How to Use HAProxy with a Minecraft Server

Why Use HAProxy for Minecraft?

HAProxy is a high-performance TCP and HTTP load balancer used by some of the largest websites in the world. For Minecraft, haproxy minecraft server setups serve two main purposes: distributing player connections across multiple proxy instances, and hiding your backend server IPs from public view. If you run a multi-proxy network, HAProxy can balance load and provide automatic failover when a proxy goes down.

Installation

On Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install haproxy

On CentOS or RHEL:

sudo yum install haproxy

Verify the installation with haproxy -v. You want version 2.4 or newer for the best protocol support.

Basic Configuration

Edit /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg. Below is a working configuration for a haproxy minecraft server deployment with two Velocity proxies:

global
    log /dev/log local0
    maxconn 4096
    user haproxy
    group haproxy
    daemon

defaults
    log     global
    mode    tcp
    option  tcplog
    timeout connect 5s
    timeout client  30s
    timeout server  30s

frontend minecraft_front
    bind *:25565
    default_backend minecraft_proxies

backend minecraft_proxies
    balance roundrobin
    option tcp-check
    server proxy1 10.0.0.10:25577 check inter 5s fall 3 rise 2
    server proxy2 10.0.0.11:25577 check inter 5s fall 3 rise 2

Key Settings Explained

• mode tcp: Minecraft uses raw TCP, not HTTP. Always use TCP mode.
• balance roundrobin: Distributes new connections evenly. You can also use leastconn to send players to the proxy with fewer active connections.
• check inter 5s: HAProxy pings each backend every 5 seconds. If a proxy fails 3 checks in a row (fall 3), it is marked as down.
• timeout client/server: Set to 30 seconds minimum. Players who idle might get disconnected if this is too low. For AFK-friendly servers, increase to 300s or more.

PROXY Protocol Support

By default, your Velocity proxies see HAProxy's IP instead of the player's real IP. To fix this, enable the PROXY protocol. Add send-proxy-v2 to each server line:

server proxy1 10.0.0.10:25577 check send-proxy-v2

Then in your Velocity velocity.toml, enable PROXY protocol:

haproxy-protocol = true

Now your haproxy minecraft server setup preserves real player IPs through the entire chain.

Monitoring

Enable the HAProxy stats page by adding to your config:

listen stats
    bind *:8404
    mode http
    stats enable
    stats uri /stats
    stats auth admin:your-secure-password

Visit http://your-server:8404/stats to see live connection counts, backend health, and traffic rates. Protect this endpoint with a strong password and firewall rules.

Failover Behavior

When a proxy goes down, HAProxy stops sending new connections to it within seconds. Existing connections on the failed proxy are lost (players get disconnected), but new players automatically connect to healthy proxies. For even smoother failover, pair this with RedisBungee so player sessions are shared across proxies.

A haproxy minecraft server setup is ideal for networks that need professional-grade load balancing without paying for a managed service. Combined with proper DDoS protection, it forms a strong front line for your infrastructure.

Need a proxy-ready network? Astroworld Hosting supports Velocity, BungeeCord, and multi-server setups on every plan.