Smooth Join
by ZhiMeow
Smooth Join changes how far the client draws terrain while a player is still loading into a world, so joining a server produces fewer lag spikes.
What it does
When a connection starts, the client lowers its render distance straight away, which shortens the time spent building terrain. Once the player is in, the view distance climbs back step by step, at one chunk per second, after a wait of about 20 seconds. The gradual return is meant to prevent secondary lag spikes that would follow a sudden jump back to the full distance.
The mod runs on the client only, so the server does not need it and players can join a server without any change on its side. Files are published for Fabric and NeoForge across 29 release versions, 1.19 – 26.3. The required dependency is Fabric API, and Mod Menu and YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL) are optional. The code is not open source, and the mod is released under All rights reserved. It is incompatible with Concurrent Chunk Management Engine.
Key features
Lowered render distance on join
The render distance is reduced as soon as a connection starts, so the heaviest terrain work does not stall the first seconds in the world.
Staged view distance restore
After the initial wait, the view distance rises by one chunk per second until it returns to the configured value.
Delayed start of restoration
A buffer of about 20 seconds passes before the view distance begins to increase, so the join itself stays light.
Lag-free entry
Joining a server or a world loads faster because the client is not building a full view distance at the moment of entry.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
1.20.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.19.x5 of 5 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Optional 2
Use cases
Joining busy servers
Players who connect to large or heavily built servers can enter with fewer stutters during the initial terrain load.
Who it’s for: Players on Fabric or NeoForge who see lag spikes when they log in, on a server or in a world with heavy terrain.
How it compares
Smooth Container is a client mod for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 1.12.2 – 26.1.2, released under the MIT License and open source, and it needs the client but not the server. WorldFarView is open source under the MIT License and runs on the client and the server together, for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 on Fabric, Forge and NeoForge. Relay - Network Manager is server required and client optional, released under a Creative Commons license that is not open source, and covers 1.20 – 26.2 on Fabric.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth Join | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.19 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-18 |
| Smooth Container | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.12.2 – 26.1.2 | Client required, server optional | 2026-07-10 |
| WorldFarView | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-08-16 |
| Relay - Network Manager | Fabric | 1.20 – 26.2 | Server required, client optional | 2026-07-01 |
Questions
Does Smooth Join need to be installed on the server?
Does Smooth Join require Fabric API?
Can Smooth Join be used with Concurrent Chunk Management Engine?
In the catalog
Smooth Join is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from ZhiMeow
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Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/smooth-join
- Owner
- ZhiMeow
- Published
- 2026-02-08
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-18
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15