diff --git a/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunk.java b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunk.java
index ca4be8ce3e..ad0b5c8ca3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunk.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunk.java
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 package org.bukkit.craftbukkit;
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ import org.bukkit.block.BlockState;
 import org.bukkit.craftbukkit.block.CraftBlock;
 import org.bukkit.entity.Entity;
 import org.bukkit.craftbukkit.util.ConcurrentSoftMap;
+import org.bukkit.ChunkSnapshot;
 
 public class CraftChunk implements Chunk {
     private WeakReference<net.minecraft.server.Chunk> weakChunk;
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ public class CraftChunk implements Chunk {
         Entity[] entities = new Entity[count];
         for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
             for (Object obj: chunk.entitySlices[i].toArray()) {
-                if (!(obj instanceof net.minecraft.server.Entity)) continue;
+                if (!(obj instanceof net.minecraft.server.Entity)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 entities[index++] = ((net.minecraft.server.Entity) obj).getBukkitEntity();
             }
         }
@@ -95,11 +97,27 @@ public class CraftChunk implements Chunk {
         net.minecraft.server.Chunk chunk = getHandle();
         BlockState[] entities = new BlockState[chunk.tileEntities.size()];
         for (Object obj : chunk.tileEntities.keySet().toArray()) {
-            if (!(obj instanceof ChunkPosition)) continue;
+            if (!(obj instanceof ChunkPosition)) {
+                continue;
+            }
             ChunkPosition position = (ChunkPosition) obj;
             entities[index++] = worldServer.getWorld().getBlockAt(position.x + (chunk.x << 4), position.y, position.z + (chunk.z << 4)).getState();
         }
         return entities;
     }
-}
 
+    /**
+     * Capture thread-safe read-only snapshot of chunk data
+     * @return ChunkSnapshot
+     */
+    public ChunkSnapshot getChunkSnapshot() {
+        net.minecraft.server.Chunk chunk = getHandle();
+        byte[] buf = new byte[32768 + 16384 + 16384 + 16384]; // Get big enough buffer for whole chunk
+        chunk.a(buf, 0, 0, 0, 16, 128, 16, 0); // Get whole chunk
+        byte[] hmap = new byte[256]; // Get copy of height map
+        System.arraycopy(chunk.h, 0, hmap, 0, 256);
+        World w = getWorld();
+        return new CraftChunkSnapshot(getX(), getZ(), w.getName(), w.getFullTime(), buf, hmap);
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunkSnapshot.java b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunkSnapshot.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5004575e15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/CraftChunkSnapshot.java
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+package org.bukkit.craftbukkit;
+
+import org.bukkit.ChunkSnapshot;
+/**
+ * Represents a static, thread-safe snapshot of chunk of blocks
+ * Purpose is to allow clean, efficient copy of a chunk data to be made, and then handed off for processing in another thread (e.g. map rendering)
+ */
+public class CraftChunkSnapshot implements ChunkSnapshot {
+    private final int x, z;
+    private final String worldname;
+    private final byte[] buf; // Flat buffer in uncompressed chunk file format
+    private final byte[] hmap; // Height map
+    private final long capture_fulltime;
+
+    private static final int BLOCKDATA_OFF = 32768;
+    private static final int BLOCKLIGHT_OFF = BLOCKDATA_OFF + 16384;
+    private static final int SKYLIGHT_OFF = BLOCKLIGHT_OFF + 16384;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructor
+     */
+    CraftChunkSnapshot(int x, int z, String wname, long wtime, byte[] buf, byte[] hmap) {
+        this.x = x;
+        this.z = z;
+        this.worldname = wname;
+        this.capture_fulltime = wtime;
+        this.buf = buf;
+        this.hmap = hmap;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the X-coordinate of this chunk
+     *
+     * @return X-coordinate
+     */
+    public int getX() {
+        return x;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the Z-coordinate of this chunk
+     *
+     * @return Z-coordinate
+     */
+    public int getZ() {
+        return z;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets name of the world containing this chunk
+     *
+     * @return Parent World Name
+     */
+    public String getWorldName() {
+        return worldname;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get block type for block at corresponding coordinate in the chunk
+     *
+     * @param x 0-15
+     * @param y 0-127
+     * @param z 0-15
+     * @return 0-255
+     */
+    public int getBlockTypeId(int x, int y, int z) {
+        return buf[x << 11 | z << 7 | y] & 255;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get block data for block at corresponding coordinate in the chunk
+     *
+     * @param x 0-15
+     * @param y 0-127
+     * @param z 0-15
+     * @return 0-15
+     */
+    public int getBlockData(int x, int y, int z) {
+        int off = ((x << 10) | (z << 6) | (y >> 1)) + BLOCKDATA_OFF;
+
+        return ((y & 1) == 0) ? (buf[off] & 0xF) : ((buf[off] >> 4) & 0xF);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get sky light level for block at corresponding coordinate in the chunk
+     *
+     * @param x 0-15
+     * @param y 0-127
+     * @param z 0-15
+     * @return 0-15
+     */
+    public int getBlockSkyLight(int x, int y, int z) {
+        int off = ((x << 10) | (z << 6) | (y >> 1)) + SKYLIGHT_OFF;
+
+        return ((y & 1) == 0) ? (buf[off] & 0xF) : ((buf[off] >> 4) & 0xF);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get light level emitted by block at corresponding coordinate in the chunk
+     *
+     * @param x 0-15
+     * @param y 0-127
+     * @param z 0-15
+     * @return 0-15
+     */
+    public int getBlockEmittedLight(int x, int y, int z) {
+        int off = ((x << 10) | (z << 6) | (y >> 1)) + BLOCKLIGHT_OFF;
+
+        return ((y & 1) == 0) ? (buf[off] & 0xF) : ((buf[off] >> 4) & 0xF);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the highest non-air coordinate at the given coordinates
+     *
+     * @param x X-coordinate of the blocks
+     * @param z Z-coordinate of the blocks
+     * @return Y-coordinate of the highest non-air block
+     */
+    public int getHighestBlockYAt(int x, int z) {
+        return hmap[z << 4 | x] & 255;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get world full time when chunk snapshot was captured
+     * @return time in ticks
+     */
+    public long getCaptureFullTime() {
+        return capture_fulltime;
+    }
+}