[Bug] Client-side AddConvarChangeListener only fires for convars previously read with GetConvar

[lilabyte]

Summary

AddConvarChangeListener is a shared native, but on the client side it only fires for convars the client script has previously read with GetConvar while the convar already existed. The read appears to materialize the convar in the client's local table, and only materialized convars dispatch change events. A replicated update alone never fires the client listener (wildcard included), even though the updated value IS visible to GetConvar. Reading a name that doesn't exist yet materializes nothing, so a script cannot subscribe ahead of time. Resource restarts and reconnects do not help by themselves. Server-side listeners do not have this limitation: a server wildcard listener fires for any convar change without any prior GetConvar read, no matter when the convar was created.

Issue type

Client

Repro rate

Always

Server build version

FXServer-early-access b168 linux

OS

Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200

CPU

13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-13600KF

GPU

No response

RAM

No response

Storage type

None

Connection type

None

ISP and bandwidth

No response

DxDiag

No response

Network graph

No response

Platform

Linux

OS version / distribution

Debian 13

CPU

No response

RAM

No response

Using txAdmin?

Yes

Hosting provider

Self-hosted

Machine type

VPS

/perf endpoint output

No response

DDoS protection

No response

ulimit -n value (Linux only)

No response

Docker Compose file (Docker only)

No response

Steps to Reproduce

Repro resource (JS, no dependencies):

fxmanifest.lua

fx_version 'cerulean'
games { 'gta5' }
client_script 'client.js'
server_script 'server.js'

server.js

AddConvarChangeListener('*', (name) => {
  console.log(`[repro][server] convar changed: ${name} = "${GetConvar(name, '<unset>')}"`);
});

client.js

AddConvarChangeListener('*', (name) => {
  console.log(`[repro][client] convar changed: ${name} = "${GetConvar(name, '<unset>')}"`);
});
RegisterCommand('repro_touch', (_source, args) => {
  console.log(`[repro][client] touched ${args[0]} = "${GetConvar(args[0], '<unset>')}"`);
}, false);

Steps (fresh server, player connected, resource ensured):

1. Server console: setr repro_fresh a - silence everywhere (listeners never fire on convar creation, separate known behaviour, not this report).
2. Server console: setr repro_fresh b - server logs the change; client logs NOTHING.
3. Client console (F8): repro_touch repro_fresh - prints touched repro_fresh = "b", so the replicated value was on the client all along.
4. Server console: setr repro_fresh c - client NOW logs the change, the GetConvar read in step 3 is what made the listener work.
5. Control: a second replicated convar never read on the client (setr repro_other a, then setr repro_other b) stays silent on the client indefinitely.
6. Touching an unset name ahead of time (repro_touch repro_future before any setr repro_future) does NOT help - later changes still don't fire, the read must happen while the convar exists.

Expected Behavior

Step 2 should fire the client listener the same way it fires the server one - a listener registered with a wildcard filter should not depend on the script having called GetConvar for that name first.

Actual Behavior

The client listener stays silent for any convar the client script has not previously read with GetConvar while it existed. The replicated value still reaches the client (GetConvar returns it), only the change event is missing.

Evidence

No response

Additional Context

No response

[lilabyte]

May be related: #588

[Gogsi]

Hello,
A fix for this issue has been implemented in November 11 patch for FiveM for GTAV Enhanced. Please try again and let us know if the issue persists. Thanks for your help!