diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
index 2d3a2de4..5450390b 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
@@ -98,7 +98,12 @@ public class MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
             state.getProtocolRegistry(direction, ProtocolVersion.MINIMUM_VERSION);
 
         final int index = in.readerIndex();
-        final int packetId = ProtocolUtils.readVarInt(in);
+        final int packetId = readRawVarInt21(in);
+        // Index hasn't changed, we've read nothing
+        if (index == in.readerIndex()) {
+          in.resetReaderIndex();
+          return;
+        }
         final int payloadLength = length - ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(packetId);
 
         MinecraftPacket packet = registry.createPacket(packetId);
@@ -141,6 +146,7 @@ public class MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
           .withThrowable(cause)
           .log("Exception caught while decoding frame for {}", ctx.channel().remoteAddress());
     }
+    super.exceptionCaught(ctx, cause);
   }
 
   /**