diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/ComponentUtil.java b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/ComponentUtil.java
index d530b120a..47ceac110 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/ComponentUtil.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/ComponentUtil.java
@@ -69,13 +69,30 @@ public final class ComponentUtil {
 
         try {
             final ATextComponent component = TextComponentSerializer.V1_19_4.deserialize(element);
-            return TextComponentCodec.V1_20_3.serializeNbt(component);
+            return trimStrings(TextComponentCodec.V1_20_3.serializeNbt(component));
         } catch (final Exception e) {
             Via.getPlatform().getLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "Error converting component: " + element, e);
             return new StringTag("<error>");
         }
     }
 
+    private static Tag trimStrings(final Tag input) {
+        // Dirty fix for https://github.com/ViaVersion/ViaVersion/issues/3650
+        // Usually tripped by hover event data being too long, e.g. book or shulker box contents
+        if (input == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return TagUtil.handleDeep(input, (key, tag) -> {
+            if (tag instanceof StringTag) {
+                final String value = ((StringTag) tag).getValue();
+                if (value.length() > Short.MAX_VALUE) {
+                    ((StringTag) tag).setValue("{}");
+                }
+            }
+            return tag;
+        });
+    }
+
     public static @Nullable JsonElement convertJson(@Nullable final JsonElement element, final SerializerVersion from, final SerializerVersion to) {
         return element != null ? convert(from, to, from.jsonSerializer.deserialize(element)) : null;
     }
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/TagUtil.java b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/TagUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b43ca2f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/util/TagUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of ViaVersion - https://github.com/ViaVersion/ViaVersion
+ * Copyright (C) 2016-2024 ViaVersion and contributors
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package com.viaversion.viaversion.util;
+
+import com.github.steveice10.opennbt.tag.builtin.CompoundTag;
+import com.github.steveice10.opennbt.tag.builtin.ListTag;
+import com.github.steveice10.opennbt.tag.builtin.Tag;
+import java.util.Map;
+import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;
+
+public final class TagUtil {
+
+    public static Tag handleDeep(final Tag tag, final TagUpdater consumer) {
+        return handleDeep(null, tag, consumer);
+    }
+
+    private static Tag handleDeep(@Nullable final String key, final Tag tag, final TagUpdater consumer) {
+        if (tag instanceof CompoundTag) {
+            final CompoundTag compoundTag = (CompoundTag) tag;
+            for (final Map.Entry<String, Tag> entry : compoundTag.entrySet()) {
+                final Tag updatedTag = handleDeep(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue(), consumer);
+                entry.setValue(updatedTag);
+            }
+        } else if (tag instanceof ListTag) {
+            final ListTag listTag = (ListTag) tag;
+            listTag.getValue().replaceAll(t -> handleDeep(null, t, consumer));
+        }
+        return consumer.update(key, tag);
+    }
+
+    @FunctionalInterface
+    public interface TagUpdater {
+
+        /**
+         * Updates the given tag.
+         *
+         * @param key key of the tag if inside a CompoundTag
+         * @param tag the tag to update
+         * @return the updated tag, can be the original one
+         */
+        Tag update(@Nullable String key, Tag tag);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index fc02dcc2e..76ee51291 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Project properties - we put these here so they can be modified without causing a recompile of the build scripts
-projectVersion=4.9.3
+projectVersion=4.9.4-SNAPSHOT
 
 # Smile emoji
 mcVersions=1.20.4, 1.20.3, 1.20.2, 1.20.1, 1.20, 1.19.4, 1.19.3, 1.19.2, 1.19.1, 1.19, 1.18.2, 1.18.1, 1.18, 1.17.1, 1.17, 1.16.5, 1.16.4, 1.16.3, 1.16.2, 1.16.1, 1.16, 1.15.2, 1.15.1, 1.15, 1.14.4, 1.14.3, 1.14.2, 1.14.1, 1.14, 1.13.2, 1.13.1, 1.13, 1.12.2, 1.12.1, 1.12, 1.11.2, 1.11.1, 1.11, 1.10.2, 1.10.1, 1.10, 1.9.4, 1.9.3, 1.9.2, 1.9.1, 1.9, 1.8.9