--- a/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java
+++ b/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+// mc-dev import
 package net.minecraft.stats;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
@@ -57,9 +58,22 @@
             }
         }
 
+        // Paper start - Moved after stat fetching for player state file
+        // Moves the loading after vanilla loading, so it overrides the values.
+        // Disables saving any forced stats, so it stays at the same value (without enabling disableStatSaving)
+        // Fixes stat initialization to not cause a NullPointerException
+        // Spigot start
+        for ( Map.Entry<ResourceLocation, Integer> entry : org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.forcedStats.entrySet() )
+        {
+            Stat<ResourceLocation> wrapper = Stats.CUSTOM.get(java.util.Objects.requireNonNull(BuiltInRegistries.CUSTOM_STAT.getValue(entry.getKey()))); // Paper - ensured by SpigotConfig#stats
+            this.stats.put( wrapper, entry.getValue().intValue() );
+        }
+        // Spigot end
+        // Paper end - Moved after stat fetching for player state file
     }
 
     public void save() {
+        if ( org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.disableStatSaving ) return; // Spigot
         try {
             FileUtils.writeStringToFile(this.file, this.toJson());
         } catch (IOException ioexception) {
@@ -70,6 +84,8 @@
 
     @Override
     public void setValue(Player player, Stat<?> stat, int value) {
+        if ( org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.disableStatSaving ) return; // Spigot
+        if (stat.getType() == Stats.CUSTOM && stat.getValue() instanceof final ResourceLocation resourceLocation && org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.forcedStats.get(resourceLocation) != null) return; // Paper - disable saving forced stats
         super.setValue(player, stat, value);
         this.dirty.add(stat);
     }
@@ -158,13 +174,12 @@
     }
 
     private <T> Optional<Stat<T>> getStat(StatType<T> type, String id) {
-        Optional optional = Optional.ofNullable(ResourceLocation.tryParse(id));
-        Registry iregistry = type.getRegistry();
+        // CraftBukkit - decompile error start
+        Optional<ResourceLocation> optional = Optional.ofNullable(ResourceLocation.tryParse(id));
+        Registry<T> iregistry = type.getRegistry();
 
-        Objects.requireNonNull(iregistry);
-        optional = optional.flatMap(iregistry::getOptional);
-        Objects.requireNonNull(type);
-        return optional.map(type::get);
+        return optional.flatMap(iregistry::getOptional).map(type::get);
+        // CraftBukkit - decompile error end
     }
 
     private static CompoundTag fromJson(JsonObject json) {