fix: handle None return from error handler in no-output background callbacks

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 - [#4023](https://github.com/plotly/dash/pull/4023) Fix extra callback registrations when an app runs from the parent directory: `python app/app.py`, where the script shares its folder's name, registered its callbacks twice, and `python app/main.py` imported a sibling `app/app.py` as the parent package and registered its callbacks too (regression introduced in 4.4.1 by [#3883](https://github.com/plotly/dash/pull/3883)). Fixes [#4011](https://github.com/plotly/dash/issues/4011).
 - [#4057](https://github.com/plotly/dash/pull/4057) Fixed background callbacks to update `set_props` instead of replacing. Fixes [#3104](https://github.com/plotly/dash/issues/3104).
 - [#3923](https://github.com/plotly/dash/pull/3923) Fix a blank page and `SyntaxError` in the browser when a dict component ID has a dot in one of its values. Fixes [#3480](https://github.com/plotly/dash/issues/3480).
+- [#4012](https://github.com/plotly/dash/pull/4012) Fix `InvalidCallbackReturnValue` raised when a no-output background callback's error handler returns `None` (or the job is cancelled), by treating `None` returns from error handlers and the cancelled-job branch the same way — as `NoUpdate()` only when there are outputs, `None` otherwise. Fixes [#3628](https://github.com/plotly/dash/issues/3628).
 
 ## [4.4.1] - 2026-07-21
 

dash/_callback.py

@@ -683,6 +683,7 @@ def _update_background_callback(
     kwargs,
     background,
     multi,
+    output_spec,
     cache_key=None,
     job_id=None,
 ):
@@ -711,6 +712,7 @@ def _update_background_callback(
         error_handler,
         callback_ctx,
         multi,
+        output_spec,
         cache_key=cache_key,
         job_id=job_id,
     )
@@ -723,6 +725,7 @@ def _handle_rest_background_callback(
     error_handler,
     callback_ctx,
     multi,
+    output_spec,
     has_update=False,
     cache_key=None,
     job_id=None,
@@ -731,7 +734,10 @@ def _handle_rest_background_callback(
     job_running = callback_manager.job_running(job_id) if job_id is not None else False
     if not job_running and output_value is callback_manager.UNDEFINED:
         # Job canceled -> no output to close the loop.
-        output_value = NoUpdate()
+        if output_spec:
+            output_value = NoUpdate()
+        else:
+            output_value = None
 
     elif isinstance(output_value, dict) and "background_callback_error" in output_value:
         error = output_value.get("background_callback_error", {})
@@ -741,7 +747,7 @@ def _handle_rest_background_callback(
         if error_handler:
             output_value = error_handler(exc)
 
-            if output_value is None:
+            if output_value is None and output_spec:
                 output_value = NoUpdate()
             # set_props from the error handler uses the original ctx
             # instead of manager.get_updated_props since it runs in the
@@ -975,7 +981,13 @@ def add_context(*args, **kwargs):
                         )
 
                     output_value, has_update, skip = _update_background_callback(
-                        error_handler, callback_ctx, response, kwargs, background, multi
+                        error_handler,
+                        callback_ctx,
+                        response,
+                        kwargs,
+                        background,
+                        multi,
+                        output_spec,
                     )
                     if skip:
                         return output_value
@@ -1047,7 +1059,13 @@ async def async_add_context(*args, **kwargs):
                             callback_ctx,
                         )
                     output_value, has_update, skip = _update_background_callback(
-                        error_handler, callback_ctx, response, kwargs, background, multi
+                        error_handler,
+                        callback_ctx,
+                        response,
+                        kwargs,
+                        background,
+                        multi,
+                        output_spec,
                     )
                     if skip:
                         return output_value

dash/mcp/tasks/tasks.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from dash._callback import _update_background_callback, _prepare_response
 from dash._utils import AttributeDict, split_callback_id
 from dash.development.base_component import ComponentRegistry
+from dash.exceptions import PreventUpdate
 from dash.mcp.primitives.tools.results import format_callback_response
 from dash.mcp.types import MCPError
 from dash.types import CallbackExecutionResponse
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ def get_task_result(task_id: str) -> Any:
     background = cb_info.get("background")
     has_output = not cb_info.get("no_output")
     multi = adapter.output_id.startswith("..")
-    output = split_callback_id(adapter.output_id)
+    output = split_callback_id(adapter.output_id) if has_output else []
 
     # Build the body to get output_spec, same as as_callback_body
     body = adapter.as_callback_body({})
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ def get_task_result(task_id: str) -> Any:
         kwargs={"background_callback_manager": manager},
         background=background,
         multi=multi,
+        output_spec=output_spec,
         cache_key=cache_key,
         job_id=job_id,
     )
@@ -172,21 +174,24 @@ def get_task_result(task_id: str) -> Any:
             "Task result not ready. Poll tasks/get until status is 'completed'."
         )
 
-    _prepare_response(
-        output_value,
-        output_spec,
-        multi,
-        response,
-        callback_ctx,
-        app,
-        set(ComponentRegistry.registry),
-        background,
-        has_update,
-        has_output,
-        output,
-        adapter.output_id,
-        cb_info.get("allow_dynamic_callbacks"),
-    )
+    try:
+        _prepare_response(
+            output_value,
+            output_spec,
+            multi,
+            response,
+            callback_ctx,
+            app,
+            set(ComponentRegistry.registry),
+            background,
+            has_update,
+            has_output,
+            output,
+            adapter.output_id,
+            cb_info.get("allow_dynamic_callbacks"),
+        )
+    except PreventUpdate:
+        return format_callback_response(response, adapter)
 
     return format_callback_response(response, adapter)
 

tests/background_callback/app_bg_on_error.py

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ def global_error_handler(err):
     html.Div(id="cb-output"),
     html.Button("global on_error", id="start-global-onerror"),
     html.Div(id="global-output"),
+    html.Button("no-output callback on_error", id="start-no-output-cb-onerror"),
+    html.Div(id="no-output-cb-onerror-output"),
 ]
 
