diff --git a/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/world/scores/ScoreboardSaveData.java.patch b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/world/scores/ScoreboardSaveData.java.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d29c6da39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/world/scores/ScoreboardSaveData.java.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+--- a/net/minecraft/world/scores/ScoreboardSaveData.java
++++ b/net/minecraft/world/scores/ScoreboardSaveData.java
+@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
+         ListTag listTag = new ListTag();
+ 
+         for (PlayerTeam playerTeam : this.scoreboard.getPlayerTeams()) {
++            if (!io.papermc.paper.configuration.GlobalConfiguration.get().scoreboards.saveEmptyScoreboardTeams && playerTeam.getPlayers().isEmpty()) continue; // Paper - Don't save empty scoreboard teams to scoreboard.dat
+             CompoundTag compoundTag = new CompoundTag();
+             compoundTag.putString("Name", playerTeam.getName());
+             compoundTag.putString("DisplayName", Component.Serializer.toJson(playerTeam.getDisplayName(), registries));