diff --git a/src/Inventory.zig b/src/Inventory.zig
index a9706099a6..a72bc044d8 100644
--- a/src/Inventory.zig
+++ b/src/Inventory.zig
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub const client = struct { // MARK: client
 		serverToClientMap.deinit();
 	}
 
-	fn nextId() InventoryId {
+	pub fn nextId() InventoryId {
 		main.sync.client.mutex.lock();
 		defer main.sync.client.mutex.unlock();
 		if (freeIdList.popOrNull()) |id| {
@@ -88,6 +88,42 @@ pub const client = struct { // MARK: client
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
+
+	var pendingChestOpen: ?ClientInventory = null;
+
+	fn buildFromResponse(clientId: InventoryId, source: Source, len: usize, reader: *BinaryReader) Inventory {
+		const inv: Inventory = .{
+			._items = main.globalAllocator.alloc(ItemStack, len),
+			.id = clientId,
+			.source = source,
+			.callbacks = .{},
+		};
+		for (inv._items) |*item| item.* = .{};
+		inv.fromBytes(reader);
+		return inv;
+	}
+
+	pub fn receiveChestOpenResponse(clientId: InventoryId, pos: Vec3i, serverId: InventoryId, reader: *BinaryReader) void {
+		main.sync.client.mutex.lock();
+		defer main.sync.client.mutex.unlock();
+		const inv = buildFromResponse(clientId, .{.blockInventory = pos}, main.block_entity.BlockEntityTypes.@"cubyz:chest".inventorySize, reader);
+		mapServerId(serverId, inv);
+		pendingChestOpen = .{.super = inv, .type = .serverShared};
+	}
+
+	pub fn cancelChestOpen(clientId: InventoryId) void {
+		main.sync.client.mutex.lock();
+		defer main.sync.client.mutex.unlock();
+		freeId(clientId);
+		std.log.err("Server rejected request to open chest.", .{});
+	}
+
+	pub fn takePendingChestOpen() ?ClientInventory {
+		main.sync.client.mutex.lock();
+		defer main.sync.client.mutex.unlock();
+		defer pendingChestOpen = null;
+		return pendingChestOpen;
+	}
 };
 
 pub const server = struct { // MARK: server
diff --git a/src/callbacks/block/client/open_chest.zig b/src/callbacks/block/client/open_chest.zig
index a4846117ab..19e1ce5cbb 100644
--- a/src/callbacks/block/client/open_chest.zig
+++ b/src/callbacks/block/client/open_chest.zig
@@ -17,11 +17,8 @@ pub fn run(_: *anyopaque, params: main.callbacks.ClientBlockCallback.Params) mai
 	}
 	main.network.protocols.blockEntityUpdate.sendClientDataUpdateToServer(main.game.world.?.conn, params.blockPos);
 
-	const inventory = main.items.Inventory.ClientInventory.init(main.globalAllocator, main.block_entity.BlockEntityTypes.@"cubyz:chest".inventorySize, .serverShared, .{.blockInventory = params.blockPos}, .{});
-
-	main.gui.windowlist.chest.setInventory(inventory);
-	main.gui.openWindow("chest");
-	main.Window.setMouseGrabbed(false);
+	const clientId = main.items.Inventory.client.nextId();
+	main.network.protocols.chestOpen.sendRequest(main.game.world.?.conn, clientId, params.blockPos);
 
 	return .handled;
 }
diff --git a/src/game.zig b/src/game.zig
index 89e6b9273d..565b94b78a 100644
--- a/src/game.zig
+++ b/src/game.zig
@@ -585,6 +585,8 @@ pub fn update(deltaTime: f64) void { // MARK: update()
 		restart();
 	}
 
+	main.gui.windowlist.chest.checkPendingOpen();
+
 	physics.calculateVolumeProperties(.client, &Player.volumeProperties, Player.super.pos, Player.outerBoundingBox, physics.playerAirTerminalVelocity);
 	if (Player.isFlying.load(.monotonic)) {
 		Player.friction = .{.current = 20, .mobile = 20};
diff --git a/src/gui/windows/chest.zig b/src/gui/windows/chest.zig
index f41dd7cbcc..a39e2282cf 100644
--- a/src/gui/windows/chest.zig
+++ b/src/gui/windows/chest.zig
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ pub fn setInventory(selectedInventory: main.items.Inventory.ClientInventory) voi
 	openInventory = selectedInventory;
 }
 
+pub fn checkPendingOpen() void {
+	const inv = main.items.Inventory.client.takePendingChestOpen() orelse return;
+	setInventory(inv);
+	main.gui.openWindow("chest");
+	main.Window.setMouseGrabbed(false);
+}
+
 pub fn onOpen() void {
 	const list = VerticalList.init(.{padding, padding + 16}, 300, 0);
 
