diff --git a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/guava/Guava.java b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/guava/Guava.java
index c8fdbec7..6f94113a 100644
--- a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/guava/Guava.java
+++ b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/guava/Guava.java
@@ -31,22 +31,21 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Range;
 public class Guava {
 	private static GuavaCompat compat;
 
-	private static GuavaCompat getCompat() {
-		if (compat == null) {
+	static {
+		try {
+			Range.closed(1, 2);
+			compat = new Guava17();
+		} catch (Throwable ex) {
 			try {
-				Range.closed(1, 2);
-				return compat = new Guava17();
-			} catch (Throwable ex) {
-				try {
-					ProtocolLibrary.log("Falling back to Guava 10 compat");
-					Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.comphenix.protocol.compat.guava.Guava10");
-					return compat = (GuavaCompat) clazz.newInstance();
-				} catch (Throwable ex1) {
-					ProtocolLibrary.getStaticLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to create Guava 10 compat:", ex1);
-				}
+				Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.comphenix.protocol.compat.guava.Guava10");
+				compat = (GuavaCompat) clazz.newInstance();
+			} catch (Throwable ex1) {
+				ProtocolLibrary.getStaticLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to create Guava 10 compat:", ex1);
 			}
 		}
+	}
 
+	private static GuavaCompat getCompat() {
 		return compat;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/Netty.java b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/Netty.java
index f1830540..f79c5678 100644
--- a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/Netty.java
+++ b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/Netty.java
@@ -35,22 +35,21 @@ import com.comphenix.protocol.wrappers.WrappedServerPing.CompressedImage;
 public class Netty {
 	private static NettyCompat compat;
 
-	private static NettyCompat getCompat() {
-		if (compat == null) {
+	static {
+		try {
+			Class.forName("io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf");
+			compat = new IndependentNetty();
+		} catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
 			try {
-				Class.forName("io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf");
-				return compat = new IndependentNetty();
-			} catch (Throwable ex) {
-				try {
-					ProtocolLibrary.log("Falling back to legacy Netty compat");
-					Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.shaded.ShadedNetty");
-					return compat = (NettyCompat) clazz.newInstance();
-				} catch (Throwable ex1) {
-					ProtocolLibrary.getStaticLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to create legacy netty compat:", ex1);
-				}
+				Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.shaded.ShadedNetty");
+				compat = (NettyCompat) clazz.newInstance();
+			} catch (Exception ex1) {
+				ProtocolLibrary.getStaticLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to create legacy netty compat:", ex1);
 			}
 		}
+	}
 
+	private static NettyCompat getCompat() {
 		return compat;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/IndependentNetty.java b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/IndependentNetty.java
index c7925466..49f2eaf1 100644
--- a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/IndependentNetty.java
+++ b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/IndependentNetty.java
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ public class IndependentNetty implements NettyCompat {
 
 	@Override
 	public WrappedByteBuf createPacketBuffer() {
-		return getPacketDataSerializer(allocateUnpooled());
+		return getPacketDataSerializer(UnpooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT.buffer());
 	}
 
-	private WrappedByteBuf getPacketDataSerializer(WrappedByteBuf buffer) {
+	private WrappedByteBuf getPacketDataSerializer(ByteBuf buffer) {
 		Class<?> packetSerializer = MinecraftReflection.getPacketDataSerializerClass();
 
 		try {
-			return new NettyByteBuf((ByteBuf) packetSerializer.getConstructor(MinecraftReflection.getByteBufClass())
-					.newInstance(buffer.getHandle()));
+			return new NettyByteBuf((ByteBuf) packetSerializer.getConstructor(MinecraftReflection.getByteBufClass()).newInstance(buffer));
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			throw new RuntimeException("Cannot construct packet serializer.", e);
 		}
diff --git a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/NettyByteBuf.java b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/NettyByteBuf.java
index 12c757a3..ce37d03b 100644
--- a/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/NettyByteBuf.java
+++ b/ProtocolLib/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/independent/NettyByteBuf.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 
 import com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.WrappedByteBuf;
 
