diff --git a/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java.patch b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java.patch
index 88534eabcc..f82072300e 100644
--- a/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java.patch
+++ b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/stats/ServerStatsCounter.java.patch
@@ -5,21 +5,22 @@
  package net.minecraft.stats;
  
  import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
-@@ -47,6 +48,13 @@
-     public ServerStatsCounter(MinecraftServer server, File file) {
-         this.server = server;
-         this.file = file;
+@@ -57,9 +58,22 @@
+             }
+         }
+ 
++        // Paper start - Moved after stat fetching for player state file
++        // Moves the loading after vanilla loading, so it overrides the values.
++        // Disables saving any forced stats, so it stays at the same value (without enabling disableStatSaving)
++        // Fixes stat initialization to not cause a NullPointerException
 +        // Spigot start
 +        for ( Map.Entry<ResourceLocation, Integer> entry : org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.forcedStats.entrySet() )
 +        {
-+            Stat<ResourceLocation> wrapper = Stats.CUSTOM.get( entry.getKey() );
++            Stat<ResourceLocation> wrapper = Stats.CUSTOM.get(java.util.Objects.requireNonNull(BuiltInRegistries.CUSTOM_STAT.getValue(entry.getKey()))); // Paper - ensured by SpigotConfig#stats
 +            this.stats.put( wrapper, entry.getValue().intValue() );
 +        }
 +        // Spigot end
-         if (file.isFile()) {
-             try {
-                 this.parseLocal(server.getFixerUpper(), FileUtils.readFileToString(file));
-@@ -60,6 +68,7 @@
++        // Paper end - Moved after stat fetching for player state file
      }
  
      public void save() {
@@ -27,15 +28,16 @@
          try {
              FileUtils.writeStringToFile(this.file, this.toJson());
          } catch (IOException ioexception) {
-@@ -70,6 +79,7 @@
+@@ -70,6 +84,8 @@
  
      @Override
      public void setValue(Player player, Stat<?> stat, int value) {
 +        if ( org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.disableStatSaving ) return; // Spigot
++        if (stat.getType() == Stats.CUSTOM && stat.getValue() instanceof final ResourceLocation resourceLocation && org.spigotmc.SpigotConfig.forcedStats.get(resourceLocation) != null) return; // Paper - disable saving forced stats
          super.setValue(player, stat, value);
          this.dirty.add(stat);
      }
-@@ -158,13 +168,12 @@
+@@ -158,13 +174,12 @@
      }
  
      private <T> Optional<Stat<T>> getStat(StatType<T> type, String id) {