server.corpsedespawn (Rust server ConVar)
How long a player corpse stays on a Rust server: server.corpsedespawn (300 s default), how it differs from NPC corpses and dropped items, and setting it.
Last updated Verified on Rust build 25582902, 2026-09-28
- Kind
- Variable
- Value on build 25582902
300- Server help text
- (Generated) Seconds before a player corpse is removed from the world; default is 300 seconds (5 minutes)
- Applies
- Immediately (runtime)
- Persists in
- server.cfg
- Vanilla Rust
- Yes, native
- Example
server.corpsedespawn 600
Gotchas
- In seconds, player corpses only. NPC corpses use server.npccorpsedespawn (600).
- server.corpses controls whether player corpses spawn at all.
- Not written to serverauto.cfg by server.writecfg, so a value set only over RCON is lost on restart. Keep it in server.cfg.
server.corpsedespawn is how many seconds a dead player's corpse stays in the world. The server's help text (marked "Generated" by Facepunch):
Seconds before a player corpse is removed from the world; default is 300 seconds (5 minutes)
On build 25582902 the value was 300.
Player corpses, NPC corpses and dropped items
Three different timers, three different ConVars:
| ConVar | Value on 25582902 | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
server.corpsedespawn | 300 | Corpses of players |
server.npccorpsedespawn | 600 | Corpses of NPCs (help: "Seconds before a NPC corpse is removed from the world") |
server.itemdespawn | 300 | Items dropped on the ground |
Changing one does not change the others. If players complain that their loot vanished before they got back to it, check which of these they mean: the body with their gear on it is server.corpsedespawn, loose items are server.itemdespawn.
A separate switch, server.corpses (True), decides whether player corpses spawn at all. Its help text says turning it off "removes corpses entirely and items are dropped directly", in which case the dropped item timer is the one that counts.
Choosing a value
The default gives a player 5 minutes to run back. A longer timer suits servers where a death far from base should not be a total loss, such as PvE. Each corpse is an entity holding the dead player's items, so very long timers on a busy server mean more of them around at once.
To see what is lying around right now, the command server.corpseinfo gets "info on player corpses on the server".
Setting it
server.corpsedespawn 600
It can be set over RCON while the server runs, and unlike some ConVars its help text does not ask for a restart. We have not tested whether bodies that already exist pick up the new time, so judge a change on the next death.
server.writecfg does not save it to serverauto.cfg. Keep it in server.cfg, or it falls back to the default after a restart.
In Panelra
Add it under Settings, Custom ConVars. Panelra writes it to server.cfg and runs server.readcfg, so the change needs no restart and persists.
Set it in Panelra
Change server.corpsedespawn from the dashboard instead of editing files over SSH.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a player body stay in Rust?
Can I turn player corpses off?
Related ConVars
- server.npccorpsedespawnSeconds before a NPC corpse is removed from the world; default is 600 seconds (10 minutes)
- server.corpses(Generated) Whether player corpses are spawned when players die; disabling removes corpses entirely and items are dropped directly
- server.corpseinfoGet info on player corpses on the server
- server.itemdespawn(Generated) Seconds before items dropped on the ground despawn; default is 300 seconds (5 minutes)
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