How to change decay and upkeep on your Rust server

Decay, upkeep and building stability are in the Bases group of Server Settings (server.cfg), on the Settings tab. Set Decay speed to 0 to turn decay off, or switch Upkeep off so bases cost nothing to keep, then click Save & restart.

Open the Bases group

1. Open your server in the panel and click the Settings tab.
2. In the left card, under Config files, click Server Settings (server.cfg).
3. Scroll to the Bases group.

4. Change what you want, then click Save & restart. Or click Save only to apply it at the next start.

Decay speed

The panel describes it as How fast unprotected buildings decay. 0 turns decay off, 1 is normal, 2 is twice as fast. It goes from 0 to 100, and a new server has 1.

Numbers with a decimal point, such as 0.5, are accepted.

Upkeep

Bases cost resources from the tool cupboard to keep from decaying. It is on by default. Switch it off and bases cost nothing to keep.

Building stability

Buildings need support. Off, anything can be built anywhere. It is on by default. Switch it off for build and creative servers where players should place anything anywhere.

Good to know

• These options are written to server/rust/cfg/server.cfg, which Rust reads when it starts. A wipe never changes them: How to wipe your Rust server.
• With decay off, abandoned bases stay on the map until the next wipe. A regular wipe clears them: How to set up automatic wipes on your Rust server.
• Gameplay rules such as PvE and the team limit are in their own group: How to change gameplay options on your Rust server.
• Every server.cfg option: How to set server browser tags and server.cfg options on your Rust server.