DontDespawn
DontDespawn keeps specified items from despawning on a Fabric server, so valuable drops stay in the world until a player picks them up.
What it does
Item entities normally vanish after a set amount of time. DontDespawn checks item entities during each server tick and matches each one against a list of item IDs in the configuration file. A matching entity has its age reset to 0, which keeps it from despawning. The list is a plain text file named dontdespawn.items inside the config folder, with one item name per line, such as minecraft:netherite_ingot or a custom modid:item.
The mod runs on the server alone and is published for Fabric only, for 1.20.4, 1.20.5 and 1.20.6, with 1.1 for 1.20.6 as the latest file. Fabric API is required. Players join without installing anything. The code is under the MIT License and is not open source. The mod logs a message at startup and a warning when the configuration file is missing or unreadable, and it logs a warning for items prevented from despawning.
Key features
Per-item despawn protection
Only the item IDs listed in the configuration file are kept, while every other item despawns as normal.
Age reset each tick
Matching item entities have their age reset during each server tick, which stops the despawn timer.
Editable item list
Server owners add item names to a text file, one per line, and set the items to protect without changing code.
Startup and error logging
The mod logs an initialization message, warns about prevented items and reports configuration read errors.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Protecting rare drops
Servers can keep netherite or other valuable items on the ground until a player arrives to collect them.
Who it’s for: Server owners who want certain items to stay in the world instead of vanishing after a timer runs out.
How it compares
Prevent Despawn is server-side only, published for 1.19.2 – 1.20.1, and not open source under the MIT License. I Died, My Items Didn't (IDMID) is open source under the MIT License, is server-side only and targets 1.20 – 1.21.1, so it covers a wider range than DontDespawn. Persistent Pearls is open source under the MIT License, server-side only and published for 1.17 – 1.20.1.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DontDespawn | Fabric | 1.20.4 – 1.20.6 | Server-side only | 2024-08-21 |
| Prevent Despawn | Fabric | 1.19.2 – 1.20.1 | Server-side only | 2023-06-15 |
| I Died, My Items Didn't (IDMID) | Fabric | 1.20 – 1.21.1 | Server-side only | 2024-10-12 |
| Persistent Pearls | Fabric | 1.17 – 1.20.1 | Server-side only | 2023-06-27 |
Questions
Does DontDespawn need Fabric API?
Does a player need to install DontDespawn?
How are items added to the protected list?
In the catalog
DontDespawn is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 19,630 Game mechanics mods for Fabric. 11,154 mods support Minecraft 1.20.6.
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What the author says
The DontDespawn Mod is a simple yet powerful Fabric mod for Minecraft that prevents specified items from despawning (disappearing after a certain amount of time). This can be incredibly useful for keeping valuable or important items from being lost forever if not picked up quickly enough. During each server tick, the…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/dontdespawn
- Owner
- YourAverageDev
- Published
- 2024-04-28
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2024-08-21
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15