diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/shadowfacts/phycon/block/netinterface/InterfaceBlockEntity.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/shadowfacts/phycon/block/netinterface/InterfaceBlockEntity.kt
index 011aa3b..02d0542 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/shadowfacts/phycon/block/netinterface/InterfaceBlockEntity.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/shadowfacts/phycon/block/netinterface/InterfaceBlockEntity.kt
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import net.shadowfacts.phycon.component.NetworkStackReceiver
 import net.shadowfacts.phycon.component.handleItemStack
 import net.shadowfacts.phycon.packet.*
 import net.shadowfacts.phycon.util.ClientConfigurableDevice
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference
 import kotlin.math.min
 
 /**
@@ -37,20 +38,21 @@ class InterfaceBlockEntity(pos: BlockPos, state: BlockState): DeviceBlockEntity(
 	override var receiverPriority = 0
 	var syncPriorities = true
 
-	// todo: should this be a weak ref?
-	private var inventory: GroupedItemInv? = null
+	private var inventory: WeakReference<GroupedItemInv>? = null
 
 	fun updateInventory() {
 		val offsetPos = pos.offset(facing)
 		val option = SearchOptions.inDirection(facing)
-		inventory = ItemAttributes.GROUPED_INV.getFirstOrNull(world, offsetPos, option)
+		inventory = ItemAttributes.GROUPED_INV.getFirstOrNull(world, offsetPos, option).let {
+			WeakReference(it)
+		}
 	}
 
 	private fun getInventory(): GroupedItemInv? {
 		// if we don't have an inventory, try to get one
 		// this happens when readAll is called before a neighbor state changes, such as immediately after world load
-		if (inventory == null) updateInventory()
-		return inventory
+		if (inventory?.get() == null) updateInventory()
+		return inventory?.get()
 	}
 
 	override fun handle(packet: Packet) {