Lava Source Control
by Varam_11
Lava Source Control is a lightweight datapack that lets a world turn lava source conversion on or off with a persistent toggle.
What it does
Lava source conversion makes two adjacent lava source blocks produce a new source, following the same rules water uses. The datapack switches this behavior off, so lava stays put, or back on, restoring the vanilla setup. Switching it off is meant to make lava act the way water does when that feature is enabled, which keeps lava pools from spreading into large lakes.
The datapack needs no other mods and works in any world that loads it. The setting survives reloads, so it does not revert after a restart. Server owners who want the change in a multiplayer world run the datapack on the server; players connecting to that server need nothing extra. Built for Minecraft 1.21.x and tested on 1.21.11, it is published for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, with all release versions covering 1.21 – 1.21.11, under All rights reserved; the code is not open source.
Key features
Persistent toggle
The on or off state is stored in the world and remains in effect across reloads.
Three functions
Separate functions enable conversion, disable it, and switch between the two states from one command.
In-game feedback
The datapack reports the new state in chat each time the setting changes.
Vanilla-friendly design
It changes only lava conversion and leaves other vanilla behavior as it was.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Keeping lava pools small
Builders who want lava to stay where it is placed can disable conversion so new source blocks do not form.
Running a survival server
Server owners can set lava behavior for everyone on the server with one toggle, without installing a mod.
Who it’s for: Server owners and players who want to control lava source conversion in a vanilla world, using a datapack instead of a mod.
How it compares
Nether Lava Source Conversion is a NeoForge server-side mod for 1.21.1, open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only. InfiniteLava is also NeoForge and server-side for 1.21.1, under the MIT License, but it is not open source. Lava Highlight is a Fabric client-side mod for 1.21.10 under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Lava Source Control differs from all of them by being a datapack that needs no loader.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lava Source Control | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21 – 1.21.11 | Server required, client optional | 2026-01-06 |
| Nether Lava Source Conversion | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Server-side only | 2026-03-01 |
| InfiniteLava | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Server-side only | 2025-10-15 |
| Lava Highlight | Fabric | 1.21.10 | Client-side only | 2026-03-28 |
Questions
Does Lava Source Control need a loader?
Does the server need the datapack for players to see the change?
Does the setting persist after a restart?
Which game versions does it support?
More from Varam_11
What the author says
Lava Source Control is a lightweight Minecraft datapack that allows players to toggle lava source conversion on and off, making lava behave the same way as water when the feature is enabled. This allows lava source blocks to be created from adjacent sources using standard water-style mechanics, while disabling it…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/lava-source-control
- Owner
- Varam_11
- Published
- 2025-12-31
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-01-06
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15