diff --git a/deps/dragonnet b/deps/dragonnet
index 8bcc4ba..164e1ed 160000
--- a/deps/dragonnet
+++ b/deps/dragonnet
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 8bcc4ba04baea8f4d1f86524e58bd81d4df67bf6
+Subproject commit 164e1ed7f93e1889c36b549a995e93fc0992c888
diff --git a/deps/dragontype b/deps/dragontype
index 61292ea..18ae77e 160000
--- a/deps/dragontype
+++ b/deps/dragontype
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 61292ea8a973ba03f93ebf4acde705071e15ccaf
+Subproject commit 18ae77e35da46f97f3b06562a4a892ebdeeb9750
diff --git a/src/client/client.c b/src/client/client.c
index 04364af..63d3c59 100644
--- a/src/client/client.c
+++ b/src/client/client.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ static void on_ToClientBlock(unused DragonnetPeer *peer, ToClientBlock *pkt)
 	MapBlock *block = map_get_block(client_map.map, pkt->pos, true);
 
 	map_deserialize_block(block, pkt->data);
+	((MapBlockExtraData *) block->extra)->all_air = (pkt->data.siz == 0);
 	client_map_block_received(block);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/client_map.c b/src/client/client_map.c
index f617341..43252dd 100644
--- a/src/client/client_map.c
+++ b/src/client/client_map.c
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ static void on_create_block(MapBlock *block)
 	extra->queue = false;
 	extra->last_synced = 0;
 	extra->obj = NULL;
+	extra->all_air = false;
 }
 
 // callback for deleting a block
@@ -236,9 +237,17 @@ void client_map_schedule_update_block_mesh(MapBlock *block)
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&block->mtx);
 	MapBlockExtraData *extra = block->extra;
+
 	if (! extra->queue) {
-		extra->queue = true;
-		queue_enqueue(client_map.queue, block);
+		if (extra->all_air) {
+			if (extra->obj) {
+				extra->obj->remove = true;
+				extra->obj = NULL;
+			}
+		} else {
+			extra->queue = true;
+			queue_enqueue(client_map.queue, block);
+		}
 	}
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&block->mtx);
 }
diff --git a/src/client/client_map.h b/src/client/client_map.h
index f340a9a..b49f199 100644
--- a/src/client/client_map.h
+++ b/src/client/client_map.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ typedef struct
 	bool queue;          // whether the block is in meshgen queue
 	u64 last_synced;     // keep track of when a block was synced the last time (used to detect when a block got out of and then back into range)
 	Object *obj;         // mesh object, generated by blockmesh file
+	bool all_air;        // no thoughts brain empty
 } MapBlockExtraData;
 
 extern struct ClientMap
diff --git a/src/map.c b/src/map.c
index a9a83be..8c75756 100644
--- a/src/map.c
+++ b/src/map.c
@@ -145,6 +145,18 @@ void map_free_block(MapBlock *block)
 
 Blob map_serialize_block(MapBlock *block)
 {
+	bool all_air = true;
+
+	ITERATE_MAPBLOCK {
+		if (block->data[x][y][z].type != NODE_AIR) {
+			all_air = false;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (all_air)
+		return (Blob) {0, NULL};
+
 	SerializedMapBlock block_data;
 
 	ITERATE_MAPBLOCK {
@@ -174,6 +186,13 @@ Blob map_serialize_block(MapBlock *block)
 
 bool map_deserialize_block(MapBlock *block, Blob buffer)
 {
+	if (buffer.siz == 0) {
+		ITERATE_MAPBLOCK
+			block->data[x][y][z] = map_node_create(NODE_AIR, (Blob) {0, NULL});
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	// it's important to copy Blobs that have been malloc'd before reading from them
 	// because reading from a Blob modifies its data and size pointer,
 	// but does not free anything