diff --git a/annotations/src/main/java/mindustry/annotations/remote/CallGenerator.java b/annotations/src/main/java/mindustry/annotations/remote/CallGenerator.java
index 48a17f2e86..e21b015a34 100644
--- a/annotations/src/main/java/mindustry/annotations/remote/CallGenerator.java
+++ b/annotations/src/main/java/mindustry/annotations/remote/CallGenerator.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public class CallGenerator{
             .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC);
 
             //temporary data to deserialize later
-            packet.addField(byte[].class, "DATA", Modifier.PRIVATE);
+            packet.addField(FieldSpec.builder(byte[].class, "DATA", Modifier.PRIVATE).initializer("NODATA").build());
 
             packet.superclass(tname("mindustry.net.Packet"));
 
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ public class CallGenerator{
 
         typespec.addMethod(readbuilder.build());
 
-        MethodSpec.Builder builder = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("check")
-            .addModifiers(Modifier.PRIVATE);
+        MethodSpec.Builder builder = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("handled")
+            .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
+            .addAnnotation(Override.class);
 
         //make sure data is present, begin reading it if so
-        builder.beginControlFlow("if(DATA != null)");
         builder.addStatement("BAIS.setBytes(DATA)");
 
         Seq<Svar> params = ent.element.params();
@@ -202,8 +202,6 @@ public class CallGenerator{
             }
         }
 
-        builder.endControlFlow();
-
         typespec.addMethod(builder.build());
     }
 
@@ -351,8 +349,6 @@ public class CallGenerator{
         .addAnnotation(Override.class)
         .returns(void.class);
 
-        builder.addStatement("check()");
-
         Smethod elem = ent.element;
         Seq<Svar> params = elem.params();
 
diff --git a/core/src/mindustry/net/Net.java b/core/src/mindustry/net/Net.java
index 689834c07b..2279c955c0 100644
--- a/core/src/mindustry/net/Net.java
+++ b/core/src/mindustry/net/Net.java
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ public class Net{
      * Call to handle a packet being received for the client.
      */
     public void handleClientReceived(Packet object){
+        object.handled();
 
         if(object instanceof StreamBegin b){
             streams.put(b.id, currentStream = new StreamBuilder(b));
@@ -291,6 +292,8 @@ public class Net{
      * Call to handle a packet being received for the server.
      */
     public void handleServerReceived(NetConnection connection, Packet object){
+        object.handled();
+
         try{
             //handle object normally
             if(serverListeners.get(object.getClass()) != null){
diff --git a/core/src/mindustry/net/Packet.java b/core/src/mindustry/net/Packet.java
index 843c2e78eb..b5a748c209 100644
--- a/core/src/mindustry/net/Packet.java
+++ b/core/src/mindustry/net/Packet.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ public abstract class Packet{
     //readObject
     //readBuilding
     //readUnit (possibly)
+    protected static final byte[] NODATA = {};
     protected static final ReusableByteInStream BAIS = new ReusableByteInStream();
     protected static final Reads READ = new Reads(new DataInputStream(BAIS));
 
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@ public abstract class Packet{
         read(read);
     }
 
+    public void handled(){}
+
     public int getPriority(){
         return priorityNormal;
     }