diff --git a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/builder/BlockStateRecipeBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/builder/BlockStateRecipeBuilder.java
index a9e9cac..eaf6994 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/builder/BlockStateRecipeBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/builder/BlockStateRecipeBuilder.java
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 public class BlockStateRecipeBuilder implements RecipeBuilder {
     private final BlockPropertyPair result;
     private final BlockStateIngredient ingredient;
     private final BlockStateRecipeSerializer<?> serializer;
-    @Nullable
-    private ResourceLocation function;
+    private Optional<ResourceLocation> function;
 
     public BlockStateRecipeBuilder(BlockPropertyPair result, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockStateRecipeSerializer<?> serializer) {
         this.result = result;
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public RecipeBuilder group(@Nullable String groupName) {
         return this;
     }
 
-    public RecipeBuilder function(@Nullable ResourceLocation function) {
+    public RecipeBuilder function(Optional<ResourceLocation> function) {
         this.function = function;
         return this;
     }
@@ -87,14 +87,13 @@ public static class Result implements FinishedRecipe {
         private final BlockStateIngredient ingredient;
         private final BlockPropertyPair result;
         private final RecipeSerializer<? extends AbstractBlockStateRecipe> serializer;
-        @Nullable
-        private final ResourceLocation function;
+        private final Optional<ResourceLocation> function;
 
         public Result(ResourceLocation id, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockPropertyPair result, RecipeSerializer<? extends AbstractBlockStateRecipe> serializer) {
-            this(id, ingredient, result, serializer, null);
+            this(id, ingredient, result, serializer, Optional.empty());
         }
 
-        public Result(ResourceLocation id, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockPropertyPair result, RecipeSerializer<? extends AbstractBlockStateRecipe> serializer, @Nullable ResourceLocation function) {
+        public Result(ResourceLocation id, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockPropertyPair result, RecipeSerializer<? extends AbstractBlockStateRecipe> serializer, Optional<ResourceLocation> function) {
             this.id = id;
             this.ingredient = ingredient;
             this.result = result;
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ public void serializeRecipeData(JsonObject json) {
             } else {
                 json.add("result", BlockStateIngredient.of(this.result).toJson(false));
             }
-            if (this.function != null) {
+            if (this.function.isPresent()) {
                 json.addProperty("mcfunction", this.function.toString());
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/AbstractBlockStateRecipe.java b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/AbstractBlockStateRecipe.java
index 6b7ab17..b1c9611 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/AbstractBlockStateRecipe.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/AbstractBlockStateRecipe.java
@@ -10,23 +10,22 @@
 import net.minecraft.world.level.block.state.BlockState;
 import net.minecraft.world.level.block.state.properties.Property;
 
-import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 public abstract class AbstractBlockStateRecipe implements BlockStateRecipe {
     protected final RecipeType<?> type;
     protected final BlockStateIngredient ingredient;
     protected final BlockPropertyPair result;
-    @Nullable
-    protected final CommandFunction.CacheableFunction function;
-    private final String functionString;
+    protected final Optional<CommandFunction.CacheableFunction> function;
+    private final Optional<String> functionString;
 
-    public AbstractBlockStateRecipe(RecipeType<?> type, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockPropertyPair result, @Nullable String functionString) {
+    public AbstractBlockStateRecipe(RecipeType<?> type, BlockStateIngredient ingredient, BlockPropertyPair result, Optional<String> functionString) {
         this.type = type;
         this.ingredient = ingredient;
         this.result = result;
-        this.functionString = functionString == null || functionString.isBlank() ? "" : functionString;
-        this.function = BlockStateRecipeUtil.buildMCFunction(this.functionString);
+        this.functionString = functionString.isEmpty() || functionString.get().isBlank() ? Optional.empty() : functionString;
+        this.function = this.functionString.map(BlockStateRecipeUtil::buildMCFunction);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ public boolean set(Level level, BlockPos pos, BlockState oldState) {
         if (this.matches(level, pos, oldState)) {
             BlockState newState = this.getResultState(oldState);
             level.setBlockAndUpdate(pos, newState);
-            BlockStateRecipeUtil.executeFunction(level, pos, this.getFunction());
+            this.getFunction().ifPresent((mcFunction) -> BlockStateRecipeUtil.executeFunction(level, pos, mcFunction));
             return true;
         }
         return false;
@@ -80,13 +79,12 @@ public BlockPropertyPair getResult() {
         return this.result;
     }
 
