diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/sql/dto/FullDataSourceV2DTO.java b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/sql/dto/FullDataSourceV2DTO.java
index 6b72ede48..10284c3a0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/sql/dto/FullDataSourceV2DTO.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/sql/dto/FullDataSourceV2DTO.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package com.seibel.distanthorizons.core.sql.dto;
 
+import com.github.luben.zstd.Zstd;
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.api.enums.config.EDhApiDataCompressionMode;
 import com.seibel.distanthorizons.api.enums.config.EDhApiWorldCompressionMode;
@@ -317,11 +318,7 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 			LongArrayList[] inputDataArray, ByteArrayList outputByteArray, 
 			EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException
 	{
-		// write the outputs to a stream to prep for writing to the database
 		ByteArrayOutputStream byteArrayOutputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-		
-		// normally a DhStream should be the topmost stream to prevent closing the stream accidentally, 
-		// but since this stream will be closed immediately after writing anyway, it won't be an issue
 		try (DhDataOutputStream compressedOut = new DhDataOutputStream(byteArrayOutputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
 			// write the data
@@ -342,11 +339,14 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 					compressedOut.writeLong(dataColumn.getLong(y));
 				}
 			}
-			
-			
-			// generate the checksum
-			compressedOut.flush();
-			byteArrayOutputStream.close();
+		}
+		
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			outputByteArray.addElements(0, Zstd.compress(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray(), 3));
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			outputByteArray.addElements(0, byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray());
 		}
 	}
@@ -354,7 +354,16 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 			ByteArrayList inputCompressedDataByteArray, LongArrayList[] outputDataLongArray, 
 			EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException, DataCorruptedException
 	{
-		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream;
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(Zstd.decompress(inputCompressedDataByteArray.toByteArray()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		}
+		
 		try (DhDataInputStream compressedIn = new DhDataInputStream(byteArrayInputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
 			// read the data
@@ -525,9 +534,14 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 					}
 				}
 			}
-			
-			compressedOut.flush();
-			byteArrayOutputStream.close();
+		}
+		
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			outputByteArray.addElements(0, Zstd.compress(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray(), 3));
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			outputByteArray.addElements(0, byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray());
 		}
 	}
@@ -555,7 +569,16 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 			maxZ = FullDataSourceV2.WIDTH-1;
 		}
 		
-		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream;
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(Zstd.decompress(inputCompressedDataByteArray.toByteArray()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		}
+		
 		try (DhDataInputStream compressedIn = new DhDataInputStream(byteArrayInputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
 			// 1. column counts, preallocate
@@ -689,15 +712,28 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 			{
 				compressedOut.writeByte(inputColumnGenStepByteArray.getByte(i));
 			}
-			
-			compressedOut.flush();
-			byteArrayOutputStream.close();
+		}
+		
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			outputByteArray.addElements(0, Zstd.compress(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray(), 3));
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			outputByteArray.addElements(0, byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray());
 		}
 	}
 	private static void readBlobToGenerationSteps(ByteArrayList inputCompressedDataByteArray, ByteArrayList outputByteArray, EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException, DataCorruptedException
 	{
-		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream;
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(Zstd.decompress(inputCompressedDataByteArray.toByteArray()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		}
 		
 		try(DhDataInputStream compressedIn = new DhDataInputStream(byteArrayInputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
@@ -719,15 +755,28 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 			{
 				compressedOut.write(inputWorldCompressionModeByteArray.getByte(i));
 			}
-			
-			compressedOut.flush();
-			byteArrayOutputStream.close();
+		}
+		
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			outputByteArray.addElements(0, Zstd.compress(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray(), 3));
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			outputByteArray.addElements(0, byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray());
 		}
 	}
 	private static void readBlobToWorldCompressionMode(ByteArrayList inputCompressedDataByteArray, ByteArrayList outputByteArray, EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException, DataCorruptedException
 	{
-		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream;
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(Zstd.decompress(inputCompressedDataByteArray.toByteArray()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		}
 		
 		try(DhDataInputStream compressedIn = new DhDataInputStream(byteArrayInputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
@@ -746,15 +795,29 @@ public class FullDataSourceV2DTO
 		try(DhDataOutputStream compressedOut = new DhDataOutputStream(byteArrayOutputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
 			mapping.serialize(compressedOut);
-			
-			compressedOut.flush();
-			byteArrayOutputStream.close();
+		}
+		
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			outputByteArray.addElements(0, Zstd.compress(byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray(), 3));
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			outputByteArray.addElements(0, byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray());
 		}
 	}
-	private static FullDataPointIdMap readBlobToDataMapping(ByteArrayList compressedMappingByteArray, long pos, @NotNull ILevelWrapper levelWrapper, EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException, InterruptedException, DataCorruptedException
+	private static FullDataPointIdMap readBlobToDataMapping(ByteArrayList inputCompressedDataByteArray, long pos, @NotNull ILevelWrapper levelWrapper, EDhApiDataCompressionMode compressionModeEnum) throws IOException, InterruptedException, DataCorruptedException
 	{
-		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(compressedMappingByteArray.elements());
+		ByteArrayInputStream byteArrayInputStream;
+		if (compressionModeEnum == EDhApiDataCompressionMode.Z_STD)
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(Zstd.decompress(inputCompressedDataByteArray.toByteArray()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			byteArrayInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(inputCompressedDataByteArray.elements());
+		}
+		
 		try (DhDataInputStream compressedIn = new DhDataInputStream(byteArrayInputStream, compressionModeEnum))
 		{
 			FullDataPointIdMap mapping = FullDataPointIdMap.deserialize(compressedIn, pos, levelWrapper);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataInputStream.java b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataInputStream.java
index 50941d101..ed8fcd830 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataInputStream.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataInputStream.java
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ public class DhDataInputStream extends DataInputStream
 				case LZ4:
 					return new LZ4FrameInputStream(stream);
 				case Z_STD:
-					return new ZstdInputStream(stream, RecyclingBufferPool.INSTANCE);
+					//return new ZstdInputStream(stream, RecyclingBufferPool.INSTANCE);
+					return stream;
 				case LZMA2:
 					// using an array cache significantly reduces GC pressure
 					ResettableArrayCache arrayCache = LZMA_RESETTABLE_ARRAY_CACHE_GETTER.get();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataOutputStream.java b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataOutputStream.java
index ed8ae8140..f5a4749d1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataOutputStream.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/util/objects/dataStreams/DhDataOutputStream.java
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ public class DhDataOutputStream extends DataOutputStream
 					return stream;
 				
 				case Z_STD:
-					return new ZstdOutputStream(stream, 3, true, true);
+					//return new ZstdOutputStream(stream, 3, true, true);
+					return stream;
 				case LZ4:
 					return new LZ4FrameOutputStream(stream, 
 							LZ4FrameOutputStream.BLOCKSIZE.SIZE_64KB, -1L,