diff --git a/lib/plugins/blocks.js b/lib/plugins/blocks.js
index b5ab977f4..cd3500778 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/blocks.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/blocks.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var Block = require("prismarine-block")(version);
 var Painting = require('../painting');
 var Location = require('../location');
 var ChatMessage = require('../chat_message');
+var Chunk = require('prismarine-chunk')(version);
 
 module.exports = inject;
 
@@ -42,47 +43,10 @@ function inject(bot) {
       return;
     }
     var column = columns[key];
-    if(!column) columns[key] = column = new Column();
-    var chunkIncluded = new Array(16);
-    var y;
-    for(y = 0; y < 16; ++y) {
-      chunkIncluded[y] = args.bitMap & (1 << y);
-    }
-
-    var offset = 0;
+    if(!column) columns[key] = column = new Chunk();
 
-    // block types
-    var size = 16 * 16 * 16 * 2;
-    for(y = 0; y < 16; ++y) {
-      var blockId = args.data.slice(offset, offset + size);
-
-      // Column.metadata doesn't exist anymore.
-      column.blockType[y] = chunkIncluded[y] ? blockId : null;
-      offset = chunkIncluded[y] ? offset + size : offset;
-    }
-    size = 16 * 16 * 16 / 2;
-    // light
-    for(y = 0; y < 16; ++y) {
-      column.light[y] = chunkIncluded[y] ?
-        args.data.slice(offset, offset + size) : null;
-      offset = chunkIncluded[y] ? offset + size : offset;
-    }
-    // sky light
-    if(args.skyLightSent) {
-      for(y = 0; y < 16; ++y) {
-        column.skyLight[y] = chunkIncluded[y] ?
-          args.data.slice(offset, offset + size) : null;
-        offset = chunkIncluded[y] ? offset + size : offset;
-      }
-    }
-    // biome
-    if(args.groundUp) {
-      size = 256;
-      column.biome = args.data.slice(offset, offset + size);
-      offset += size;
-    }
+    column.load(args.data,args.bitMap);
 
-    assert.strictEqual(offset, args.data.length);
     bot.emit("chunkColumnLoad", columnCorner);
   }
 
@@ -115,36 +79,25 @@ function inject(bot) {
     }
   }
 
+  function posInChunk(pos)
+  {
+    return pos.floored().modulus(new Vec3(16,256,16));
+  }
+
   function blockAt(absolutePoint) {
     var loc = new Location(absolutePoint);
     var key = columnKeyXZ(loc.chunkCorner.x, loc.chunkCorner.z);
+
     var column = columns[key];
     // null column means chunk not loaded
     if(!column) return null;
-    var blockType = double_bite(column.blockType);
-    var nibbleIndex = loc.blockIndex >> 1;
-    var lowNibble = loc.blockIndex % 2 === 1;
 
-    var biomeId = column.biome.readUInt8(loc.biomeBlockIndex);
-
-    var block = new Block(blockType >> 4, biomeId, blockType & 0x0f);
-    block.light = nib(column.light);
-    block.skyLight = nib(column.skyLight);
+    block=column.getBlock(posInChunk(absolutePoint));
     block.position = loc.floored;
     block.signText = signs[loc.floored];
     block.painting = paintingsByPos[loc.floored];
 
     return block;
-
-    function double_bite(array) {
-      var buf = array[loc.chunkYIndex];
-      return buf ? buf.readUInt16LE(loc.blockIndex * 2) : 0;
-    }
-
-    function nib(array) {
-      var buf = array[loc.chunkYIndex];
-      return buf ? nibble(buf.readUInt8(nibbleIndex), lowNibble) : 0;
-    }
   }
 
   function chunkColumn(x, z) {
@@ -167,14 +120,8 @@ function inject(bot) {
     // sometimes minecraft server sends us block updates before it sends
     // us the column that the block is in. ignore this.
     if(!column) return;
-    var blockTypeBuffer = column.blockType[loc.chunkYIndex];
-    // if it's null, it was all air, but now we're inserting a block.
-    if(!blockTypeBuffer) {
-      blockTypeBuffer = new Buffer(16 * 16 * 16 * 2);
-      blockTypeBuffer.fill(0);
-      column.blockType[loc.chunkYIndex] = blockTypeBuffer;
-    }
-    blockTypeBuffer.writeUInt16LE((type << 4) | metadata, loc.blockIndex * 2);
+    column.setBlockType(posInChunk(point),type);
+    column.setBlockData(posInChunk(point),metadata);
 
     delete signs[loc.floored];
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f0a3b1ebe..cd9c21391 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "mojangson": "^0.2.1",
     "prismarine-biome": "^1.0.1",
     "prismarine-block": "^1.0.1",
+    "prismarine-chunk": "^1.3.0",
     "prismarine-entity": "^0.2.0",
     "prismarine-item": "^1.0.1",
     "prismarine-recipe": "^1.0.1",