diff --git a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/FileUtils.java b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/FileUtils.java
index fd3e9a8db..862af548d 100644
--- a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/FileUtils.java
+++ b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/FileUtils.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import org.reflections.util.ConfigurationBuilder;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.net.URL;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.security.MessageDigest;
 import java.util.function.Function;
@@ -62,7 +63,8 @@ public class FileUtils {
     }
 
     public static <T> T loadJson(InputStream src, Class<T> valueType) throws IOException {
-        return GeyserConnector.JSON_MAPPER.readValue(src, valueType);
+        // Read specifically with UTF-8 to allow any non-UTF-encoded JSON to read
+        return GeyserConnector.JSON_MAPPER.readValue(new InputStreamReader(src, StandardCharsets.UTF_8), valueType);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/ResourcePack.java b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/ResourcePack.java
index 16a1812ee..bcb1ffd50 100644
--- a/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/ResourcePack.java
+++ b/connector/src/main/java/org/geysermc/connector/utils/ResourcePack.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class ResourcePack {
             // As we just created the directory it will be empty
             return;
         }
-        
+
         for (File file : directory.listFiles()) {
             if (file.getName().endsWith(".zip") || file.getName().endsWith(".mcpack")) {
                 ResourcePack pack = new ResourcePack();
@@ -77,12 +77,15 @@ public class ResourcePack {
                         if (x.getName().contains("manifest.json")) {
                             try {
                                 ResourcePackManifest manifest = FileUtils.loadJson(zip.getInputStream(x), ResourcePackManifest.class);
+                                // Sometimes a pack_manifest file is present and not in a valid format,
+                                // but a manifest file is, so we null check through that one
+                                if (manifest.getHeader().getUuid() != null) {
+                                    pack.file = file;
+                                    pack.manifest = manifest;
+                                    pack.version = ResourcePackManifest.Version.fromArray(manifest.getHeader().getVersion());
 
-                                pack.file = file;
-                                pack.manifest = manifest;
-                                pack.version = ResourcePackManifest.Version.fromArray(manifest.getHeader().getVersion());
-
-                                PACKS.put(pack.getManifest().getHeader().getUuid().toString(), pack);
+                                    PACKS.put(pack.getManifest().getHeader().getUuid().toString(), pack);
+                                }
                             } catch (Exception e) {
                                 e.printStackTrace();
                             }