diff --git a/src/world/format/Chunk.php b/src/world/format/Chunk.php
index 13a84742b..23367ef7e 100644
--- a/src/world/format/Chunk.php
+++ b/src/world/format/Chunk.php
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ class Chunk{
 	public const COORD_BIT_SIZE = SubChunk::COORD_BIT_SIZE;
 	public const COORD_MASK = SubChunk::COORD_MASK;
 
-	private int $modificationCount;
-
 	/** @var int */
 	private $terrainDirtyFlags = 0;
 
@@ -69,7 +67,7 @@ class Chunk{
 	/**
 	 * @param SubChunk[] $subChunks
 	 */
-	public function __construct(array $subChunks, BiomeArray $biomeIds, bool $terrainPopulated, int $modificationCount = 0){
+	public function __construct(array $subChunks, BiomeArray $biomeIds, bool $terrainPopulated){
 		$this->subChunks = new \SplFixedArray(Chunk::MAX_SUBCHUNKS);
 
 		foreach($this->subChunks as $y => $null){
@@ -81,7 +79,6 @@ class Chunk{
 		$this->biomeIds = $biomeIds;
 
 		$this->terrainPopulated = $terrainPopulated;
-		$this->modificationCount = $modificationCount;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -110,7 +107,6 @@ class Chunk{
 	public function setFullBlock(int $x, int $y, int $z, int $block) : void{
 		$this->getSubChunk($y >> SubChunk::COORD_BIT_SIZE)->setFullBlock($x, $y & SubChunk::COORD_MASK, $z, $block);
 		$this->terrainDirtyFlags |= self::DIRTY_FLAG_TERRAIN;
-		$this->modificationCount++;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -174,7 +170,6 @@ class Chunk{
 	public function setBiomeId(int $x, int $z, int $biomeId) : void{
 		$this->biomeIds->set($x, $z, $biomeId);
 		$this->terrainDirtyFlags |= self::DIRTY_FLAG_BIOMES;
-		$this->modificationCount++;
 	}
 
 	public function isLightPopulated() : ?bool{
@@ -192,7 +187,6 @@ class Chunk{
 	public function setPopulated(bool $value = true) : void{
 		$this->terrainPopulated = $value;
 		$this->terrainDirtyFlags |= self::DIRTY_FLAG_TERRAIN;
-		$this->modificationCount++;
 	}
 
 	public function addTile(Tile $tile) : void{
@@ -275,24 +269,16 @@ class Chunk{
 		}else{
 			$this->terrainDirtyFlags &= ~$flag;
 		}
-		$this->modificationCount++;
 	}
 
 	public function setTerrainDirty() : void{
 		$this->terrainDirtyFlags = ~0;
-		$this->modificationCount++;
 	}
 
 	public function clearTerrainDirtyFlags() : void{
 		$this->terrainDirtyFlags = 0;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Returns the modcount for this chunk. Any saveable change to the chunk will cause this number to be incremented,
-	 * so you can use this to detect when the chunk has been modified.
-	 */
-	public function getModificationCount() : int{ return $this->modificationCount; }
-
 	public function getSubChunk(int $y) : SubChunk{
 		if($y < 0 || $y >= $this->subChunks->getSize()){
 			throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Invalid subchunk Y coordinate $y");
diff --git a/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php b/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
index 0f3db73d1..bb8bec687 100644
--- a/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
+++ b/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ final class FastChunkSerializer{
 	 */
 	public static function serializeTerrain(Chunk $chunk) : string{
 		$stream = new BinaryStream();
-		$stream->putLong($chunk->getModificationCount());
-
 		$stream->putByte(
 			($chunk->isPopulated() ? self::FLAG_POPULATED : 0)
 		);
@@ -90,7 +88,6 @@ final class FastChunkSerializer{
 	 */
 	public static function deserializeTerrain(string $data) : Chunk{
 		$stream = new BinaryStream($data);
-		$modificationCounter = $stream->getLong();
 
 		$flags = $stream->getByte();
 		$terrainPopulated = (bool) ($flags & self::FLAG_POPULATED);
@@ -118,6 +115,6 @@ final class FastChunkSerializer{
 
 		$biomeIds = new BiomeArray($stream->get(256));
 
-		return new Chunk($subChunks, $biomeIds, $terrainPopulated, $modificationCounter);
+		return new Chunk($subChunks, $biomeIds, $terrainPopulated);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/world/generator/PopulationTask.php b/src/world/generator/PopulationTask.php
index fe5f6fc8a..0e35961be 100644
--- a/src/world/generator/PopulationTask.php
+++ b/src/world/generator/PopulationTask.php
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ class PopulationTask extends AsyncTask{
 			fn(?string $serialized) => $serialized !== null ? FastChunkSerializer::deserializeTerrain($serialized) : null,
 			$serialChunks
 		);
-		$oldModCounts = array_map(fn(?Chunk $chunk) => $chunk !== null ? $chunk->getModificationCount() : null, $chunks);
 
 		self::setOrGenerateChunk($manager, $generator, $this->chunkX, $this->chunkZ, $chunk);
 
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ class PopulationTask extends AsyncTask{
 
 		$serialChunks = [];
 		foreach($chunks as $i => $c){
-			$serialChunks[$i] = $oldModCounts[$i] !== $c->getModificationCount() ? FastChunkSerializer::serializeTerrain($c) : null;
+			$serialChunks[$i] = $c->isTerrainDirty() ? FastChunkSerializer::serializeTerrain($c) : null;
 		}
 		$this->adjacentChunks = igbinary_serialize($serialChunks) ?? throw new AssumptionFailedError("igbinary_serialize() returned null");
 	}