To keep a Don’t Starve Together dedicated world running while nobody is connected, stop the server, open its active DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini, and set pause_when_empty = false under [GAMEPLAY]. Save the file, then start or restart the server. With that value set to false, the simulation continues advancing while the server is empty.
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What pause_when_empty controls
pause_when_empty is a cluster-level gameplay setting in cluster.ini. The dedicated-server guide describes the option as “Pause the server when there are no players connected.” Its value determines what happens after the last connected player leaves:
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| Value | Empty-server behavior | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
true |
The world pauses when every player disconnects. | Use this when you want the game state to wait safely for the next session. |
false |
The world keeps running even when no players are connected. | Use this for a persistent world in which farms, timers, seasons, or other simulation systems should continue progressing. |
Setting the value to false does not merely keep the server process online. It allows the game simulation to continue. Depending on your world, that can advance seasons, spoilage, crop growth, mob behavior, and other timers while everyone is offline. Choose it deliberately: an unattended world can be in a different state when players return than it was when they left.
Before you edit the file
Make the change while the dedicated server is stopped. Editing a live configuration can be overwritten when the process shuts down or reloads, and a running process may not read the new value until it restarts.
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- Confirm that you have administrator or file-manager access to the server.
- Identify the active cluster, rather than a test directory, old backup, or client-side configuration.
- Know how your host labels its controls. Common labels include Files, Configuration, and File Manager.
- If the world uses more than one shard or machine, check which
cluster.inithe provider treats as authoritative before changing anything. - Keep a copy of the original file so you can restore the previous behavior if the result is not what you want.
Step-by-step: turn off pausing when the server is empty
1. Stop the dedicated server cleanly
Use the server console or your host panel’s Stop, Shutdown, or equivalent control. Wait until the panel reports that the process has stopped before opening the configuration. Do not rely only on closing a browser tab or disconnecting from a remote console; the server must actually be offline for the edit to be safe.
2. Open the active cluster.ini
Navigate to:
DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.iniOn a common Linux container layout, the full path is:
/home/container/DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.iniThe exact root directory can differ between hosts. The important part is the DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/ location belonging to the cluster you actually start. Do not edit a client configuration, an archived download, or an inactive backup and expect the live world to change.
3. Find the [GAMEPLAY] section
Open cluster.ini as plain text and locate the section header:
[GAMEPLAY]Within that section, look for the key named exactly:
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pause_when_emptyConfiguration keys are easy to mistype. Use the exact spelling, including the underscores, and make sure you are editing the cluster file rather than a similarly named settings file.
4. Set the value to the literal lowercase Boolean
Change the line to:
pause_when_empty = falseIf the key is currently set to true, replace only the value. If the key is absent, add the line inside [GAMEPLAY]. Keep the value lowercase and use the literal word false; do not substitute 0, False, quotation marks, or a comment.
5. Save the file without changing its name
Save the edited file as cluster.ini. Avoid accidentally saving a second copy such as cluster.ini.txt, which a file manager may hide by default. If your panel has a separate Save or Apply button, use it and wait for the panel to confirm that the write completed.
6. Start or restart the server
Start the dedicated server from the same panel or command you normally use. A restart is required for the process to load the changed setting. If the host offers separate controls for a shard and for the whole cluster, follow its documented order so the cluster starts with the intended configuration.
7. Verify the behavior
Join the world, note a visible time-dependent condition, disconnect all players, wait for a meaningful interval, and reconnect. You are checking that the simulation advanced while the server had no connected players, not merely that the process remained listed as online. A crop, timer, season indicator, spoilage state, or another in-world timer can provide a practical observation, although the amount of change depends on the interval and the game state.
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Finding the setting on a managed host
Managed providers generally expose the same file through a web control panel instead of direct shell access. Stop the server first, then open the panel area that provides file access. The labels vary, but the path and edit are the same:
- Open Files, Configuration, or File Manager.
- Enter
DoNotStarveTogether, thenconfig, thenserver. - Open the cluster’s
cluster.ini. - Under
[GAMEPLAY], setpause_when_empty = false. - Save or apply the edit.
- Start or restart the server.
Some panels generate configuration files from a template. In that case, a direct edit may appear to save but be replaced when the server starts. If the value reverts, look for a dedicated configuration form or startup-template setting and apply the change there instead. The provider’s panel is authoritative when it manages the filesystem.
