7 Days to Die Tutorials

Setting Up Scheduled Server Restarts

Set up automatic restarts for your 7 Days to Die server to manage the memory leak and maintain performance.

Last updated: March 20, 2026

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7 Days to Die has a known memory leak where RAM usage gradually increases the longer the server runs. Scheduled restarts are the standard solution - most server administrators restart every 12-24 hours to keep performance stable.

Why Restarts Matter

Without restarts, a 7DTD server’s memory usage climbs steadily over time. A server that starts using 3-4GB might reach 6-8GB after 24-48 hours of continuous play, even with the same player count. This increased usage leads to:

  • Gradual performance degradation
  • Increased lag, especially during blood moons
  • Potential crashes when memory is fully consumed

Daily restarts reset memory usage to baseline and keep the server running smoothly.

Setting Up Scheduled Restarts

Using the Schedule Manager

WinterNode’s Schedule Manager lets you automate server restarts on a recurring schedule.

  1. Open your Game Control Panel
  2. Go to Configuration > Schedules (or Schedule Manager)
  3. Create a new schedule
  4. Set the action to Restart Server
  5. Set the schedule using cron syntax

Daily restart at 5:00 AM UTC:

Minute: 0
Hour: 5
Day of Month: *
Month: *
Day of Week: *

This translates to a cron expression of 0 5 * * *.

Pick a time when your server typically has the fewest players online. Early morning (UTC) works for most groups.

Twice-Daily Restarts (Heavy Use)

For servers with high player counts, heavy mod loads, or if you notice performance degradation within 12 hours:

Restart at 5:00 AM and 5:00 PM UTC:

Minute: 0
Hour: 5,17
Day of Month: *
Month: *
Day of Week: *

Cron expression: 0 5,17 * * *

Pre-Restart Warnings

The Schedule Manager restarts the server immediately at the scheduled time. There’s no built-in warning system for connected players.

To give players a heads-up, you have a few options:

  • Server description - Add restart times to your ServerDescription in serverconfig.xml so players can see when restarts happen
  • Discord announcement - If your group uses Discord, post the restart schedule in a pinned message
  • CSMM or Server Tools mod - If you’re running mods, some server management tools can send in-game chat warnings before scheduled events

Timing Restarts Around Blood Moons

If possible, avoid scheduling restarts during or right before blood moon nights. A restart mid-horde loses all progress on that blood moon.

With default settings (BloodMoonFrequency 7, DayNightLength 60), blood moon nights happen approximately every 7 real-time hours of server uptime. Since this doesn’t align neatly with a 24-hour restart schedule, occasional conflicts are unavoidable - but picking a consistent off-peak restart time minimizes disruption.

Verifying Restarts Are Working

After setting up the schedule:

  1. Check the server’s uptime after the scheduled restart time
  2. The server console log should show a clean startup
  3. Monitor RAM usage patterns - you should see periodic drops back to baseline rather than continuous climbing
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