-    @Nullable
     @Override
-    public CommandFunction.CacheableFunction getFunction() {
+    public Optional<CommandFunction.CacheableFunction> getFunction() {
         return this.function;
     }
 
-    public String getFunctionString() {
+    public Optional<String> getFunctionString() {
         return this.functionString;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/BlockStateRecipe.java b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/BlockStateRecipe.java
index 21c6ee5..67012ea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/BlockStateRecipe.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/recipes/BlockStateRecipe.java
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import net.minecraft.world.level.Level;
 import net.minecraft.world.level.block.state.BlockState;
 
-import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 /**
  * Overrides anything container-related or item-related because these in-world recipes have no container and are {@link BlockState}-based. Instead, custom behavior is implemented by recipes that extend this.
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ public interface BlockStateRecipe extends Recipe<Container> {
 
     BlockState getResultState(BlockState originalState);
 
-    @Nullable
-    CommandFunction.CacheableFunction getFunction();
+    Optional<CommandFunction.CacheableFunction> getFunction();
 
     @Override
     default boolean matches(Container container, Level level) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/serializer/BlockStateRecipeSerializer.java b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/serializer/BlockStateRecipeSerializer.java
index 1035349..f2f2111 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/serializer/BlockStateRecipeSerializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/aetherteam/nitrogen/recipe/serializer/BlockStateRecipeSerializer.java
@@ -12,26 +12,20 @@
 import net.minecraft.network.FriendlyByteBuf;
 import net.minecraft.world.item.crafting.RecipeSerializer;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
+
 public class BlockStateRecipeSerializer<T extends AbstractBlockStateRecipe> implements RecipeSerializer<T> {
-    private final Function3<BlockStateIngredient, BlockPropertyPair, String, T> factory;
+    private final Function3<BlockStateIngredient, BlockPropertyPair, Optional<String>, T> factory;
 
-    private final MapCodec<T> flatCodec;
     private final Codec<T> codec;
 
-    public BlockStateRecipeSerializer(Function3<BlockStateIngredient, BlockPropertyPair, String, T> factory) {
+    public BlockStateRecipeSerializer(Function3<BlockStateIngredient, BlockPropertyPair, Optional<String>, T> factory) {
         this.factory = factory;
-
-        this.flatCodec = RecordCodecBuilder.mapCodec(inst -> inst.group(
+        this.codec = RecordCodecBuilder.create(inst -> inst.group(
                 BlockStateIngredient.CODEC.fieldOf("ingredient").forGetter(AbstractBlockStateRecipe::getIngredient),
                 BlockPropertyPair.BLOCKSTATE_CODEC.fieldOf("result").forGetter(AbstractBlockStateRecipe::getResult),
-                Codec.STRING.fieldOf("mcfunction").orElse("").forGetter(AbstractBlockStateRecipe::getFunctionString)
+                Codec.STRING.optionalFieldOf("mcfunction").forGetter(AbstractBlockStateRecipe::getFunctionString)
         ).apply(inst, this.factory));
-
-        this.codec = this.flatCodec.codec();
-    }
-
-    public MapCodec<T> flatCodec() {
-        return this.flatCodec;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -44,15 +38,16 @@ public T fromNetwork(FriendlyByteBuf buffer) {
         BlockStateIngredient ingredient = BlockStateIngredient.fromNetwork(buffer);
         BlockPropertyPair result = BlockStateRecipeUtil.readPair(buffer);
         String functionString = buffer.readUtf();
-        return this.factory.apply(ingredient, result, functionString);
+        Optional<String> function = functionString.isBlank() ? Optional.empty() : Optional.of(functionString);
+        return this.factory.apply(ingredient, result, function);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void toNetwork(FriendlyByteBuf buffer, T recipe) {
         recipe.getIngredient().toNetwork(buffer);
         BlockStateRecipeUtil.writePair(buffer, recipe.getResult());
-        CommandFunction.CacheableFunction function = recipe.getFunction();
-        buffer.writeUtf(function != null && function.getId() != null ? function.getId().toString() : "");
+        Optional<CommandFunction.CacheableFunction> function = recipe.getFunction();
+        buffer.writeUtf(function.isPresent() && function.get().getId() != null ? function.get().getId().toString() : "");
     }
 }