diff --git a/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/entities/Player.java b/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/entities/Player.java
index 73a4c46b70..6d336b6fe6 100644
--- a/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/entities/Player.java
+++ b/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/entities/Player.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import io.anuke.mindustry.game.Team;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.gen.Call;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.graphics.Palette;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.graphics.Trail;
+import io.anuke.mindustry.io.TypeIO;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.net.Net;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.net.NetConnection;
 import io.anuke.mindustry.type.ContentType;
@@ -847,7 +848,7 @@ public class Player extends Unit implements BuilderTrait, CarryTrait, ShooterTra
     @Override
     public void write(DataOutput buffer) throws IOException{
         super.writeSave(buffer, !isLocal);
-        buffer.writeUTF(name); //TODO writing strings is very inefficient
+        TypeIO.writeStringData(buffer, name); //TODO writing strings is very inefficient
         buffer.writeByte(Bits.toByte(isAdmin) | (Bits.toByte(dead) << 1) | (Bits.toByte(isBoosting) << 2));
         buffer.writeInt(Color.rgba8888(color));
         buffer.writeByte(mech.id);
@@ -862,7 +863,7 @@ public class Player extends Unit implements BuilderTrait, CarryTrait, ShooterTra
     public void read(DataInput buffer, long time) throws IOException{
         float lastx = x, lasty = y, lastrot = rotation;
         super.readSave(buffer);
-        name = buffer.readUTF();
+        name = TypeIO.readStringData(buffer);
         byte bools = buffer.readByte();
         isAdmin = (bools & 1) != 0;
         dead = (bools & 2) != 0;
diff --git a/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/io/TypeIO.java b/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/io/TypeIO.java
index c16f87a165..35decc86dd 100644
--- a/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/io/TypeIO.java
+++ b/core/src/io/anuke/mindustry/io/TypeIO.java
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import io.anuke.ucore.core.Effects;
 import io.anuke.ucore.core.Effects.Effect;
 import io.anuke.ucore.entities.Entities;
 
+import java.io.DataInput;
+import java.io.DataOutput;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
@@ -372,4 +375,35 @@ public class TypeIO{
         buffer.get(bytes);
         return bytes;
     }
+
+    public static void writeStringData(DataOutput buffer, String string) throws IOException{
+        if(string != null){
+            Charset charset = Charset.defaultCharset();
+            byte[] nameBytes = charset.toString().getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            buffer.writeByte((byte)nameBytes.length);
+            buffer.write(nameBytes);
+
+            byte[] bytes = string.getBytes(charset);
+            buffer.writeShort((short) bytes.length);
+            buffer.write(bytes);
+        }else{
+            buffer.writeByte((byte) -1);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static String readStringData(DataInput buffer) throws IOException{
+        byte length = buffer.readByte();
+        if(length != -1){
+            byte[] cbytes = new byte[length];
+            buffer.readFully(cbytes);
+            Charset charset = Charset.forName(new String(cbytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+
+            short slength = buffer.readShort();
+            byte[] bytes = new byte[slength];
+            buffer.readByte(bytes);
+            return new String(bytes, charset);
+        }else{
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
 }