diff --git a/src/main/java/electrosphere/client/block/ClientBlockManager.java b/src/main/java/electrosphere/client/block/ClientBlockManager.java
index 0f7a19fd..c153790d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/electrosphere/client/block/ClientBlockManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/electrosphere/client/block/ClientBlockManager.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package electrosphere.client.block;
 
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
-import java.nio.ShortBuffer;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
@@ -17,7 +15,6 @@ import electrosphere.client.terrain.cells.DrawCell;
 import electrosphere.engine.Globals;
 import electrosphere.entity.Entity;
 import electrosphere.logger.LoggerInterface;
-import electrosphere.mem.BlockChunkPool;
 import electrosphere.net.parser.net.message.TerrainMessage;
 import electrosphere.renderer.meshgen.BlockMeshgen.BlockMeshData;
 import electrosphere.server.physics.terrain.manager.ServerTerrainChunk;
@@ -115,19 +112,13 @@ public class ClientBlockManager {
 
                     //read main data
                     if(data.getHomogenousValue() == BlockChunkData.NOT_HOMOGENOUS){
-                        short[] type = BlockChunkPool.getShort();
-                        short[] metadata = BlockChunkPool.getShort();
-                        ByteBuffer buffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(message.getchunkData());
-                        ShortBuffer shortBuffer = buffer.asShortBuffer();
-
-                        for(int i = 0; i < BlockChunkData.TOTAL_DATA_WIDTH; i++){
-                            type[i] = shortBuffer.get();
+                        List<Object> extraData = message.getExtraData();
+                        if(extraData == null || extraData.size() != 2){
+                            throw new Error("Failed to attach extra data!");
                         }
-                        for(int i = 0; i < BlockChunkData.TOTAL_DATA_WIDTH; i++){
-                            metadata[i] = shortBuffer.get();
-                        }
-                        data.setType(type);
-                        data.setMetadata(metadata);
+                        data.setType((short[])extraData.get(0));
+                        data.setMetadata((short[])extraData.get(1));
+                        extraData.clear();
                     }
                     blockCache.add(message.getworldX(), message.getworldY(), message.getworldZ(), message.getchunkResolution(), data);
                     //remove from request map
diff --git a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/client/ClientNetworking.java b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/client/ClientNetworking.java
index aa76533b..16781494 100644
--- a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/client/ClientNetworking.java
+++ b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/client/ClientNetworking.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package electrosphere.net.client;
 
+import electrosphere.client.block.BlockChunkData;
 import electrosphere.engine.Globals;
 import electrosphere.logger.LoggerInterface;
+import electrosphere.mem.BlockChunkPool;
 import electrosphere.net.parser.net.message.NetworkMessage;
 import electrosphere.net.parser.net.message.ServerMessage;
 import electrosphere.net.parser.net.message.TerrainMessage;
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.net.Socket;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 /**
@@ -181,7 +185,26 @@ public class ClientNetworking implements Runnable {
             castMessage.setworldZ(ByteStreamUtils.popIntFromByteQueue(buff));
             castMessage.setchunkResolution(ByteStreamUtils.popIntFromByteQueue(buff));
             castMessage.sethomogenousValue(ByteStreamUtils.popIntFromByteQueue(buff));
-            castMessage.setchunkData(ByteStreamUtils.popByteArrayFromByteQueue(buff));
+            //strip the byte stream header
+            ByteStreamUtils.popIntFromByteQueue(buff);
+            if(castMessage.gethomogenousValue() == BlockChunkData.NOT_HOMOGENOUS){
+                //read types from byte stream
+                short[] types = BlockChunkPool.getShort();
+                for(int i = 0; i < BlockChunkData.TOTAL_DATA_WIDTH; i++){
+                    types[i] = ByteStreamUtils.popShortFromByteQueue(buff);
+                }
+                //read metadata from byte stream
+                short[] metadata = BlockChunkPool.getShort();
+                for(int i = 0; i < BlockChunkData.TOTAL_DATA_WIDTH; i++){
+                    metadata[i] = ByteStreamUtils.popShortFromByteQueue(buff);
+                }
+                List<Object> extraData = new LinkedList<Object>();
+                extraData.add(types);
+                extraData.add(metadata);
+                castMessage.setExtraData(extraData);
+            } else {
+                buff.read(1);
+            }
         });
         
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/net/message/NetworkMessage.java b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/net/message/NetworkMessage.java
index 14bf3248..a5c502cc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/net/message/NetworkMessage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/net/message/NetworkMessage.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import io.github.studiorailgun.CircularByteBuffer;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.function.BiConsumer;
 
 /**
@@ -43,6 +44,11 @@ public abstract class NetworkMessage {
      */
     byte[] rawBytes;
 
+    /**
+     * Extra data that can be attached to a message optionally (used for reading in messages, does not affect ougoing messages).
+     */
+    private List<Object> extraData;
+
     /**
      * Gets the type of the message
      * @return The type of the message
@@ -536,6 +542,22 @@ public abstract class NetworkMessage {
      * Serializes the message
      */
     abstract void serialize();
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the extra data attached to the message
+     * @return The extra data if it exists, null otherwise
+     */
+    public List<Object> getExtraData(){
+        return this.extraData;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the extra data on the message
+     * @param extraData The extra data
+     */
+    public void setExtraData(List<Object> extraData){
+        this.extraData = extraData;
+    }
     
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/util/ByteStreamUtils.java b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/util/ByteStreamUtils.java
index cce25f66..8e30e322 100644
--- a/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/util/ByteStreamUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/electrosphere/net/parser/util/ByteStreamUtils.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-package electrosphere.net.parser.util;
-
-import io.github.studiorailgun.CircularByteBuffer;
-
+package electrosphere.net.parser.util;
+
+import io.github.studiorailgun.CircularByteBuffer;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
@@ -167,6 +167,22 @@ public class ByteStreamUtils {
         bufferLock.release();
         return rVal;
     }
+
+    public static short popShortFromByteQueue(CircularByteBuffer byteBuffer){
+        short rVal = -1;
+        bufferLock.acquireUninterruptibly();
+        integerCompactor.clear();
+        integerCompactor.position(0);
+        integerCompactor.limit(2);
+        integerCompactor.put(0,byteBuffer.peek(0));
+        integerCompactor.put(1,byteBuffer.peek(1));
+        byteBuffer.read(2);
+        integerCompactor.position(0);
+        integerCompactor.limit(2);
+        rVal = integerCompactor.getShort();
+        bufferLock.release();
+        return rVal;
+    }
     
     public static String popStringFromByteQueue(CircularByteBuffer byteBuffer){
         int length = popIntFromByteQueue(byteBuffer);