diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/nbt/tag/CompoundTag.java b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/nbt/tag/CompoundTag.java
index b585a3662..79f56ace5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/nbt/tag/CompoundTag.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/nbt/tag/CompoundTag.java
@@ -30,23 +30,11 @@ public class CompoundTag implements NBTTag {
     }
 
     public CompoundTag(boolean subTag, InByteBuffer buffer) {
-        if (buffer.readByte() == 0) {
-            // no nbt
-            name = null;
-            data = new HashMap<>();
-            return;
+        if (subTag) {
+            this.name = null;
         } else {
-            buffer.setPosition(buffer.getPosition() - 1);
-        }
-        if (!subTag) {
-            if (buffer.readByte() != TagTypes.COMPOUND.getId()) { // will be a Compound Tag
-                // decompressed but still bad.... :(
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Bad nbt");
-            }
             // if in an array, there is no name
             this.name = buffer.readString(buffer.readShort()); // length
-        } else {
-            this.name = null;
         }
         this.data = new HashMap<>();
         while (true) {
@@ -57,44 +45,7 @@ public class CompoundTag implements NBTTag {
                 break;
             }
             String tagName = buffer.readString(buffer.readShort()); // length
-            switch (tagType) {
-                case BYTE:
-                    data.put(tagName, new ByteTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case SHORT:
-                    data.put(tagName, new ShortTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case INT:
-                    data.put(tagName, new IntTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case LONG:
-                    data.put(tagName, new LongTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case FLOAT:
-                    data.put(tagName, new FloatTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case DOUBLE:
-                    data.put(tagName, new DoubleTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case BYTE_ARRAY:
-                    data.put(tagName, new ByteArrayTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case STRING:
-                    data.put(tagName, new StringTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case LIST:
-                    data.put(tagName, new ListTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case COMPOUND:
-                    data.put(tagName, new CompoundTag(true, buffer));
-                    break;
-                case INT_ARRAY:
-                    data.put(tagName, new IntArrayTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-                case LONG_ARRAY:
-                    data.put(tagName, new LongArrayTag(buffer));
-                    break;
-            }
+            data.put(tagName, buffer.readNBT(tagType));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/protocol/protocol/InByteBuffer.java b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/protocol/protocol/InByteBuffer.java
index 356576948..6f1a6bdd7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/protocol/protocol/InByteBuffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bixilon/minosoft/protocol/protocol/InByteBuffer.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import de.bixilon.minosoft.game.datatypes.objectLoader.particle.data.ItemParticl
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.game.datatypes.objectLoader.particle.data.ParticleData;
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.game.datatypes.objectLoader.recipes.Ingredient;
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.game.datatypes.world.BlockPosition;
-import de.bixilon.minosoft.nbt.tag.CompoundTag;
+import de.bixilon.minosoft.nbt.tag.*;
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.util.BitByte;
 import de.bixilon.minosoft.util.Util;
 
@@ -123,6 +123,15 @@ public class InByteBuffer {
         return new String(readBytes(length), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
     }
 
+
+    public String[] readStringArray(int length) {
+        String[] ret = new String[length];
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+            ret[i] = new String(readBytes(readVarInt()), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        }
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     public String readString(int length) {
         return new String(readBytes(length));
     }
@@ -257,7 +266,7 @@ public class InByteBuffer {
         }
     }
 
-    public CompoundTag readNBT(boolean compressed) {
+    public NBTTag readNBT(boolean compressed) {
         if (compressed) {
             short length = readShort();
             if (length == -1) {
@@ -265,18 +274,54 @@ public class InByteBuffer {
                 return new CompoundTag();
             }
             try {
-                return new CompoundTag(new InByteBuffer(Util.decompressGzip(readBytes(length)), version));
+                return new InByteBuffer(Util.decompressGzip(readBytes(length)), version).readNBT();
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 // oh no
                 e.printStackTrace();
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Bad nbt");
             }
-            // try again
         }
-        return new CompoundTag(this);
+        TagTypes type = TagTypes.getById(readByte());
+        if (type == TagTypes.COMPOUND) {
+            // shouldn't be a subtag
+            return new CompoundTag(false, this);
+        }
+        return readNBT();
     }
 
-    public CompoundTag readNBT() {
+    public NBTTag readNBT(TagTypes tagType) {
+        switch (tagType) {
+            case END:
+                return null;
+            case BYTE:
+                return new ByteTag(this);
+            case SHORT:
+                return new ShortTag(this);
+            case INT:
+                return new IntTag(this);
+            case LONG:
+                return new LongTag(this);
+            case FLOAT:
+                return new FloatTag(this);
+            case DOUBLE:
+                return new DoubleTag(this);
+            case BYTE_ARRAY:
+                return new ByteArrayTag(this);
+            case STRING:
+                return new StringTag(this);
+            case LIST:
+                return new ListTag(this);
+            case COMPOUND:
+                return new CompoundTag(true, this);
+            case INT_ARRAY:
+                return new IntArrayTag(this);
+            case LONG_ARRAY:
+                return new LongArrayTag(this);
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    public NBTTag readNBT() {
         return readNBT(false);
     }
 
@@ -294,11 +339,11 @@ public class InByteBuffer {
                 }
                 byte count = readByte();
                 short metaData = readShort();
-                CompoundTag nbt = readNBT(version == ProtocolVersion.VERSION_1_7_10);
+                CompoundTag nbt = (CompoundTag) readNBT(version == ProtocolVersion.VERSION_1_7_10);
                 return new Slot(Items.getItemByLegacy(id, metaData), count, metaData, nbt);
             default:
                 if (readBoolean()) {
-                    return new Slot(Items.getItem(readVarInt(), version), readByte(), readNBT());
+                    return new Slot(Items.getItem(readVarInt(), version), readByte(), (CompoundTag) readNBT());
                 }
         }
         return null;