decay.upkeep (Rust server ConVar)
decay.upkeep switches Rust's tool cupboard upkeep on or off. What it reads back as, the upkeep ConVars that tune cost, and where to persist it.
Last updated Verified on Rust build 25582902, 2026-09-28
- Kind
- Variable
- Value on build 25582902
True- Server help text
- Is upkeep enabled
- Applies
- Immediately (runtime)
- Persists in
- server.cfg
- Vanilla Rust
- Yes, native
- Example
decay.upkeep false
Gotchas
- Reads back over RCON as True or False.
- It is only the on/off switch. Upkeep cost is tuned by the decay.upkeep_* and decay.bracket_* ConVars.
- server.writecfg does not save it: our test server's serverauto.cfg has no line for it. Keep it in server.cfg.
decay.upkeep is the on/off switch for upkeep, the system where a tool cupboard pays resources to protect the building around it from decay. The server's help text is short: "Is upkeep enabled". On our test server, which does not set it, it reads True.
Setting it
In server.cfg, or over RCON on a running server:
decay.upkeep false
server.writecfg does not save it (our test server's serverauto.cfg has no line for it), so a value set only over RCON is gone after a restart. Put it in server.cfg. Over RCON it reads back as True or False with a capital letter, whatever you wrote.
We have not switched it off on a live server, so this page does not describe what players see with upkeep disabled. Test it on a staging server before you change it on a populated one.
The ConVars that tune upkeep
decay.upkeep only turns the system on or off. How much upkeep costs is set by other ConVars. Their help text and the values on our test server:
| ConVar | Value | Help text (shortened) |
|---|---|---|
decay.upkeep_period_minutes | 1440 | How many minutes does the upkeep cost last? |
decay.upkeep_grief_protection | 1440 | How many minutes can the upkeep cost last after the cupboard was destroyed? |
decay.bracket_0_blockcount | 15 | Number of blocks in the 1st upkeep bracket |
decay.bracket_0_costfraction | 0.1 | Blocks in the 1st upkeep bracket will cost this value per day to maintain |
decay.upkeep_group_scaling | True | Should upkeep cost scale with the number of players authed on the tool cupboard |
decay.upkeep_group_tier_0_playercount | 4 | Number of players in the 1st (free) upkeep group tier |
decay.upkeep_group_max_multiplier | 3 | Upper limit on the group size upkeep multiplier |
decay.upkeep_inside_decay_scale | 0.1 | Scale at which objects decay when they are inside |
The cost brackets run from decay.bracket_0_* to decay.bracket_3_*, with separate block and door values, and there are three group tiers plus a few more group settings; the full list is under the decay namespace in the ConVar table. To make upkeep cheaper rather than removing it, change these instead.
In Panelra
Upkeep is not one of the dashboard's settings. Add decay.upkeep under Custom ConVars: Panelra sends it to the running server and writes it into the server.cfg it generates, so it survives restarts.
Set it in Panelra
Change decay.upkeep from the dashboard instead of editing files over SSH.
Related ConVars
- decay.scale(Generated) Multiplier applied to all decay damage per tick; 1.0 = normal, 2.0 = double decay rate, 0.0 = no decay
- decay.upkeep_period_minutesHow many minutes does the upkeep cost last? default : 1440 (24 hours)
- decay.upkeep_grief_protectionHow many minutes can the upkeep cost last after the cupboard was destroyed? default : 1440 (24 hours)
- decay.upkeep_group_scalingShould upkeep cost scale with the number of players authed on the tool cupboard
- decay.bracket_0_costfractionBlocks in the 1st upkeep bracket will cost this value per day to maintain
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