diff --git a/src/network/mcpe/serializer/ChunkSerializer.php b/src/network/mcpe/serializer/ChunkSerializer.php
index 855bcd24e..62b50eab2 100644
--- a/src/network/mcpe/serializer/ChunkSerializer.php
+++ b/src/network/mcpe/serializer/ChunkSerializer.php
@@ -112,13 +112,13 @@ final class ChunkSerializer{
 	}
 
 	public static function serializeSubChunk(SubChunk $subChunk, BlockTranslator $blockTranslator, PacketSerializer $stream, bool $persistentBlockStates) : void{
-		// Create array from the new methods to minimize code changes
+		// Create array from non-empty layers
 		$layers = [];
-		if(($blockLayer = $subChunk->getBlockLayer()) !== null){
-			$layers[] = $blockLayer;
+		if(!$subChunk->isBlockLayerEmpty()){
+			$layers[] = $subChunk->getBlockLayer();
 		}
-		if(($liquidLayer = $subChunk->getLiquidLayer()) !== null){
-			$layers[] = $liquidLayer;
+		if(!$subChunk->isLiquidLayerEmpty()){
+			$layers[] = $subChunk->getLiquidLayer();
 		}
 		
 		$stream->putByte(8); //version
diff --git a/src/world/format/SubChunk.php b/src/world/format/SubChunk.php
index 510d34487..dbcf3fdd7 100644
--- a/src/world/format/SubChunk.php
+++ b/src/world/format/SubChunk.php
@@ -76,6 +76,20 @@ class SubChunk{
 			   $this->liquidLayer->getBitsPerBlock() === 0 && $this->liquidLayer->get(0, 0, 0) === $this->emptyBlockId;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns whether the block layer is empty (contains only empty blocks).
+	 */
+	public function isBlockLayerEmpty() : bool{
+		return $this->blockLayer->getBitsPerBlock() === 0 && $this->blockLayer->get(0, 0, 0) === $this->emptyBlockId;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns whether the liquid layer is empty (contains only empty blocks).
+	 */
+	public function isLiquidLayerEmpty() : bool{
+		return $this->liquidLayer->getBitsPerBlock() === 0 && $this->liquidLayer->get(0, 0, 0) === $this->emptyBlockId;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the block used as the default. This is assumed to refer to air.
 	 * If all the blocks in a subchunk layer are equal to this block, the layer is assumed to be empty.
diff --git a/src/world/format/io/leveldb/LevelDB.php b/src/world/format/io/leveldb/LevelDB.php
index 86cd8594d..a82d34c28 100644
--- a/src/world/format/io/leveldb/LevelDB.php
+++ b/src/world/format/io/leveldb/LevelDB.php
@@ -778,8 +778,8 @@ class LevelDB extends BaseWorldProvider implements WritableWorldProvider{
 					$blockLayer = $subChunk->getBlockLayer();
 					$liquidLayer = $subChunk->getLiquidLayer();
 					
-					$isBlockLayerEmpty = $blockLayer->getBitsPerBlock() === 0 && $blockLayer->get(0, 0, 0) === $subChunk->getEmptyBlockId();
-					$isLiquidLayerEmpty = $liquidLayer->getBitsPerBlock() === 0 && $liquidLayer->get(0, 0, 0) === $subChunk->getEmptyBlockId();
+					$isBlockLayerEmpty = $subChunk->isBlockLayerEmpty();
+					$isLiquidLayerEmpty = $subChunk->isLiquidLayerEmpty();
 					
 					$layerCount = 0;
 					if(!$isBlockLayerEmpty) $layerCount++;