diff --git a/src/main/java/me/tibinonest/mods/cauldron_dyeing/block/WaterCauldronBlockEntity.java b/src/main/java/me/tibinonest/mods/cauldron_dyeing/block/WaterCauldronBlockEntity.java
index ca4cf2a..a1a896e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/tibinonest/mods/cauldron_dyeing/block/WaterCauldronBlockEntity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/tibinonest/mods/cauldron_dyeing/block/WaterCauldronBlockEntity.java
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@ import net.minecraft.util.math.BlockPos;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 public class WaterCauldronBlockEntity extends BlockEntity {
+    private final int[] EMPTY_NBT = new int[] {-1, -1, -1};
     private int[] color;
 
     public WaterCauldronBlockEntity(BlockPos pos, BlockState state) {
         super(CauldronDyeing.WATER_CAULDRON_BLOCK_ENTITY, pos, state);
-        color = new int[]{-1, -1, -1};
+        color = null;
     }
 
     // Formula taken from https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Dye#Dyeing_armor and DyeableItem#blendAndSetColor
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ public class WaterCauldronBlockEntity extends BlockEntity {
         newColor[1] = (int) (colorComponents[1] * 255.0f);
         newColor[2] = (int) (colorComponents[2] * 255.0f);
 
-        if (hasColor()) {
+        if (color != null) {
             var avgColor = new int[3];
             avgColor[0] = (color[0] + newColor[0]) / 2;
             avgColor[1] = (color[1] + newColor[1]) / 2;
@@ -51,29 +52,26 @@ public class WaterCauldronBlockEntity extends BlockEntity {
         markDirty();
     }
 
-    public boolean hasColor() {
-        return color.length == 3 && color[0] != -1 && color[1] != -1 && color[2] != -1;
-    }
-
     public int getColor() {
-        return hasColor() ? (color[0] << 16) + (color[1] << 8) + color[2] : -1;
+        return color != null ? (color[0] << 16) + (color[1] << 8) + color[2] : -1;
     }
 
     public void resetColor() {
-        color = new int[]{-1, -1, -1};
+        color = null;
         markDirty();
     }
 
     @Override
     public void writeNbt(NbtCompound tag) {
         super.writeNbt(tag);
-        tag.putIntArray("color", color);
+        tag.putIntArray("color", color != null ? color : EMPTY_NBT);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void readNbt(NbtCompound tag) {
         super.readNbt(tag);
-        color = tag.getIntArray("color");
+        var value = tag.getIntArray("color");
+        color = value != EMPTY_NBT ? color : null;
         markDirty();
     }