Exit Code 143
FrietzHow to Fix Minecraft Server Exit Code 143
Overview
Exit Code 143 means that the Minecraft server process was terminated by a SIGTERM (termination) signal.
This does not usually mean that your server ran out of memory.
Exit Code 143 can be completely normal if the server was intentionally stopped or restarted. If the server shuts down by itself, however, further investigation may be required.
What Does Exit Code 143 Mean?
You may see:
Server process exited with code 143
The server may also show:
Out of memory: false
This is expected in many Exit Code 143 situations.
Important: The exit code alone does not tell you exactly why the server stopped. Always check the console output immediately before the exit code.
Common Causes
Exit Code 143 can occur when:
- The server was manually stopped.
- The server was restarted.
- An automatic restart was triggered.
- A scheduled task stopped the server.
- The hosting environment terminated the process.
- The server container was restarted.
- A node or maintenance operation occurred.
- Another system-level process requested the server to shut down.
How to Troubleshoot Exit Code 143
Step 1 — Check If You Stopped or Restarted the Server
First, ask yourself:
Did you press Stop?
Did you press Restart?
Did someone with access to the server stop it?
Did you recently reinstall or change the server?
If yes, Exit Code 143 may be normal.
You do not need to make any changes if the server stopped intentionally.
Step 2 — Check the Console
Look at the messages immediately before:
Exit Code: 143
You may see messages such as:
- Stopping server
- Saving worlds
- Stopping server thread
- Server shutdown
- Terminated
- SIGTERM
If Minecraft saves the world and shuts down normally before Exit Code 143, the server may simply have received a termination request.
Step 3 — Check Scheduled Tasks
If your server shuts down without you stopping it, check your hosting panel for scheduled tasks.
Look for tasks that may:
-
Stop the server
-
Restart the server
-
Reinstall the server
-
Perform maintenance
-
Run automatic backups
Make sure there isn't a scheduled task unintentionally stopping your server.
Step 4 — Check Automatic Restart Settings
Some servers or hosting configurations can automatically restart the server after certain events.
Check whether automatic restart functionality is enabled.
If the server repeatedly follows this pattern:
↓
Server runs
↓
Server stops
↓
Exit Code 143
↓
Server starts again```
check your restart settings and scheduled tasks.
---
### Step 5 — Check Recent Changes
If Exit Code 143 started happening unexpectedly, think about what changed recently.
For example:
- New plugin
- New mod
- Plugin update
- Mod update
- Minecraft version change
- Java version change
- Startup configuration change
- Server configuration change
If the issue began immediately after a change, temporarily revert that change and test the server.
> **Always create a backup before changing or removing important server files.**
---
### Step 6 — Check Server Resources
Exit Code 143 is **not normally an out-of-memory error**, but it is still useful to check your server's resource usage.
Check:
- RAM usage
- CPU usage
- Storage usage
- Server load
If your panel reports:
```Out of memory: true```
investigate memory usage as well.
If it reports:
```Out of memory: false```
do not assume RAM is the cause. Continue checking the console and server configuration.
---
### Fresh Server With Exit Code 143
If this is a **fresh server** with no plugins, mods, or custom configuration and it repeatedly exits with Code 143:
1. Check the console.
2. Check whether you manually stopped the server.
3. Check scheduled tasks.
4. Check automatic restart settings.
5. Check resource usage.
6. Restart the server.
7. If it continues, contact support.
A fresh server that shuts down without an obvious reason may require investigation on the hosting side.
---
### What Not to Do
Do **not** immediately:
- ❌ Delete your world
- ❌ Delete your server files
- ❌ Reinstall the server
- ❌ Change random Java arguments
- ❌ Increase RAM without checking the cause
- ❌ Assume Exit Code 143 means the server crashed
Always check the console first.
---
### When to Contact Support
Contact support if:
- The server shuts down without anyone stopping it.
- Exit Code 143 happens repeatedly.
- The server is completely fresh.
- There are no scheduled tasks causing the shutdown.
- The console shows a node or container-related error.
- The server stops shortly after starting every time.
When contacting support, provide:
```Server ID:
Minecraft Version:
Server Software:
Java Version:
RAM Allocation:
Players Online:
Exit Code: 143
Out of Memory: true/false```
Also include the **full console log,** especially the messages immediately before Exit Code 143.
---
### Quick Checklist
- [ ] Check whether the server was intentionally stopped
- [ ] Check the console before Exit Code 143
- [ ] Check scheduled tasks
- [ ] Check automatic restart settings
- [ ] Check recent server changes
- [ ] Check RAM and CPU usage
- [ ] Restart the server
- [ ] Create a backup before making major changes
- [ ] Contact support if the issue continues
---
### Summary
**Exit Code 143 means the Minecraft server process received a termination signal.**
If you intentionally stopped or restarted the server, this can be **normal.**
If the server shuts down by itself, check the **console, scheduled tasks, automatic restart settings, and recent changes** before making any major changes to your server.