How to fix Error 8687 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: Error 8687 – Cursor Plan Failed with USE PLAN Hint

Why This Error Happens

This error occurs because the USE PLAN query hint can only be applied to cursors declared as FAST_FORWARD or STATIC. When SQL Server 2025 encounters a cursor of a different type (such as DYNAMIC, KEYSET, or default FORWARD_ONLY) combined with a forced execution plan, it cannot reconcile the cursor’s mechanics with the specified plan shape, causing the optimizer to reject the request. This typically surfaces after a plan guide, query hint, or plan forcing operation (via Query Store or sp_create_plan_guide) is applied to a stored procedure or ad-hoc query that declares a non-compliant cursor type.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Identify the Offending Query and Cursor Declaration

  • Capture the exact query text using Extended Events or the SQL Server error log (filter for Error 8687).
  • Locate the DECLARE CURSOR statement in the associated stored procedure, function, or ad-hoc batch.
  • Check the cursor type keyword used (e.g., DYNAMIC, KEYSET, or no explicit type, which defaults to FORWARD_ONLY/dynamic behavior in some contexts).

Step 2: Modify the Cursor Type to a Supported Format

  • Edit the T-SQL code to explicitly declare the cursor as FAST_FORWARD or STATIC, for example:
  DECLARE cur CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
  SELECT column1, column2 FROM YourTable;
  • If STATIC is more appropriate (e.g., the application needs a snapshot that doesn’t reflect concurrent changes), use:
  DECLARE cur CURSOR STATIC FOR
  SELECT column1, column2 FROM YourTable;
  • Save and redeploy the modified stored procedure or script to the database.

Step 3: Remove or Replace the USE PLAN Hint

  • If changing the cursor type is not feasible, remove the OPTION (USE PLAN N'...') hint from the query.
  • In SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 21, open the query/procedure definition and strip out the USE PLAN XML hint block.
  • Replace it with alternative hints like OPTION (RECOMPILE), OPTION (OPTIMIZE FOR (@param = value)), or a PLAN GUIDE targeting a compatible query form.

Step 4: Update Statistics to Allow Natural Plan Selection

  • Run UPDATE STATISTICS on the tables referenced by the cursor query:
  UPDATE STATISTICS dbo.YourTable WITH FULLSCAN;
  • Alternatively, update all statistics in the database:
  EXEC sp_updatestats;
  • This allows the SQL Server 2025 Cardinality Estimator to choose an appropriate plan without forcing, reducing dependency on USE PLAN.

Step 5: Validate Plan Guides and Query Store Settings

  • Open SQL Server Management Studio → Databases → [YourDB] → Query Store → Top Resource Consuming Queries.
  • Check if a forced plan (via Query Store “Force Plan” feature) is causing the conflict; if so, select Unforce Plan.
  • If using sp_create_plan_guide manually, run sp_control_plan_guide 'DROP', 'GuideName' to remove conflicting guides tied to non-compliant cursors.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • After applying changes, execute the stored procedure or query directly in SSMS and confirm Error 8687 no longer appears in the Messages tab or the SQL Server Error Log (EXEC sp_readerrorlog).
  • As an alternative, if forcing a specific plan is mandatory, refactor the cursor logic into a set-based operation (replacing the cursor entirely) so that USE PLAN can be applied without cursor-type restrictions.