seniorRuby

How does Ruby handle exception propagation in VM stack frames?

Updated May 17, 2026

Short answer

Exceptions unwind VM frames until a matching rescue handler is found.

Deep explanation

When an exception is raised, Ruby unwinds control frames one by one, checking each frame for rescue clauses. If none match, it propagates to top-level handler. Stack unwinding also triggers ensure blocks. This is implemented at VM instruction level, not OS stack.

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