@@ -29,49 +30,49 @@ import com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.WrappedByteBuf;
  */
 
 public class NettyByteBuf implements WrappedByteBuf {
-	private final ByteBuf handle;
+	private WeakReference<ByteBuf> handle;
 
 	public NettyByteBuf(ByteBuf handle) {
-		this.handle = handle;
+		this.handle = new WeakReference<ByteBuf>(handle);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeBytes(ObjectInputStream input, int id) throws IOException {
-		handle.writeBytes(input, id);
+		handle.get().writeBytes(input, id);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public Object getHandle() {
-		return handle;
+		return handle.get();
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public int readableBytes() {
-		return handle.readableBytes();
+		return handle.get().readableBytes();
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void readBytes(ObjectOutputStream output, int readableBytes) throws IOException {
-		handle.readBytes(output, readableBytes);
+		handle.get().readBytes(output, readableBytes);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void readBytes(byte[] data) {
-		handle.readBytes(data);
+		handle.get().readBytes(data);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeByte(byte b) {
-		handle.writeByte(b);
+		handle.get().writeByte(b);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeByte(int i) {
-		handle.writeByte(i);
+		handle.get().writeByte(i);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeBytes(byte[] bytes) {
-		handle.writeBytes(bytes);
+		handle.get().writeBytes(bytes);
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedByteBuf.java b/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedByteBuf.java
index f3899894..0cbb3a4c 100644
--- a/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedByteBuf.java
+++ b/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedByteBuf.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.shaded;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 
 import net.minecraft.util.io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 
@@ -29,49 +30,49 @@ import com.comphenix.protocol.compat.netty.WrappedByteBuf;
  */
 
 public class ShadedByteBuf implements WrappedByteBuf {
-	private final ByteBuf handle;
+	private WeakReference<ByteBuf> handle;
 
 	public ShadedByteBuf(ByteBuf handle) {
-		this.handle = handle;
+		this.handle = new WeakReference<ByteBuf>(handle);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public Object getHandle() {
-		return handle;
+		return handle.get();
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeBytes(ObjectInputStream input, int id) throws IOException {
-		handle.writeBytes(input, id);
+		handle.get().writeBytes(input, id);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public int readableBytes() {
-		return handle.readableBytes();
+		return handle.get().readableBytes();
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void readBytes(ObjectOutputStream output, int readableBytes) throws IOException {
-		handle.readBytes(output, readableBytes);
+		handle.get().readBytes(output, readableBytes);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void readBytes(byte[] data) {
-		handle.readBytes(data);
+		handle.get().readBytes(data);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeByte(byte b) {
-		handle.writeByte(b);
+		handle.get().writeByte(b);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeByte(int i) {
-		handle.writeByte(i);
+		handle.get().writeByte(i);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void writeBytes(byte[] bytes) {
-		handle.writeBytes(bytes);
+		handle.get().writeBytes(bytes);
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedNetty.java b/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedNetty.java
index d2f075cd..18d65ca9 100644
--- a/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedNetty.java
+++ b/modules/v1_7_R4/src/main/java/com/comphenix/protocol/compat/netty/shaded/ShadedNetty.java
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ public class ShadedNetty implements NettyCompat {
 
 	@Override
 	public WrappedByteBuf createPacketBuffer() {
-		return getPacketDataSerializer(allocateUnpooled());
+		return getPacketDataSerializer(UnpooledByteBufAllocator.DEFAULT.buffer());
 	}
 
-	private WrappedByteBuf getPacketDataSerializer(WrappedByteBuf buffer) {
+	private WrappedByteBuf getPacketDataSerializer(ByteBuf buffer) {
 		Class<?> packetSerializer = MinecraftReflection.getPacketDataSerializerClass();
 
 		try {
-			return new ShadedByteBuf((ByteBuf) packetSerializer.getConstructor(MinecraftReflection.getByteBufClass())
-					.newInstance(buffer.getHandle()));
+			return new ShadedByteBuf((ByteBuf) packetSerializer.getConstructor(MinecraftReflection.getByteBufClass()).newInstance(buffer));
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			throw new RuntimeException("Cannot construct packet serializer.", e);
 		}