 
@@ -48,5 +50,19 @@ def on_click_global(_):
     raise Exception("global error")
 
 
+def no_output_callback_on_error(err):
+    set_props("no-output-cb-onerror-output", {"children": f"callback: {err}"})
+
+
+@app.callback(
+    Input("start-no-output-cb-onerror", "n_clicks"),
+    prevent_initial_call=True,
+    background=True,
+    on_error=no_output_callback_on_error,
+)
+def on_click_no_output(_):
+    raise Exception("no output callback error")
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     app.run(debug=True)

tests/background_callback/test_basic_long_callback019.py

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from tests.background_callback.utils import setup_background_callback_app
+
+
+def test_lcbc019_background_callback_on_error_without_output(dash_duo, manager):
+    with setup_background_callback_app(manager, "app_bg_on_error") as app:
+        dash_duo.start_server(app)
+
+        dash_duo.find_element("#start-no-output-cb-onerror").click()
+        dash_duo.wait_for_contains_text(
+            "#no-output-cb-onerror-output",
+            "callback: An error occurred inside a background callback: no output callback error",
+        )

tests/integration/mcp/test_mcp_background_tasks.py

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 from dash import Dash, Input, Output, html, _callback_signing
 from dash.background_callback.managers.diskcache_manager import DiskcacheManager
 
+from tests.integration.mcp.conftest import _mcp_method
+
 MCP_PATH = "_mcp"
 
 
@@ -89,6 +91,41 @@ def _post(client, method, params=None, request_id=1):
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
+def test_mcpbg_cancel_no_output_task_result(dash_duo):
+    manager = DiskcacheManager(diskcache.Cache())
+    app = Dash(__name__)
+    app.layout = html.Div(id="trigger")
+
+    @app.callback(
+        Input("trigger", "children"),
+        background=True,
+        manager=manager,
+        prevent_initial_call=True,
+    )
+    def no_output_callback(value):
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    dash_duo.start_server(app)
+    created = _mcp_method(
+        dash_duo.server_url,
+        "tools/call",
+        {
+            "name": "no_output_callback",
+            "arguments": {"value": "hello"},
+            "task": {"ttl": 60000},
+        },
+    )
+    task_id = created["result"]["task"]["taskId"]
+    job_id, _ = _unwrap_handles(app, task_id)
+    cancelled = _mcp_method(dash_duo.server_url, "tasks/cancel", {"taskId": task_id})
+    assert cancelled["result"]["status"] == "cancelled"
+    assert not manager.job_running(job_id)
+
+    result = _mcp_method(dash_duo.server_url, "tasks/result", {"taskId": task_id})
+    assert result["result"]["structuredContent"] == {"multi": True}
+    assert dash_duo.get_logs() == []
+
+
 def test_mcpbg012_trigger_poll_and_retrieve():
     app = _make_background_app()
     client = app.server.test_client()

tests/unit/mcp/tools/test_mcp_background_callbacks.py

@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ def _trigger_task(app):
 def _wait_for_completion(app, task_id, timeout=3):
     """Block until the callback manager reports the job is no longer running."""
     job_id, _ = _unwrap_handles(app, task_id)
-    manager = app.callback_map["output.children"]["manager"]
+    tool_name = task_id.split(":", 1)[0]
+    adapter = app.mcp_callback_map.find_by_tool_name(tool_name)
+    manager = app.callback_map[adapter.output_id]["manager"]
     deadline = time.time() + timeout
     while time.time() < deadline:
         if not manager.job_running(job_id):
@@ -298,3 +300,64 @@ def test_mcpbg011_task_id_encodes_tool_name_job_id_cache_key():
     assert job_id.isdigit()
     assert len(cache_key) == 64  # SHA256 hex
     assert created_epoch.isdigit()
+
+
+def _make_no_output_background_app():
+    cache = diskcache.Cache()
+    manager = DiskcacheManager(cache)
+
+    app = Dash(__name__)
+    app.layout = html.Div(
+        [
+            html.Div(id="trigger-no-output"),
+            html.Div(id="side-effect-target"),
+        ]
+    )
+
+    @app.callback(
+        Input("trigger-no-output", "children"),
+        background=True,
+        manager=manager,
+    )
+    def no_output_slow_callback(value):
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    return app
+
+
+def test_mcpbg012_no_output_task_result_does_not_raise():
+    app = _make_no_output_background_app()
+    create_result = _mcp(
+        app,
+        "tools/call",
+        {
+            "name": "no_output_slow_callback",
+            "arguments": {"value": "hello"},
+            "task": {"ttl": 60000},
+        },
+    )
+    task_id = create_result["result"]["task"]["taskId"]
+    _wait_for_completion(app, task_id)
+
+    result = _mcp(app, "tasks/result", {"taskId": task_id})
+    assert result["result"]["structuredContent"] == {"multi": True}
+
+
+def test_mcpbg013_cancel_no_output_task_does_not_raise():
+    app = _make_no_output_background_app()
+    create_result = _mcp(
+        app,
+        "tools/call",
+        {
+            "name": "no_output_slow_callback",
+            "arguments": {"value": "hello"},
+            "task": {"ttl": 60000},
+        },
+    )
+    task_id = create_result["result"]["task"]["taskId"]
+
+    cancel_result = _mcp(app, "tasks/cancel", {"taskId": task_id})
+    assert "error" not in cancel_result
+
+    result = _mcp(app, "tasks/result", {"taskId": task_id})
+    assert result["result"]["structuredContent"] == {"multi": True}