diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/MinecraftConnection.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/MinecraftConnection.java
index 84649904a..dad6bdb3e 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/MinecraftConnection.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/MinecraftConnection.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import javax.crypto.SecretKey;
 import javax.crypto.spec.SecretKeySpec;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
@@ -207,14 +208,18 @@ public class MinecraftConnection extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter {
    */
   public void closeWith(Object msg) {
     if (channel.isActive()) {
-      if (channel.eventLoop().inEventLoop()) {
+      if (channel.eventLoop().inEventLoop()
+          && this.getProtocolVersion().compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_8) >= 0) {
         knownDisconnect = true;
         channel.writeAndFlush(msg).addListener(ChannelFutureListener.CLOSE);
       } else {
-        channel.eventLoop().execute(() -> {
+        // 1.7.x versions have a race condition with switching protocol versions, so just explicitly
+        // close the connection after a short while.
+        this.setAutoReading(false);
+        channel.eventLoop().schedule(() -> {
           knownDisconnect = true;
           channel.writeAndFlush(msg).addListener(ChannelFutureListener.CLOSE);
-        });
+        }, 250, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/JoinGame.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/JoinGame.java
index 630a60de2..bca62398e 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/JoinGame.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/JoinGame.java
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ public class JoinGame implements MinecraftPacket {
         + ", levelType='" + levelType + '\''
         + ", viewDistance=" + viewDistance
         + ", reducedDebugInfo=" + reducedDebugInfo
-        + ", dimensionRegistry='" + dimensionRegistry.toString() + '\''
-        + ", dimensionInfo='" + dimensionInfo.toString() + '\''
+        + ", dimensionRegistry='" + dimensionRegistry + '\''
+        + ", dimensionInfo='" + dimensionInfo + '\''
         + ", previousGamemode=" + previousGamemode
         + '}';
   }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ public class JoinGame implements MinecraftPacket {
   @Override
   public void decode(ByteBuf buf, ProtocolUtils.Direction direction, ProtocolVersion version) {
     this.entityId = buf.readInt();
-    this.gamemode = buf.readByte();
+    this.gamemode = buf.readUnsignedByte();
     String dimensionIdentifier = null;
     String levelName = null;
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_16) >= 0) {
@@ -167,7 +167,9 @@ public class JoinGame implements MinecraftPacket {
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_14) >= 0) {
       this.viewDistance = ProtocolUtils.readVarInt(buf);
     }
-    this.reducedDebugInfo = buf.readBoolean();
+    if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_8) >= 0) {
+      this.reducedDebugInfo = buf.readBoolean();
+    }
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_15) >= 0) {
       this.showRespawnScreen = buf.readBoolean();
     }
@@ -208,9 +210,11 @@ public class JoinGame implements MinecraftPacket {
       ProtocolUtils.writeString(buf, levelType);
     }
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_14) >= 0) {
-      ProtocolUtils.writeVarInt(buf,viewDistance);
+      ProtocolUtils.writeVarInt(buf, viewDistance);
+    }
+    if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_8) >= 0) {
+      buf.writeBoolean(reducedDebugInfo);
     }
-    buf.writeBoolean(reducedDebugInfo);
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_15) >= 0) {
       buf.writeBoolean(showRespawnScreen);
     }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/ServerLoginSuccess.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/ServerLoginSuccess.java
index 4ff3e132b..b7a3e54de 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/ServerLoginSuccess.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/packet/ServerLoginSuccess.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.packet;
 
 import com.velocitypowered.api.network.ProtocolVersion;
+import com.velocitypowered.api.util.UuidUtils;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.connection.MinecraftSessionHandler;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.MinecraftPacket;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.ProtocolUtils;
@@ -47,8 +48,10 @@ public class ServerLoginSuccess implements MinecraftPacket {
   public void decode(ByteBuf buf, ProtocolUtils.Direction direction, ProtocolVersion version) {
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_16) >= 0) {
       uuid = ProtocolUtils.readUuidIntArray(buf);
-    } else {
+    } else if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_7_6) >= 0) {
       uuid = UUID.fromString(ProtocolUtils.readString(buf, 36));
+    } else {
+      uuid = UuidUtils.fromUndashed(ProtocolUtils.readString(buf, 32));
     }
     username = ProtocolUtils.readString(buf, 16);
   }
@@ -60,8 +63,10 @@ public class ServerLoginSuccess implements MinecraftPacket {
     }
     if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_16) >= 0) {
       ProtocolUtils.writeUuidIntArray(buf, uuid);
-    } else {
+    } else if (version.compareTo(ProtocolVersion.MINECRAFT_1_7_6) >= 0) {
       ProtocolUtils.writeString(buf, uuid.toString());
+    } else {
+      ProtocolUtils.writeString(buf, UuidUtils.toUndashed(uuid));
     }
     if (username == null) {
       throw new IllegalStateException("No username specified!");