diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/GS4QueryHandler.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/GS4QueryHandler.java
index 560d0aafd..1b8ef41d8 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/GS4QueryHandler.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/GS4QueryHandler.java
@@ -263,8 +263,6 @@ public class GS4QueryHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<DatagramPacket>
       if (isBasic) {
         return;
       }
-
-      writeString(buf, "plugins");
       
       StringBuilder pluginsString = new StringBuilder();
       pluginsString.append(serverVersion).append(':').append(' ');
@@ -279,7 +277,7 @@ public class GS4QueryHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<DatagramPacket>
         }
       }
 
-      writeString(buf, pluginsString.toString());
+      write("plugins", pluginsString.toString());
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/LegacyPingEncoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/LegacyPingEncoder.java
index 436eedaa5..f45981a78 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/LegacyPingEncoder.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/LegacyPingEncoder.java
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@ public class LegacyPingEncoder extends MessageToByteEncoder<LegacyDisconnect> {
 
   private static void writeLegacyString(ByteBuf out, String string) {
     out.writeShort(string.length());
-    out.writeBytes(string.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_16BE));
+    out.writeCharSequence(string, StandardCharsets.UTF_16BE);
   }
 }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftCompressDecoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftCompressDecoder.java
index ef7c934ae..f8afa0d48 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftCompressDecoder.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftCompressDecoder.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty;
 
-import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
+import static com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.util.NettyPreconditions.checkFrame;
+
 import com.velocitypowered.natives.compression.VelocityCompressor;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.ProtocolUtils;
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
@@ -22,23 +23,24 @@ public class MinecraftCompressDecoder extends MessageToMessageDecoder<ByteBuf> {
 
   @Override
   protected void decode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf msg, List<Object> out) throws Exception {
-    int uncompressedSize = ProtocolUtils.readVarInt(msg);
-    if (uncompressedSize == 0) {
+    int expectedUncompressedSize = ProtocolUtils.readVarInt(msg);
+    if (expectedUncompressedSize == 0) {
       // Strip the now-useless uncompressed size, this message is already uncompressed.
       out.add(msg.retainedSlice());
       msg.skipBytes(msg.readableBytes());
       return;
     }
 
-    Preconditions.checkState(uncompressedSize >= threshold,
+    checkFrame(expectedUncompressedSize >= threshold,
         "Uncompressed size %s is greater than threshold %s",
-        uncompressedSize, threshold);
+        expectedUncompressedSize, threshold);
     ByteBuf uncompressed = ctx.alloc()
-        .buffer(Math.min(uncompressedSize, MAXIMUM_INITIAL_BUFFER_SIZE));
+        .buffer(Math.min(expectedUncompressedSize, MAXIMUM_INITIAL_BUFFER_SIZE));
     try {
       compressor.inflate(msg, uncompressed);
-      Preconditions.checkState(uncompressedSize == uncompressed.readableBytes(),
-          "Mismatched compression sizes");
+      checkFrame(expectedUncompressedSize == uncompressed.readableBytes(),
+          "Mismatched compression sizes (got %s, expected %s)",
+          uncompressed.readableBytes(), expectedUncompressedSize);
       out.add(uncompressed);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       uncompressed.release();
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/util/NettyPreconditions.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/util/NettyPreconditions.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c5cabde1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/util/NettyPreconditions.java
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.util;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.CorruptedFrameException;
+
+/**
+ * Extends {@link com.google.common.base.Preconditions} for Netty's {@link CorruptedFrameException}.
+ */
+public class NettyPreconditions {
+  private NettyPreconditions() {
+    throw new AssertionError();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Throws {@link CorruptedFrameException} if {@code b} is false.
+   * @param b the expression to check
+   * @param message the message to include in the thrown {@link CorruptedFrameException}
+   */
+  public static void checkFrame(boolean b, String message) {
+    if (!b) {
+      throw new CorruptedFrameException(message);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Throws {@link CorruptedFrameException} if {@code b} is false.
+   * @param b the expression to check
+   * @param message the message to include in the thrown {@link CorruptedFrameException}, formatted
+   *                like {@link com.google.common.base.Preconditions#checkArgument(boolean)} and
+   *                friends
+   * @param arg1 the first argument to format the message with
+   */
+  public static void checkFrame(boolean b, String message, Object arg1) {
+    if (!b) {
+      throw new CorruptedFrameException(Strings.lenientFormat(message, arg1));
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Throws {@link CorruptedFrameException} if {@code b} is false.
+   * @param b the expression to check
+   * @param message the message to include in the thrown {@link CorruptedFrameException}, formatted
+   *                like {@link com.google.common.base.Preconditions#checkArgument(boolean)} and
+   *                friends
+   * @param arg1 the first argument to format the message with
+   * @param arg2 the second argument to format the message with
+   */
+  public static void checkFrame(boolean b, String message, Object arg1, Object arg2) {
+    if (!b) {
+      throw new CorruptedFrameException(Strings.lenientFormat(message, arg1, arg2));
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Throws {@link CorruptedFrameException} if {@code b} is false.
+   * @param b the expression to check
+   * @param message the message to include in the thrown {@link CorruptedFrameException}, formatted
+   *                like {@link com.google.common.base.Preconditions#checkArgument(boolean)} and
+   *                friends
+   * @param args the arguments to format the message with-
+   */
+  public static void checkFrame(boolean b, String message, Object... args) {
+    if (!b) {
+      throw new CorruptedFrameException(Strings.lenientFormat(message, args));
+    }
+  }
+}