How to fix "Workshop item version is different than the server's" on a Project Zomboid server

Players get "Workshop item version is different than the server's" when a Workshop mod updates while your Project Zomboid server is running. The game never restarts the server for a mod update: it keeps its old copy until you restart it. RCON Hub fixes it: its PZ Manager watches your mods on Steam and restarts the server when a mod updates, with in-game warnings first, so the server runs the same version your players download.

Why mod updates break joins on Project Zomboid

The server downloads the newest version of each Workshop mod when it starts. After that, it keeps the copy it has. Your players' games pick up a new version from Steam as soon as the author publishes it.

Now the two sides don't match, and the game refuses the join until the server restarts. On a server with dozens of mods, some author updates something most days.

So the manual fix looks like this:

• Notice the "can't join" messages in your Discord.
• Warn everyone in chat, then save and stop the server.
• Start it again and hope nothing else updated in the meantime.
• Do it all again tomorrow, maybe at 3 a.m.

It eats your evenings.

What the game and other tools leave out

• The server never notices a mod update. It keeps the copy it started with, and the built-in checkModsNeedUpdate only answers in the log. PZ Manager checks Steam every 10 minutes against the versions your server started with.
• Warnings and restarts by hand. A plain RCON tool sends one command at a time, so you type each warning, then save and quit. PZ Manager warns players in game at 10, 5 and 1 minutes and restarts right away if nobody's online.
• No load order sorter on the server. You order the Mods= line yourself. PZ Manager sorts the load order from each mod's own requirements.
• Broken mods fail quietly. A missing dependency or a Build 41-only mod just doesn't load, and the reason is buried in the log. PZ Manager flags it in plain English before you start, and Check last start names the mod behind a Lua error.

How RCON Hub fixes it

When a mod changes, PZ Manager starts the countdown. You can restart now, wait 10 more minutes, or cancel. It can back up the world before each restart, and stopping always saves the world first.

You can also add daily restarts at set times.

Step-by-step setup

1. Install RCON Hub. Download it from rconhub.gg and run the installer. It's free for Windows 10 and 11.
2. Add the Project Zomboid game pack. Open RCON Hub. On Your games, click Add game, pick Project Zomboid and click Install.
3. Set up your server. Open the Project Zomboid card. On the Server page, click Install to get the dedicated server through SteamCMD. Already have one? Click I already have a server and point it at the folder.
4. Add your mods. Open the Mods page. Paste a Workshop link or collection into Add a mod. Fix anything it flags, then click Save to server.
5. Turn on mod-update restarts. Back on the Server page, find Automatic restarts. Tick Restart when a mod updates on Steam. Tick Restart right away if nobody's online and Back up the world before each restart too.
6. Add a daily restart (optional). Under Restart every day at, pick a time and click Add.
7. Start and check. Click Start server. The card shows how many Workshop items it's watching. When a mod updates, a banner counts down with Restart now, Wait 10 more minutes and Don't restart.

Still seeing mod errors after a restart? On the Mods page, click Check last start. It reads the server's log and names the mod behind a Lua error.

Renting your server? Add it on the Servers page. Automatic restarts on mod updates work for rented servers too.

Is it safe?

Yes.

• It runs locally. RCON Hub and PZ Manager run on your own Windows PC and talk to your server over RCON and its own files.
• No injection. RCON Hub never touches the game client or your players' games. There's nothing for anti-cheat to flag, so it won't get anyone banned.
• Your settings stay intact. Saving mods backs up the server's ini first and writes only the mod and map lines.
• Your secrets stay put. Rented-server passwords and tokens are stored encrypted on your PC. A Discord webhook is never shown again after you save it.

It's beta software. Back up your server's settings and world before you change things.

Let mod updates restart the server for you

Your players shouldn't be locked out because a mod author pushed a fix. Download RCON Hub, add the Project Zomboid pack, and let your server keep up with the Workshop.

Download RCON Hub 0.3.13 More guides