What is Arbiter?

Arbiter is a server-side Fabric mod that automatically clears ground item entities on a configurable schedule, keeping your server performant without deleting items that matter. No client install is required — players join and play normally while Arbiter handles cleanup in the background.

Compatibility

Server-side: Required
Client-side: Not required — players join without installing Arbiter
Java 21+, Fabric Loader, and Fabric API required

Features

Smart Item Protection — Named (anvil-renamed) and enchanted items are never cleared; rarity-based protection defaults to RARE and above (protect_rarity_minimum: "RARE").
TPS-Aware Emergency Clear — Monitors server TPS and triggers an accelerated sweep when TPS drops below emergency_tps_threshold (default: 15.0), with a emergency_clear_cooldown_seconds (default: 60) to prevent rapid-fire clearing.
Bossbar Countdown — Color-graduated bossbar (green → yellow → red) broadcasts a warning_start_seconds (default: 30) warning to all players, including late joiners, before each scheduled clear.
Per-Dimension Configuration — Each dimension carries independent clear_interval_seconds, item_count_threshold, and protection overrides; unset fields inherit from global config.
Clear, Ordered Protection Priority — Item fate is resolved by a deterministic 10-rule priority system: item_overrides BLACKLIST beats PROTECT beats protected_items list beats protected_namespaces beats rarity beats proximity. No item is cleared unexpectedly.
Mod Namespace Protection — Add any mod's registry ID to protected_namespaces to protect all of its items with one line; assign priority tiers (LOW / NORMAL / HIGH) via namespace_tiers.
Hot-Reload JSON5 Config — File changes apply within ~1 second via file-watch; /arbiter reload forces an immediate reload. Invalid values are clamped to safe ranges on load.

Quick Start Modes

Arbiter ships with three built-in presets. Apply any preset with a single command — the config is rewritten and hot-reloaded automatically.

Mode	Interval	Item Threshold	Protection Level	Command
`aggressive`	60 s	0 (always clear)	EPIC rarity only; named/enchanted/namespace disabled	`/arbiter mode aggressive`
`warden`	180 s	50 items	Named, enchanted, RARE+, namespace list	`/arbiter mode warden`
`calm`	600 s	200 items	Named, enchanted, UNCOMMON+, namespace list, extended protected items	`/arbiter mode calm`
`custom`	from config	from config	Hand-tuned; all values from config file	`/arbiter mode custom`

Commands

Command	Effect	Permission Node
`/arbiter force [dimension]`	Force-clear all worlds or a specific dimension	`arbiter.force`
`/arbiter status`	Show TPS, time until next clear, item counts per world	`arbiter.status`
`/arbiter reload`	Reload config from disk without restarting	`arbiter.reload`
`/arbiter stats`	View session statistics (clears run, items removed)	`arbiter.stats`
`/arbiter dryrun [dimension]`	Preview what would be cleared without removing anything	`arbiter.dryrun`
`/arbiter testbar [seconds]`	Run a bossbar countdown test	`arbiter.testbar`
`/arbiter mode <preset>`	Apply a preset: aggressive / warden / calm / custom	`arbiter.mode`

LuckPerms integration is automatic — falls back to OP level if LuckPerms is not installed.

dryrun output example: Would CLEAR: 47 items — Would protect: 12

Configuration

Arbiter works out of the box. config/arbiter.json5 is generated on first run and is fully annotated — every setting is documented inline.

Setting	Default	Description
`clear_interval_seconds`	`300`	Time between scheduled clears
`warning_start_seconds`	`30`	Bossbar countdown starts this many seconds before clear
`item_count_threshold`	`100`	Skip clear if fewer item entities than this exist
`emergency_tps_threshold`	`15.0`	Trigger emergency clear when TPS drops below this; `0` disables
`emergency_clear_cooldown_seconds`	`60`	Minimum seconds between emergency clears
`protect_named_items`	`true`	Protect anvil-renamed items
`protect_enchanted_items`	`true`	Protect enchanted items
`protect_rarity_minimum`	`"RARE"`	Minimum vanilla rarity to auto-protect (EPIC / RARE / UNCOMMON / COMMON)
`player_proximity_radius`	`10`	Protect items within N blocks of any player
`protected_namespaces`	`["mod_namespace"]`	Protect all items from listed mod namespaces
`protected_items`	`["minecraft:nether_star", ...]`	Exact item IDs always protected
`item_overrides`	`{"minecraft:dirt": "BLACKLIST"}`	Per-item PROTECT or BLACKLIST — overrides all other rules
`bossbar_enabled`	`true`	Show bossbar countdown
`actionbar_warnings_enabled`	`false`	Show countdown in actionbar alongside bossbar
`broadcast_clear_results`	`true`	Announce clear results to all players

Note: protect_rarity_minimum: "EPIC" protects almost nothing in vanilla — enchanted golden apple is the only EPIC item. Use "RARE" or "UNCOMMON" for meaningful protection.

See the full example config on the GitHub README.

How It Compares

Feature	Arbiter	ICL	ClearLagg
Bossbar countdown	✅ Color-graduated	❌ Chat only	❌ Chat only
Named item protection	✅	❌	⚠️ Partial
Enchanted item protection	✅	❌	⚠️ Partial
Rarity-based protection	✅	❌	❌
Mod namespace protection	✅	❌	❌
Per-item PROTECT/BLACKLIST	✅	❌	⚠️ Whitelist only
TPS emergency clear	✅ With cooldown	❌	⚠️ No cooldown
Item count threshold	✅	❌	❌
Per-dimension config	✅	❌	❌
Hot-reload config	✅ File watch + command	❌	❌
Player proximity protection	✅	❌	❌
No `System.gc()` stutter	✅	✅	❌
Silent clears (no sounds)	✅	❌ Noteblock beep	✅
Server-side only	✅	✅	✅ (Bukkit)

Requirements

Minecraft 1.21.1
Fabric Loader (latest)
Fabric API
Java 21+
LuckPerms (optional — falls back to OP levels)

FAQ

Is Arbiter server-side only? Yes. Players connect to a server running Arbiter without installing anything client-side.

Will Arbiter be backported to older Minecraft versions? No backport is currently planned. Watch the GitHub repository for future version announcements.

Does Arbiter conflict with ClearLagg, ICL, or other item-clearing mods? Running two item-clearing mods simultaneously is redundant and not recommended. Arbiter is otherwise compatible with all Fabric mods.

Can I protect items from modded dimensions or custom registries? Yes — add any mod's registry namespace to protected_namespaces. Per-item overrides via item_overrides work for any item ID regardless of mod.

GitHub Issues | MIT License