Single-shard versus multi-shard clusters
For a simple single-shard installation, the active cluster’s cluster.ini is normally the file that controls this option. Multi-shard and multi-machine installations require more care. The setting is cluster-level, but hosts can organize master and shard files differently, and some options are master-only while others must match in each cluster.ini.
- Ask the provider which file is authoritative if the panel exposes separate master and shard directories.
- Follow the host’s instructions about whether the value must be present on every shard or only on the master.
- Do not assume that editing one machine changes a file stored on another machine.
- After restarting, verify the behavior in the actual cluster you join, not in a spare shard or staging world.
If a provider’s documentation conflicts with a generic path, use the provider’s documented active path. The path shown above is a common layout, not a guarantee that every host uses the same filesystem root.
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With pausing disabled, offline time becomes part of the simulation. The practical effects depend on the world and how long nobody is connected:
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| System or activity | Potential offline consequence | Planning question |
|---|---|---|
| Farms and crops | Growth-related timers can continue while no player is online. | Will crops be ready, overgrown, or otherwise changed when the group returns? |
| Food and item spoilage | Spoilage can progress during the empty period. | Should perishable supplies remain in storage while the server runs unattended? |
| Seasons | The seasonal clock can move forward without an active player. | Could the group return in a different season than expected? |
| Mobs and other simulation activity | World systems that depend on elapsed simulation time may continue updating. | Is the base prepared for changes that occur without supervision? |
| Timers and scheduled progression | Time-based mechanics can continue instead of waiting for the next login. | Do players want a persistent world or a session that resumes exactly where it stopped? |
These are consequences of allowing the simulation to run, not guarantees that every system will change in the same way or at the same rate. Test the particular mechanics that matter to your group before leaving an important world unattended for a long period.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting when the server still pauses
The value is misspelled or uses the wrong Boolean
Reopen the file and confirm the line is exactly:
pause_when_empty = falseCheck for missing underscores, an accidental hyphen, extra quotation marks, or an uppercase value. The key must be pause_when_empty, and the value must be lowercase false.
The wrong file was edited
Verify that the file is inside the active cluster’s DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/ directory. A client configuration, an old backup, a downloaded copy, or a different server instance will not affect the world you are joining. If the host panel lists multiple clusters, match the directory to the server’s start target.
The server was not stopped or restarted
Stop the process, save the file, and start it again. A panel may accept an edit while the process is running but defer loading it until restart. If you edited the file during shutdown, wait for the process to finish stopping before saving again, then perform a clean start.
A hosting panel rewrote the file
Compare the file before and after a restart. If true returns automatically, the provider may be regenerating cluster.ini from a template. Use the panel’s configuration editor, startup variables, or template controls if available, or ask the provider which setting persists across restarts.
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A shard or machine is using another configuration
In a multi-shard or multi-machine arrangement, check the provider’s guidance about master-only settings and values that must match in each cluster file. Confirm that the file you changed belongs to the shard or cluster process that is actually running. Restart the relevant components according to the provider’s documented order and test from a normal player connection.
The world appears unchanged after a short test
An immediate reconnect may not reveal a visible difference. Use a longer, controlled interval and select an observable timer or world condition before disconnecting. The test should have no connected players for the entire interval; reconnecting one player can stop being an empty-server test.
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The choice is a gameplay policy, not merely a technical fix. Set false when the group wants a persistent world in which offline time counts toward farms, timers, seasons, spoilage, and other progression. Leave true when the group wants the world to wait for players and avoid unattended changes.
Discuss the decision with everyone who plays on the server, especially if people have different schedules. A player who expects a base to remain unchanged may be surprised to find that several in-game systems advanced while the server was empty. Conversely, a group building a persistent community world may consider pausing an interruption to the intended experience.
Operational checks after changing the option
- Record the previous value before editing so you can restore it quickly.
- Confirm the server reaches its normal running state after the restart.
- Test with all players disconnected; a server with one connected player is not an empty-server test.
- Check the file again after a later restart if you suspect a template or panel automation is overwriting it.
- For a multi-shard setup, document which files were changed and whether the provider requires matching values.
- Tell players that offline progression is enabled so they can plan around seasons, spoilage, crops, mobs, and timers.
How to turn auto-pause back on
If unattended progression is causing unwanted changes, stop the server and change the same line back to:
pause_when_empty = trueSave cluster.ini, start or restart the server, and perform a short empty-server check. The world should then pause when no players are connected. Use the same active-file and multi-shard checks described above if the value does not persist.
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