diff --git a/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/ViaAPI.java b/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/ViaAPI.java
index ec615322e..67c4a5774 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/ViaAPI.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/ViaAPI.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public interface ViaAPI<T> {
      * @return API version incremented with meaningful API changes
      */
     default int apiVersion() {
-        return 13;
+        return 14;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/protocol/ProtocolManager.java b/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/protocol/ProtocolManager.java
index 559425ebb..8c716ac32 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/protocol/ProtocolManager.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/api/protocol/ProtocolManager.java
@@ -177,35 +177,49 @@ public interface ProtocolManager {
                                                                        @Nullable Class<S> serverboundPacketsClass);
 
     /**
-     * Returns whether protocol path calculation expects the path to come closer to the expected version with each entry, true by default.
+     * Sets the max delta the path calculation allows the distance to the target protocol version to increase.
      * <p>
-     * In practice, this means a path will never go to a protocol version that puts it farther from the desired
+     * If set to 0, protocol paths will have to come closer to the target protocol version with every entry,
+     * never going farther away from it (1→5→10 and 1→11→10 are ok, 1→20→10 is not ok).
+     * If set to -1, no distance checks will be applied (1→20→10 is ok).
+     *
+     * @param maxPathDeltaIncrease the max delta the path calculation allows the distance to the target protocol version to increase
+     * @see #onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries()
+     */
+    void setMaxPathDeltaIncrease(int maxPathDeltaIncrease);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the max delta the path calculation allows the distance to the target protocol version to increase. 0 by default.
+     * <p>
+     * In practice, a value of 0 means a path will never go to a protocol version that puts it farther from the desired
      * server protocol version, even if a path existed.
-     * If this is set to false, *all* possible paths will be checked until a fitting one is found.
+     * If this is set to -1, *all* possible paths will be checked until a fitting one is found.
      * <p>
-     * Negative examples if this returns true:
+     * Negative examples if this returns 0:
      * <ul>
      *     A possible path from 3 to 5 in order of 3→10→5 will be dismissed.
      *     A possible path from 5 to 3 in order of 5→0→3 will be dismissed.
      * </ul>
      * <p>
-     * Negative examples if this returns false:
+     * Negative examples if this returns -1:
      * <ul>
      *     While searching for a path from 3 to 5, 3→2→1 could be checked first before 3→4→5 is found.
      *     While searching for a path from 5 to 3, 5→6→7 could be checked first before 5→4→3 is found.
      * </ul>
      *
-     * @return whether protocol path calculation expects the path to come closer to the expected version with each entry
+     * @return max delta the path calculation allows the distance to the target protocol version to increase
      */
-    boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries();
+    int getMaxPathDeltaIncrease();
 
-    /**
-     * Sets whether protocol path calculation expects the path to come closer to the expected version with each entry.
-     *
-     * @param onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries whether protocol path calculation expects the path to come closer to the expected version with each entry
-     * @see #onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries()
-     */
-    void setOnlyCheckLoweringPathEntries(boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries);
+    @Deprecated/*(forRemoval = true)*/
+    default void setOnlyCheckLoweringPathEntries(final boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries) {
+        setMaxPathDeltaIncrease(onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries ? 0 : -1);
+    }
+
+    @Deprecated/*(forRemoval = true)*/
+    default boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries() {
+        return getMaxPathDeltaIncrease() != -1;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Returns the maximum protocol path size applied to {@link #getProtocolPath(int, int)}.
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/protocol/ProtocolManagerImpl.java b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/protocol/ProtocolManagerImpl.java
index e6f67b5f0..895e82076 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/protocol/ProtocolManagerImpl.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/viaversion/viaversion/protocol/ProtocolManagerImpl.java
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public class ProtocolManagerImpl implements ProtocolManager {
     private boolean mappingsLoaded;
 
     private ServerProtocolVersion serverProtocolVersion = new ServerProtocolVersionSingleton(-1);
-    private boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries = true;
+    private int maxPathDeltaIncrease; // Only allow lowering path entries by default
     private int maxProtocolPathSize = 50;
 
     public ProtocolManagerImpl() {
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ public class ProtocolManagerImpl implements ProtocolManager {
             if (current.containsKey(translatedToVersion)) continue;
 
             // Check if the new version is farther away than the current client version
-            if (onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries && Math.abs(serverVersion - translatedToVersion) > Math.abs(serverVersion - clientVersion)) {
+            if (maxPathDeltaIncrease != -1 && Math.abs(serverVersion - translatedToVersion) - Math.abs(serverVersion - clientVersion) > maxPathDeltaIncrease) {
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -385,13 +385,13 @@ public class ProtocolManagerImpl implements ProtocolManager {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void setOnlyCheckLoweringPathEntries(boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries) {
-        this.onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries = onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries;
+    public void setMaxPathDeltaIncrease(final int maxPathDeltaIncrease) {
+        this.maxPathDeltaIncrease = Math.max(-1, maxPathDeltaIncrease);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public boolean onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries() {
-        return onlyCheckLoweringPathEntries;
+    public int getMaxPathDeltaIncrease() {
+        return maxPathDeltaIncrease;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 754512179..63506377e 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=4.4.0
+projectVersion=4.4.1-SNAPSHOT
 
 # Gradle properties
 org.gradle.daemon=true