diff --git a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockEntityState.java b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockEntityState.java
index 26409a4f52..14e5f618e6 100644
--- a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockEntityState.java
+++ b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockEntityState.java
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import org.bukkit.World;
 import org.bukkit.block.TileState;
 import org.bukkit.persistence.PersistentDataContainer;
 
-public abstract class CraftBlockEntityState<T extends TileEntity> extends CraftBlockState implements TileState {
+public class CraftBlockEntityState<T extends TileEntity> extends CraftBlockState implements TileState {
 
     private final T tileEntity;
     private final T snapshot;
diff --git a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockStates.java b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockStates.java
index 79b64bdb3c..71d42d6ac1 100644
--- a/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockStates.java
+++ b/paper-server/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/block/CraftBlockStates.java
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ public final class CraftBlockStates {
     private static final BlockStateFactory<?> DEFAULT_FACTORY = new BlockStateFactory<CraftBlockState>(CraftBlockState.class) {
         @Override
         public CraftBlockState createBlockState(World world, BlockPosition blockPosition, IBlockData blockData, TileEntity tileEntity) {
+            // SPIGOT-6754: Temporarily restore previous behaviour for tile entities with removed blocks
+            if (tileEntity != null) {
+                // block with unhandled TileEntity:
+                return new CraftBlockEntityState<>(world, tileEntity);
+            }
             Preconditions.checkState(tileEntity == null, "Unexpected BlockState for %s", CraftMagicNumbers.getMaterial(blockData.getBlock()));
             return new CraftBlockState(world, blockPosition, blockData);
         }