diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/backend/ConfigSessionHandler.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/backend/ConfigSessionHandler.java
index 8cc1bf8c..904e848f 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/backend/ConfigSessionHandler.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/backend/ConfigSessionHandler.java
@@ -277,7 +277,6 @@ public class ConfigSessionHandler implements MinecraftSessionHandler {
           PluginMessageUtil.rewriteMinecraftBrand(packet, server.getVersion(),
               serverConn.getPlayer().getProtocolVersion()));
     } else {
-      byte[] bytes = ByteBufUtil.getBytes(packet.content());
       ChannelIdentifier id = this.server.getChannelRegistrar().getFromId(packet.getChannel());
 
       if (id == null) {
@@ -287,6 +286,7 @@ public class ConfigSessionHandler implements MinecraftSessionHandler {
 
       // Handling this stuff async means that we should probably pause
       // the connection while we toss this off into another pool
+      byte[] bytes = ByteBufUtil.getBytes(packet.content());
       this.serverConn.getConnection().setAutoReading(false);
       this.server.getEventManager()
           .fire(new PluginMessageEvent(serverConn, serverConn.getPlayer(), id, bytes))
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/client/ClientConfigSessionHandler.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/client/ClientConfigSessionHandler.java
index e4c754f9..5cb7188e 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/client/ClientConfigSessionHandler.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/connection/client/ClientConfigSessionHandler.java
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ public class ClientConfigSessionHandler implements MinecraftSessionHandler {
     } else if (BungeeCordMessageResponder.isBungeeCordMessage(packet)) {
       return true;
     } else if (serverConn != null) {
-      byte[] bytes = ByteBufUtil.getBytes(packet.content());
       ChannelIdentifier id = this.server.getChannelRegistrar().getFromId(packet.getChannel());
 
       if (id == null) {
@@ -145,6 +144,7 @@ public class ClientConfigSessionHandler implements MinecraftSessionHandler {
 
       // Handling this stuff async means that we should probably pause
       // the connection while we toss this off into another pool
+      byte[] bytes = ByteBufUtil.getBytes(packet.content());
       serverConn.getPlayer().getConnection().setAutoReading(false);
       this.server.getEventManager()
           .fire(new PluginMessageEvent(serverConn.getPlayer(), serverConn, id, bytes))