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Fix the Minecraft "Ticking entity" crash

2 min readUpdated Nov 3, 2026Copy link

One entity or block entity throws an error every time the server updates it, so the server crashes as soon as that area loads. The crash report tells you what it is and exactly where.

The crash report (in the crash-reports folder) starts with:

Description: Ticking entity

or Description: Ticking block entity, and further down a section like:

-- Entity being ticked --
Details:
	Entity Type: minecraft:villager (net.minecraft.world.entity.npc.Villager)
	Entity's Exact location: 1269.01, 64.00, -1631.36

The server often crash-loops: it starts, a player or the spawn area loads that chunk, and it crashes again.

Why it happens #

Every tick the server updates ("ticks") the entities and block entities (chests, furnaces, machines) in loaded chunks. If one of them has broken data, or a mod has a bug in its update code, the update throws an error and the whole server stops. Common triggers: a mod update that changed an entity's data, a mod removed while its entities still exist, a corrupted chunk after a crash or full disk, and buggy machines in tech modpacks.

Find what and where #

1. Open Files → crash-reports and open the newest file.
2. Read the first lines of the stack trace under the description. A package name like com.examplemod. tells you which mod's code failed.
3. Find the -- Entity being ticked -- or -- Block entity being ticked -- section. Note the entity type or block and the coordinates.
4. Note the dimension too (the overworld, the nether, or a modded dimension), shown in the report's level details.

How to fix it #

Download a copy of your world before trying anything below (see backups).

1. Update the mod the stack trace points to. Many ticking crashes are fixed bugs.
2. Remove the entity with a command if the server stays up long enough (for example, when nobody is near it). In the console, adjust type and coordinates:

   kill @e[type=minecraft:villager,x=1269,y=64,z=-1631,distance=..3]

   Block entities can be replaced with setblock 1269 64 -1631 minecraft:air. Be careful: that removes the block and its contents.
3. Forge only: in forge-server.toml (in the world's serverconfig folder on 1.20.1 and older) set removeErroringEntities = true or removeErroringBlockEntities = true, start the server once so Forge deletes the broken one, then set it back to false. Forge's own comment on these options: "BE WARNED THIS COULD SCREW UP EVERYTHING USE SPARINGLY". NeoForge, Fabric and Paper may not have the same option.
4. Delete the chunk as a last resort: download the world, open it in MCA Selector on your computer, select the chunk at those coordinates, delete it, and upload the world again. The chunk regenerates as fresh terrain, so anything built there is lost.

Avoid it next time #

• Stop the server cleanly (Stop, not Kill) so chunks are saved fully; see the console.
• Leave spare disk space; a full disk while saving can corrupt chunks (see troubleshooting).
• Don't remove content mods from an existing world without checking the pack's changelog.
• Keep an off-server copy of your world before big mod updates.

FAQ #

Will the server keep crashing until I fix it?

Yes, whenever that chunk loads. If it is near spawn, it crashes on every start.

Is it safe to leave removeErroringEntities on?

No. Turn it on for one start to clear the broken entity, then turn it off. Left on, it can silently delete entities you care about.

Do I lose my world if I delete a chunk?

Only that 16 by 16 block column. It regenerates as new terrain; builds in it are lost.

How do I know which mod caused the ticking crash?

Read the first lines of the stack trace in the crash report. A package name that isn't net.minecraft or java usually belongs to the mod at fault.

Sources: Forge source: removeErroringEntities / removeErroringBlockEntities (checked Nov 3, 2026) · MCA Selector (chunk editor) (checked Nov 3, 2026) · Minecraft Wiki: /kill command (checked Nov 3, 2026)

Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 3, 2026.