diff --git a/src/block/tile/FlowerPot.php b/src/block/tile/FlowerPot.php
index d6c2c58fb..3f1d4ff2e 100644
--- a/src/block/tile/FlowerPot.php
+++ b/src/block/tile/FlowerPot.php
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ class FlowerPot extends Spawnable{
 
 		$blockDataUpgrader = GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getUpgrader();
 		if(($itemIdTag = $nbt->getTag(self::TAG_ITEM)) instanceof ShortTag && ($itemMetaTag = $nbt->getTag(self::TAG_ITEM_DATA)) instanceof IntTag){
-			$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($itemIdTag->getValue(), $itemMetaTag->getValue());
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($itemIdTag->getValue(), $itemMetaTag->getValue());
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Error loading legacy flower pot item data: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+			}
 		}elseif(($plantBlockTag = $nbt->getCompoundTag(self::TAG_PLANT_BLOCK)) !== null){
 			try{
 				$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeBlockStateNbt($plantBlockTag);
diff --git a/src/data/bedrock/item/upgrade/ItemDataUpgrader.php b/src/data/bedrock/item/upgrade/ItemDataUpgrader.php
index 46fce81ce..249b257e2 100644
--- a/src/data/bedrock/item/upgrade/ItemDataUpgrader.php
+++ b/src/data/bedrock/item/upgrade/ItemDataUpgrader.php
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 
 namespace pocketmine\data\bedrock\item\upgrade;
 
+use pocketmine\data\bedrock\block\BlockStateDeserializeException;
 use pocketmine\data\bedrock\block\upgrade\BlockDataUpgrader;
 use pocketmine\data\bedrock\item\SavedItemData;
 use pocketmine\data\bedrock\item\SavedItemStackData;
@@ -57,7 +58,11 @@ final class ItemDataUpgrader{
 	 */
 	public function upgradeItemTypeDataString(string $rawNameId, int $meta, int $count, ?CompoundTag $nbt) : SavedItemStackData{
 		if(($r12BlockId = $this->r12ItemIdToBlockIdMap->itemIdToBlockId($rawNameId)) !== null){
-			$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeStringIdMeta($r12BlockId, $meta);
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeStringIdMeta($r12BlockId, $meta);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Failed to deserialize blockstate for legacy blockitem: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+			}
 		}else{
 			//probably a standard item
 			$blockStateData = null;
@@ -124,12 +129,17 @@ final class ItemDataUpgrader{
 
 		$blockStateNbt = $tag->getCompoundTag(SavedItemData::TAG_BLOCK);
 		if($blockStateNbt !== null){
-			$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeBlockStateNbt($blockStateNbt);
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeBlockStateNbt($blockStateNbt);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Failed to deserialize blockstate for blockitem: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+			}
 		}elseif(($r12BlockId = $this->r12ItemIdToBlockIdMap->itemIdToBlockId($rawNameId)) !== null){
 			//this is a legacy blockitem represented by ID + meta
-			$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeStringIdMeta($r12BlockId, $meta);
-			if($blockStateData === null){
-				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Expected a blockstate to be associated with this block");
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeStringIdMeta($r12BlockId, $meta);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Failed to deserialize blockstate for legacy blockitem: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
 			}
 		}else{
 			//probably a standard item
diff --git a/src/entity/object/FallingBlock.php b/src/entity/object/FallingBlock.php
index 0371ec950..8c2b1d5e6 100644
--- a/src/entity/object/FallingBlock.php
+++ b/src/entity/object/FallingBlock.php
@@ -75,7 +75,11 @@ class FallingBlock extends Entity{
 		//TODO: 1.8+ save format
 		$blockDataUpgrader = GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getUpgrader();
 		if(($fallingBlockTag = $nbt->getCompoundTag(self::TAG_FALLING_BLOCK)) !== null){
-			$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeBlockStateNbt($fallingBlockTag);
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeBlockStateNbt($fallingBlockTag);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Invalid falling block blockstate: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+			}
 		}else{
 			if(($tileIdTag = $nbt->getTag(self::TAG_TILE_ID)) instanceof IntTag){
 				$blockId = $tileIdTag->getValue();
@@ -86,10 +90,11 @@ class FallingBlock extends Entity{
 			}
 			$damage = $nbt->getByte(self::TAG_DATA, 0);
 
-			$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($blockId, $damage);
-		}
-		if($blockStateData === null){
-			throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Invalid legacy falling block");
+			try{
+				$blockStateData = $blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($blockId, $damage);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
+				throw new SavedDataLoadingException("Invalid legacy falling block data: " . $e->getMessage(), 0, $e);
+			}
 		}
 
 		try{
diff --git a/src/world/World.php b/src/world/World.php
index f499ccb22..a9798fb8a 100644
--- a/src/world/World.php
+++ b/src/world/World.php
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ use pocketmine\block\UnknownBlock;
 use pocketmine\block\VanillaBlocks;
 use pocketmine\data\bedrock\BiomeIds;
 use pocketmine\data\bedrock\block\BlockStateData;
+use pocketmine\data\bedrock\block\BlockStateDeserializeException;
 use pocketmine\data\SavedDataLoadingException;
 use pocketmine\entity\Entity;
 use pocketmine\entity\EntityFactory;
@@ -526,9 +527,10 @@ class World implements ChunkManager{
 			if($item !== null){
 				$block = $item->getBlock();
 			}elseif(preg_match("/^-?\d+$/", $name) === 1){
-				//TODO: this may throw if the ID/meta was invalid
-				$blockStateData = GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getUpgrader()->upgradeIntIdMeta((int) $name, 0);
-				if($blockStateData === null){
+				//TODO: this is a really sketchy hack - remove this as soon as possible
+				try{
+					$blockStateData = GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getUpgrader()->upgradeIntIdMeta((int) $name, 0);
+				}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException){
 					continue;
 				}
 				$block = RuntimeBlockStateRegistry::getInstance()->fromStateId(GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getDeserializer()->deserialize($blockStateData));
diff --git a/src/world/format/io/BaseWorldProvider.php b/src/world/format/io/BaseWorldProvider.php
index 7c881ef84..a4d8651a6 100644
--- a/src/world/format/io/BaseWorldProvider.php
+++ b/src/world/format/io/BaseWorldProvider.php
@@ -67,9 +67,10 @@ abstract class BaseWorldProvider implements WorldProvider{
 
 		$newPalette = [];
 		foreach($palette as $k => $legacyIdMeta){
-			$newStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($legacyIdMeta >> 4, $legacyIdMeta & 0xf);
-			if($newStateData === null){
-				//TODO: remember data for unknown states so we can implement them later
+			//TODO: remember data for unknown states so we can implement them later
+			try{
+				$newStateData = $this->blockDataUpgrader->upgradeIntIdMeta($legacyIdMeta >> 4, $legacyIdMeta & 0xf);
+			}catch(BlockStateDeserializeException $e){
 				$newStateData = GlobalBlockStateHandlers::getUnknownBlockStateData();
 			}