tailscale node re-registers as NAME-1 after docker compose down -v

tailscale node re-registers as NAME-1 after docker compose down -v

TL;DR: docker compose down -v deleted the volume holding tailscale's state, so the node forgot its identity and registered as a brand-new machine with a -1 suffix. Keep the state volume (drop the -v, or declare the volume external) and the name stays put.

symptom: your node was "homelab", and after recreating the containers
"homelab-1" appears in the admin console as a separate machine

Steps

1. Stop deleting the state volume. Recreate without -v:

docker compose down
docker compose up -d

Expected: the node rejoins with its original name.

1. For a durable fix, declare the tailscale state volume as external in compose so no command wipes it:

volumes:
  tailscale-state:
    external: true

Expected: future down -v runs leave the state volume alone.

1. Remove the stray -1 duplicate from the admin console machines list.

Expected: one entry per real node again.

When this applies

• node names gain -1, -2 suffixes after container recreation
• ACLs or DNS entries target the old name and break after the rename
• any Docker setup storing tailscale state in a compose-managed volume

When it doesnt

• authkey already used errors — that is key reuse, not state loss
• the name changes on a bare-metal install — no volumes involved there
• two genuinely different machines — they are supposed to have different names

Compatibility

tailscale in Docker Compose with state in a named volume.

Other phrasings

• tailscale docker duplicate machine after down -v
• tailscale node name changed to -1

Why it happens

Tailscale's node identity lives in its state directory. Delete the directory and the next start looks like a new machine; the control plane keeps the old name taken, so the newcomer gets a numeric suffix. The -v flag is what wipes the anonymous and named volumes.

Edge cases

• If the state is already gone, you cannot recover the old identity; accept the new name or re-key the node deliberately.
• External volumes must be created once by hand before first up, or compose will complain.