diff --git a/connector/pom.xml b/connector/pom.xml
index 34a31e89f..be7b9869f 100644
--- a/connector/pom.xml
+++ b/connector/pom.xml
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@
                     <groupId>com.nukkitx.network</groupId>
                     <artifactId>raknet</artifactId>
                 </exclusion>
+                <exclusion>
+                    <groupId>com.nukkitx</groupId>
+                    <artifactId>nbt</artifactId>
+                </exclusion>
             </exclusions>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
@@ -85,6 +89,13 @@
                 </exclusion>
             </exclusions>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.nukkitx</groupId>
+            <artifactId>nbt</artifactId>
+            <!-- Used for key/value interning -->
+            <version>2.1.0</version>
+            <scope>compile</scope>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.nukkitx.fastutil</groupId>
             <artifactId>fastutil-int-int-maps</artifactId>
diff --git a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/loader/NbtRegistryLoader.java b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/loader/NbtRegistryLoader.java
index b8ec65697..8e1230763 100644
--- a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/loader/NbtRegistryLoader.java
+++ b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/loader/NbtRegistryLoader.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public class NbtRegistryLoader implements RegistryLoader<String, NbtMap> {
     @Override
     public NbtMap load(String input) {
         InputStream stream = FileUtils.getResource(input);
-        try (NBTInputStream nbtInputStream = NbtUtils.createNetworkReader(stream)) {
+        try (NBTInputStream nbtInputStream = NbtUtils.createNetworkReader(stream, true, true)) {
             return (NbtMap) nbtInputStream.readTag();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new AssertionError("Failed to load registrations for " + input, e);
diff --git a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/BlockRegistryPopulator.java b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/BlockRegistryPopulator.java
index 233e11669..00e74d143 100644
--- a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/BlockRegistryPopulator.java
+++ b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/BlockRegistryPopulator.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
         for (Map.Entry<String, BiFunction<String, NbtMapBuilder, String>> palette : STATE_MAPPER.entrySet()) {
             InputStream stream = FileUtils.getResource(String.format("bedrock/block_palette.%s.nbt", palette.getKey()));
             NbtList<NbtMap> blocksTag;
-            try (NBTInputStream nbtInputStream = new NBTInputStream(new DataInputStream(new GZIPInputStream(stream)))) {
+            try (NBTInputStream nbtInputStream = new NBTInputStream(new DataInputStream(new GZIPInputStream(stream)), true, true)) {
                 NbtMap blockPalette = (NbtMap) nbtInputStream.readTag();
                 blocksTag = (NbtList<NbtMap>) blockPalette.getList("blocks", NbtType.COMPOUND);
             } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
                 Map.Entry<String, JsonNode> entry = blocksIterator.next();
                 String javaId = entry.getKey();
 
-                NbtMap blockTag = buildBedrockState(entry.getValue(), stateVersion, stateMapper);
-                int bedrockRuntimeId = blockStateOrderedMap.getOrDefault(blockTag, -1);
+                int bedrockRuntimeId = blockStateOrderedMap.getOrDefault(buildBedrockState(entry.getValue(), stateVersion, stateMapper), -1);
                 if (bedrockRuntimeId == -1) {
-                    throw new RuntimeException("Unable to find " + javaId + " Bedrock runtime ID! Built compound tag: \n" + blockTag);
+                    throw new RuntimeException("Unable to find " + javaId + " Bedrock runtime ID! Built NBT tag: \n" +
+                            buildBedrockState(entry.getValue(), stateVersion, stateMapper));
                 }
 
                 switch (javaId) {
@@ -182,11 +182,11 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
 
                 // Get the tag needed for non-empty flower pots
                 if (entry.getValue().get("pottable") != null) {
-                    flowerPotBlocks.put(cleanJavaIdentifier, blockTag);
+                    flowerPotBlocks.put(cleanJavaIdentifier.intern(), blocksTag.get(bedrockRuntimeId));
                 }
 
                 if (!cleanJavaIdentifier.equals(entry.getValue().get("bedrock_identifier").asText())) {
-                    javaIdentifierToBedrockTag.put(cleanJavaIdentifier, blockTag);
+                    javaIdentifierToBedrockTag.put(cleanJavaIdentifier.intern(), blocksTag.get(bedrockRuntimeId));
                 }
 
                 javaToBedrockBlockMap.put(javaRuntimeId, bedrockRuntimeId);
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
 
             JsonNode pickItemNode = entry.getValue().get("pick_item");
             if (pickItemNode != null) {
-                builder.pickItem(pickItemNode.textValue());
+                builder.pickItem(pickItemNode.textValue().intern());
             }
 
             BlockStateValues.storeBlockStateValues(entry.getKey(), javaRuntimeId, entry.getValue());
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
 
             if (!cleanIdentifiers.contains(cleanJavaIdentifier)) {
                 uniqueJavaId++;
-                cleanIdentifiers.add(cleanJavaIdentifier);
+                cleanIdentifiers.add(cleanJavaIdentifier.intern());
             }
 
             builder.javaIdentifier(javaId);
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ public class BlockRegistryPopulator {
 
