diff --git a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/inventory/CraftMetaItem.java b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/inventory/CraftMetaItem.java
index 519b586792..82c24c6cc8 100644
--- a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/inventory/CraftMetaItem.java
+++ b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/inventory/CraftMetaItem.java
@@ -519,9 +519,16 @@ class CraftMetaItem implements ItemMeta, Damageable, Repairable, BlockDataMeta {
         if (blockData != null) {
             Map<String, String> mapBlockData = new HashMap<>();
 
-            NBTTagCompound nbtBlockData = (NBTTagCompound) CraftNBTTagConfigSerializer.deserialize(blockData);
-            for (String key : nbtBlockData.getAllKeys()) {
-                mapBlockData.put(key, nbtBlockData.getString(key));
+            if (blockData instanceof Map) {
+                for (Entry<?, ?> entry : ((Map<?, ?>) blockData).entrySet()) {
+                    mapBlockData.put(entry.getKey().toString(), entry.getValue().toString());
+                }
+            } else {
+                // Legacy pre 1.20.5:
+                NBTTagCompound nbtBlockData = (NBTTagCompound) CraftNBTTagConfigSerializer.deserialize(blockData);
+                for (String key : nbtBlockData.getAllKeys()) {
+                    mapBlockData.put(key, nbtBlockData.getString(key));
+                }
             }
 
             this.blockData = mapBlockData;