diff --git a/Essentials/src/main/java/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java b/Essentials/src/main/java/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
index 7926a31c851..7aa45627ea1 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/main/java/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/main/java/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
@@ -146,7 +146,13 @@ public boolean canSpawn(final IEssentials ess) {
     }
 
     public void parseStringMeta(final CommandSource sender, final boolean allowUnsafe, final String[] string, final int fromArg, final IEssentials ess) throws Exception {
+        final boolean nbtIsKill = VersionUtil.getServerBukkitVersion().isHigherThanOrEqualTo(VersionUtil.v1_20_6_R01);
+
         if (string[fromArg].startsWith("{") && hasMetaPermission(sender, "vanilla", false, true, ess)) {
+            if (nbtIsKill) {
+                throw new TranslatableException("noMetaNbtKill");
+            }
+
             try {
                 stack = ess.getServer().getUnsafe().modifyItemStack(stack, Joiner.on(' ').join(Arrays.asList(string).subList(fromArg, string.length)));
             } catch (final NullPointerException npe) {
@@ -158,6 +164,22 @@ public void parseStringMeta(final CommandSource sender, final boolean allowUnsaf
             } catch (final Throwable throwable) {
                 throw new Exception(throwable.getMessage(), throwable);
             }
+        } else if (string[fromArg].startsWith("[") && hasMetaPermission(sender, "vanilla", false, true, ess)) {
+            if (!nbtIsKill) {
+                throw new TranslatableException("noMetaComponents");
+            }
+
+            try {
+                final String components = Joiner.on(' ').join(Arrays.asList(string).subList(fromArg, string.length));
+                // modifyItemStack requires that the item namespaced key is prepended to the components for some reason
+                stack = ess.getServer().getUnsafe().modifyItemStack(stack, stack.getType().getKey() + components);
+            } catch (final NullPointerException npe) {
+                if (ess.getSettings().isDebug()) {
+                    ess.getLogger().log(Level.INFO, "Itemstack is invalid", npe);
+                }
+            } catch (final Throwable throwable) {
+                throw new Exception(throwable.getMessage(), throwable);
+            }
         } else {
             for (int i = fromArg; i < string.length; i++) {
                 addStringMeta(sender, allowUnsafe, string[i], ess);
diff --git a/Essentials/src/main/resources/messages.properties b/Essentials/src/main/resources/messages.properties
index c1d1bf84381..d2d07e06d08 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/main/resources/messages.properties
+++ b/Essentials/src/main/resources/messages.properties
@@ -863,8 +863,10 @@ noLocationFound=<dark_red>No valid location found.
 noMail=<primary>You do not have any mail.
 noMailOther=<secondary>{0} <primary>does not have any mail.
 noMatchingPlayers=<primary>No matching players found.
+noMetaComponents=Data Components are not supported in this version of Bukkit. Please use JSON NBT metadata.
 noMetaFirework=<dark_red>You do not have permission to apply firework meta.
 noMetaJson=JSON Metadata is not supported in this version of Bukkit.
+noMetaNbtKill=JSON NBT metadata is no longer supported. You must manually convert your defined items to data components. You can convert JSON NBT to data components here: https://docs.papermc.io/misc/tools/item-command-converter
 noMetaPerm=<dark_red>You do not have permission to apply <secondary>{0}<dark_red> meta to this item.
 none=none
 noNewMail=<primary>You have no new mail.