuer certificateStatus: WorkaroundThis account requires setting the GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT or GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID env var. See https://geminicli.com/docs/get-started/authentication/#set-gcpStatus: By designInvalid Google Cloud Project ID: "<projectId>". The GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT (or GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID) environment variable must be set to your string-based Project ID (e.g., "my-project-123"), not your numeric Project Number. Please update your environment variables.Status: By designFailed to login. Message: Precondition check failed.Status: Fixed in releaseFailed to sign in. Message: You do not have a valid license of this product. Please contact your administrator to request a license. If you are not an enterprise user and believe you are receiving this message as an error, please try using the latest version and logging in again.Status: Open
Related reading
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- How to Keep API Keys Away From Your AI Coding Agent: Claude Code vs Codex vs Cursor vs Gemini CLIA deny rule on .env stops cat but not a Python one-liner. Here are the three layers that actually keep secrets out of a coding agent's context - file rules, environment scrubbing and credential masking - and what Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Gemini CLI give you for each, with real test runs.
- Headless AI Coding Agents in CI: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and opencode ComparedHeadless AI coding agents in CI compared: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and opencode on invocation flags, sandboxing, auth, and output formats.
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FAQ
What does "You are currently configured to use a Google Cloud Project but lack a..." mean in Gemini CLI?
Login found a Google Cloud project configured but no Gemini Code Assist license tied to the account.
How do I fix "You are currently configured to use a Google Cloud Project but lack a..."?
There are 2 documented fixes. Start with the first: Free-tier users: remove the GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT environment variable. Maintainers link discussion #13516 for when a project is and is not needed.
Is this Gemini CLI error fixed?
Status: Workaround. No release removes the cause. The documented fixes work around it. Affected versions: Reported on 0.27.3 through 0.29.x (#19216)
Sources
Last verified against 2 sources: official docs, maintainer replies and release notes.
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