diff --git a/src/network/protocols.zig b/src/network/protocols.zig
index 6201e1f66e..04045cfc00 100644
--- a/src/network/protocols.zig
+++ b/src/network/protocols.zig
@@ -1105,3 +1105,69 @@ pub const EntityComponentUpdate = struct { // MARK: EntityComponentUpdate
 		conn.send(.secure, id, writer.data.items);
 	}
 };
+
+pub const chestOpen = struct {
+	pub const id: u8 = 16;
+
+	fn clientReceive(_: *Connection, reader: *utils.BinaryReader) !void {
+		const InventoryId = items.Inventory.InventoryId;
+		const success = try reader.readInt(u8);
+		const clientId = try reader.readEnum(InventoryId);
+		if (success == 0) {
+			items.Inventory.client.cancelChestOpen(clientId);
+			return;
+		}
+		const pos = try reader.readVec(Vec3i);
+		const serverId = try reader.readEnum(InventoryId);
+		items.Inventory.client.receiveChestOpenResponse(clientId, pos, serverId, reader);
+	}
+	fn serverReceive(conn: *Connection, reader: *utils.BinaryReader) !void {
+		const user = conn.user.?;
+		user.receiveChestOpenRequest(reader.remaining);
+	}
+
+	pub fn sendRequest(conn: *Connection, clientId: items.Inventory.InventoryId, pos: Vec3i) void {
+		std.debug.assert(conn.user == null);
+		var writer = utils.BinaryWriter.initCapacity(main.stackAllocator, 16);
+		defer writer.deinit();
+		writer.writeEnum(items.Inventory.InventoryId, clientId);
+		writer.writeVec(Vec3i, pos);
+		conn.send(.secure, id, writer.data.items);
+	}
+
+	pub fn process(user: *main.server.User, reader: *utils.BinaryReader) void {
+		const InventoryId = items.Inventory.InventoryId;
+		const clientId = reader.readEnum(InventoryId) catch return;
+		const pos = reader.readVec(Vec3i) catch return;
+		main.items.Inventory.server.createInventory(user, clientId, main.block_entity.BlockEntityTypes.@"cubyz:chest".inventorySize, .{.blockInventory = pos}) catch {
+			sendFailure(user.conn, clientId);
+			return;
+		};
+		const inv = main.items.Inventory.server.getInventory(user, clientId) orelse {
+			sendFailure(user.conn, clientId);
+			return;
+		};
+		sendResponse(user.conn, clientId, pos, inv);
+	}
+
+	fn sendResponse(conn: *Connection, clientId: items.Inventory.InventoryId, pos: Vec3i, inv: items.Inventory) void {
+		std.debug.assert(conn.isServerSide());
+		var writer = utils.BinaryWriter.initCapacity(main.stackAllocator, 32);
+		defer writer.deinit();
+		writer.writeInt(u8, 1);
+		writer.writeEnum(items.Inventory.InventoryId, clientId);
+		writer.writeVec(Vec3i, pos);
+		writer.writeEnum(items.Inventory.InventoryId, inv.id);
+		inv.toBytes(&writer);
+		conn.send(.secure, id, writer.data.items);
+	}
+
+	fn sendFailure(conn: *Connection, clientId: items.Inventory.InventoryId) void {
+		std.debug.assert(conn.isServerSide());
+		var writer = utils.BinaryWriter.initCapacity(main.stackAllocator, 8);
+		defer writer.deinit();
+		writer.writeInt(u8, 0);
+		writer.writeEnum(items.Inventory.InventoryId, clientId);
+		conn.send(.secure, id, writer.data.items);
+	}
+};
diff --git a/src/server/server.zig b/src/server/server.zig
index 0fbc82d540..7ff553c66b 100644
--- a/src/server/server.zig
+++ b/src/server/server.zig
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ pub const User = struct { // MARK: User
 	mutex: main.utils.Mutex = .{},
 
 	inventoryCommands: main.List([]const u8) = .empty,
+	chestOpenRequests: main.List([]const u8) = .empty,
 
 	pub const State = enum { awaitingKeyVerification, connectedVerified, awaitingReloadVerified };
 
@@ -229,6 +230,10 @@ pub const User = struct { // MARK: User
 			main.globalAllocator.free(commandData);
 		}
 		self.inventoryCommands.deinit(main.globalAllocator);
+		for (self.chestOpenRequests.items) |requestData| {
+			main.globalAllocator.free(requestData);
+		}
+		self.chestOpenRequests.deinit(main.globalAllocator);
 
 		self.jobQueue.deinit();
 	}
@@ -496,6 +501,9 @@ pub const User = struct { // MARK: User
 		const commands = self.inventoryCommands;
 		defer commands.deinit(main.globalAllocator);
 		self.inventoryCommands = .empty;
+		const chestOpenRequests = self.chestOpenRequests;
+		defer chestOpenRequests.deinit(main.globalAllocator);
+		self.chestOpenRequests = .empty;
 		self.mutex.unlock();
 
 		for (commands.items) |commandData| {
@@ -512,6 +520,12 @@ pub const User = struct { // MARK: User
 			};
 		}
 
+		for (chestOpenRequests.items) |requestData| {
+			defer main.globalAllocator.free(requestData);
+			var reader: BinaryReader = .init(requestData);
+			main.network.protocols.chestOpen.process(self, &reader);
+		}
+
 		self.mutex.lock();
 		defer self.mutex.unlock();
 		var time = @as(i16, @truncate(main.timestamp().toMilliseconds())) -% main.settings.entityLookback;
@@ -536,6 +550,12 @@ pub const User = struct { // MARK: User
 		self.inventoryCommands.append(main.globalAllocator, main.globalAllocator.dupe(u8, commandData));
 	}
 
+	pub fn receiveChestOpenRequest(self: *User, requestData: []const u8) void {
+		self.mutex.lock();
+		defer self.mutex.unlock();
+		self.chestOpenRequests.append(main.globalAllocator, main.globalAllocator.dupe(u8, requestData));
+	}
+
 	pub fn receiveData(self: *User, reader: *BinaryReader) !void {
 		self.mutex.lock();
 		defer self.mutex.unlock();