diff --git a/src/integration-test/kotlin/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntityTest.kt b/src/integration-test/kotlin/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntityTest.kt
index e750b5cab..6185b3a9a 100644
--- a/src/integration-test/kotlin/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntityTest.kt
+++ b/src/integration-test/kotlin/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntityTest.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package de.bixilon.minosoft.data.entities.block.sign
 import de.bixilon.kutil.reflection.ReflectionUtil.forceSet
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.data.language.lang.Language
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.data.text.ChatComponent
+import de.bixilon.minosoft.data.text.TextComponent
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.data.text.formatting.color.ChatColors
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.protocol.network.connection.play.PlayConnection
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.test.IT
@@ -68,4 +69,26 @@ class SignBlockEntityTest {
         assertEquals(entity.back.color, ChatColors.BLUE)
         assertEquals(entity.back.text, arrayOf(ChatComponent.of("This is the back"), ChatComponent.of("text"), ChatComponent.of("of"), ChatComponent.of("this sign.")))
     }
+    fun `nbt 1_20_4`() {
+        val nbt = mapOf(
+            "is_waxed" to 1.toByte(),
+            "front_text" to mapOf(
+                "has_glowing_text" to 1.toByte(),
+                "color" to "red",
+                "messages" to listOf(
+                    "\"Very long line\"",
+                    "\"\"",
+                    "\"\"",
+                    "\"\"",
+                )
+            ),
+        )
+        val entity = create()
+        entity.updateNBT(nbt)
+
+        assertTrue(entity.waxed)
+        assertTrue(entity.front.glowing)
+        assertEquals(entity.front.color, ChatColors.RED)
+        assertEquals(entity.front.text, arrayOf(TextComponent("Very long line"), ChatComponent.of(""), ChatComponent.of(""), ChatComponent.of("")))
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntity.kt b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntity.kt
index db75b3c78..50bd02735 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntity.kt
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/data/entities/block/sign/SignBlockEntity.kt
@@ -60,11 +60,19 @@ class SignBlockEntity(connection: PlayConnection) : BlockEntity(connection) {
         val text: Array<ChatComponent> = Array(LINES) { EmptyComponent },
     ) {
 
+        private fun parseText(line: Any?, connection: PlayConnection): ChatComponent {
+            if (line is String && line.startsWith("\"")) {
+                // TODO: minecraft 1.20.4 wraps it in "???
+                return ChatComponent.of(line.removeSurrounding("\""))
+            }
+            return ChatComponent.of(line, translator = connection.language)
+        }
+
         fun update(data: JsonObject, connection: PlayConnection) {
             update(data["color"], data["has_glowing_text"])
             data["messages"]?.asJsonList()?.let {
                 for ((index, line) in it.withIndex()) {
-                    this.text[index] = ChatComponent.of(line, translator = connection.language)
+                    this.text[index] = parseText(line, connection)
                 }
             }
         }