diff --git a/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaDecoder.java b/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaDecoder.java
index 7381a34..af15318 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaDecoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaDecoder.java
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ public ViaDecoder(final UserConnection user) {
     @Override
     protected void decode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in, List<Object> out) throws Exception {
         if (!this.user.checkIncomingPacket()) throw CancelDecoderException.generate(null);
+        if (!this.user.shouldTransformPacket()) {
+            out.add(in.retain());
+            return;
+        }
 
         final ByteBuf transformedBuf = ctx.alloc().buffer().writeBytes(in);
         try {
-            if (this.user.shouldTransformPacket()) {
-                this.user.transformIncoming(transformedBuf, CancelDecoderException::generate);
-            }
+            this.user.transformIncoming(transformedBuf, CancelDecoderException::generate);
             out.add(transformedBuf.retain());
         } finally {
             transformedBuf.release();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaEncoder.java b/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaEncoder.java
index 25c33b7..54925d6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaEncoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/viaversion/vialoader/netty/ViaEncoder.java
@@ -40,17 +40,16 @@ public ViaEncoder(final UserConnection user) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf byteBuf, List<Object> out) throws Exception {
-        if (!user.checkOutgoingPacket()) throw CancelEncoderException.generate(null);
-        if (!user.shouldTransformPacket()) {
-            out.add(byteBuf.retain());
+    protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf in, List<Object> out) throws Exception {
+        if (!this.user.checkOutgoingPacket()) throw CancelEncoderException.generate(null);
+        if (!this.user.shouldTransformPacket()) {
+            out.add(in.retain());
             return;
         }
 
-        ByteBuf transformedBuf = ctx.alloc().buffer().writeBytes(byteBuf);
+        final ByteBuf transformedBuf = ctx.alloc().buffer().writeBytes(in);
         try {
-            user.transformOutgoing(transformedBuf, CancelEncoderException::generate);
-
+            this.user.transformOutgoing(transformedBuf, CancelEncoderException::generate);
             out.add(transformedBuf.retain());
         } finally {
             transformedBuf.release();