             // Keeping this here since this is currently unchanged between versions
             if (!cleanJavaIdentifier.equals(bedrockIdentifier)) {
-                BlockRegistries.JAVA_TO_BEDROCK_IDENTIFIERS.register(cleanJavaIdentifier, bedrockIdentifier);
+                BlockRegistries.JAVA_TO_BEDROCK_IDENTIFIERS.register(cleanJavaIdentifier.intern(), bedrockIdentifier.intern());
             }
 
             if (javaId.startsWith("minecraft:bell[")) {
diff --git a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/ItemRegistryPopulator.java b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/ItemRegistryPopulator.java
index 7ba3886cb..967424017 100644
--- a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/ItemRegistryPopulator.java
+++ b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/registry/populator/ItemRegistryPopulator.java
@@ -249,24 +249,25 @@ public class ItemRegistryPopulator {
             javaOnlyItems.addAll(palette.getValue().getAdditionalTranslatedItems().keySet());
 
             for (Map.Entry<String, GeyserMappingItem> entry : items.entrySet()) {
+                String javaIdentifier = entry.getKey().intern();
                 GeyserMappingItem mappingItem;
-                String replacementItem = palette.getValue().getAdditionalTranslatedItems().get(entry.getKey());
+                String replacementItem = palette.getValue().getAdditionalTranslatedItems().get(javaIdentifier);
                 if (replacementItem != null) {
                     mappingItem = items.get(replacementItem);
                 } else {
                     // This items has a mapping specifically for this version of the game
                     mappingItem = entry.getValue();
                 }
-                if (entry.getKey().equals("minecraft:sculk_sensor") && GeyserConnector.getInstance().getConfig().isExtendedWorldHeight()) {
+                if (javaIdentifier.equals("minecraft:sculk_sensor") && GeyserConnector.getInstance().getConfig().isExtendedWorldHeight()) {
                     mappingItem.setBedrockIdentifier("minecraft:sculk_sensor");
                 }
 
-                if (usingFurnaceMinecart && entry.getKey().equals("minecraft:furnace_minecart")) {
+                if (usingFurnaceMinecart && javaIdentifier.equals("minecraft:furnace_minecart")) {
                     javaFurnaceMinecartId = itemIndex;
                     itemIndex++;
                     continue;
                 }
-                String bedrockIdentifier = mappingItem.getBedrockIdentifier();
+                String bedrockIdentifier = mappingItem.getBedrockIdentifier().intern();
                 int bedrockId = bedrockIdentifierToId.getInt(bedrockIdentifier);
                 if (bedrockId == Short.MIN_VALUE) {
                     throw new RuntimeException("Missing Bedrock ID in mappings: " + bedrockIdentifier);
@@ -389,7 +390,7 @@ public class ItemRegistryPopulator {
                 }
 
                 ItemMapping.ItemMappingBuilder mappingBuilder = ItemMapping.builder()
-                        .javaIdentifier(entry.getKey())
+                        .javaIdentifier(javaIdentifier)
                         .javaId(itemIndex)
                         .bedrockIdentifier(bedrockIdentifier)
                         .bedrockId(bedrockId)
@@ -399,14 +400,14 @@ public class ItemRegistryPopulator {
 
                 if (mappingItem.getToolType() != null) {
                     if (mappingItem.getToolTier() != null) {
-                        mappingBuilder = mappingBuilder.toolType(mappingItem.getToolType())
-                                .toolTier(mappingItem.getToolTier());
+                        mappingBuilder = mappingBuilder.toolType(mappingItem.getToolType().intern())
+                                .toolTier(mappingItem.getToolTier().intern());
                     } else {
-                        mappingBuilder = mappingBuilder.toolType(mappingItem.getToolType())
+                        mappingBuilder = mappingBuilder.toolType(mappingItem.getToolType().intern())
                                 .toolTier("");
                     }
                 }
-                if (javaOnlyItems.contains(entry.getKey())) {
+                if (javaOnlyItems.contains(javaIdentifier)) {
                     // These items don't exist on Bedrock, so set up a variable that indicates they should have custom names
                     mappingBuilder = mappingBuilder.translationString((bedrockBlockId != -1 ? "block." : "item.") + entry.getKey().replace(":", "."));
                     GeyserConnector.getInstance().getLogger().debug("Adding " + entry.getKey() + " as an item that needs to be translated.");
@@ -414,11 +415,11 @@ public class ItemRegistryPopulator {
 
                 ItemMapping mapping = mappingBuilder.build();
 
-                if (entry.getKey().contains("boat")) {
+                if (javaIdentifier.contains("boat")) {
                     boats.add(bedrockId);
-                } else if (entry.getKey().contains("bucket") && !entry.getKey().contains("milk")) {
+                } else if (javaIdentifier.contains("bucket") && !javaIdentifier.contains("milk")) {
                     buckets.add(bedrockId);
-                } else if (entry.getKey().contains("_carpet") && !entry.getKey().contains("moss")) {
+                } else if (javaIdentifier.contains("_carpet") && !javaIdentifier.contains("moss")) {
                     // This should be the numerical order Java sends as an integer value for llamas
                     carpets.add(ItemData.builder()
                             .id(mapping.getBedrockId())
@@ -426,18 +427,18 @@ public class ItemRegistryPopulator {
                             .count(1)
                             .blockRuntimeId(mapping.getBedrockBlockId())
                             .build());
-                } else if (entry.getKey().startsWith("minecraft:music_disc_")) {
+                } else if (javaIdentifier.startsWith("minecraft:music_disc_")) {
                     // The Java record level event uses the item ID as the "key" to play the record
                     Registries.RECORDS.register(itemIndex, SoundEvent.valueOf("RECORD_" +
-                            entry.getKey().replace("minecraft:music_disc_", "").toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH)));
-                } else if (entry.getKey().endsWith("_spawn_egg")) {
+                            javaIdentifier.replace("minecraft:music_disc_", "").toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH).intern()));
+                } else if (javaIdentifier.endsWith("_spawn_egg")) {
                     spawnEggs.add(mapping.getBedrockId());
                 }
 
                 mappings.put(itemIndex, mapping);
-                identifierToMapping.put(entry.getKey(), mapping);
+                identifierToMapping.put(javaIdentifier, mapping);
 
-                itemNames.add(entry.getKey());
+                itemNames.add(javaIdentifier);
 
                 itemIndex++;
             }