diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 78f143b6..fff579de 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "azalea-auth",
  "azalea-block",
+ "azalea-buf",
  "azalea-chat",
  "azalea-core",
  "azalea-crypto",
diff --git a/azalea-client/Cargo.toml b/azalea-client/Cargo.toml
index 9c4bcac6..90e5d14e 100644
--- a/azalea-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/azalea-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ azalea-chat = { path = "../azalea-chat", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-core = { path = "../azalea-core", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-crypto = { path = "../azalea-crypto", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-physics = { path = "../azalea-physics", version = "0.7.0" }
+azalea-buf = { path = "../azalea-buf", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-protocol = { path = "../azalea-protocol", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-registry = { path = "../azalea-registry", version = "0.7.0" }
 azalea-world = { path = "../azalea-world", version = "0.7.0" }
diff --git a/azalea-client/src/packet_handling.rs b/azalea-client/src/packet_handling.rs
index d72a06b2..bf438de0 100644
--- a/azalea-client/src/packet_handling.rs
+++ b/azalea-client/src/packet_handling.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::{collections::HashSet, io::Cursor, sync::Arc};
 
+use azalea_buf::McBufWritable;
 use azalea_core::{ChunkPos, GameMode, ResourceLocation, Vec3};
 use azalea_entity::{
     indexing::EntityUuidIndex,
@@ -289,11 +290,13 @@ fn process_packet_events(ecs: &mut World) {
                 local_player.write_packet(client_information.clone().get());
 
                 // brand
+                let mut brand_data = Vec::new();
+                "vanilla".to_string().write_into(&mut brand_data).unwrap();
                 local_player.write_packet(
                     ServerboundCustomPayloadPacket {
                         identifier: ResourceLocation::new("brand"),
                         // they don't have to know :)
-                        data: "vanilla".into(),
+                        data: brand_data.into(),
                     }
                     .get(),
                 );