diff --git a/internal/world/encode.go b/internal/world/encode.go
index 2da7c38..717663f 100644
--- a/internal/world/encode.go
+++ b/internal/world/encode.go
@@ -391,12 +391,13 @@ func packHeightmap(h [256]uint16) []uint64 {
 func (c *Chunk) writeSection(w *protocol.Writer, i int) {
 	s := c.sections[i]
 	if s == nil {
-		w.Uint16(0) // non-air block count
-		w.Uint16(0) // reserved 2-byte field (always 0 in vanilla)
+		w.Uint16(0) // nonEmptyBlockCount
+		w.Uint16(0) // fluidCount
 		writeSingleValued(w, uint32(StateAir))
 	} else {
-		w.Uint16(uint16(nonAirCount(s)))
-		w.Uint16(0) // reserved 2-byte field
+		nonEmpty, fluid := sectionCounts(s)
+		w.Uint16(nonEmpty)
+		w.Uint16(fluid)
 		writeBlockPalette(w, s)
 	}
 	// Biome container: per-cell palette when present, else the uniform fallback.
@@ -407,14 +408,26 @@ func (c *Chunk) writeSection(w *protocol.Writer, i int) {
 	}
 }
 
-func nonAirCount(s *[sectionVol]uint16) int {
-	n := 0
+// sectionCounts is LevelChunkSection.recalcBlockCounts, restricted to the two
+// counters that go on the wire: how many blocks are not air, and how many hold
+// a fluid.
+//
+// The second one used to be written as a constant zero, with a comment calling
+// it a reserved field. It is not reserved — a client told a section has no
+// fluid skips that section when it looks for water to swim in or lava to burn
+// on, and the aquifer means almost every section below sea level has some.
+// Waterlogged blocks count, which is why the flag is per block state.
+func sectionCounts(s *[sectionVol]uint16) (nonEmpty, fluid uint16) {
 	for _, v := range s {
-		if v != StateAir {
-			n++
+		if v == StateAir {
+			continue
+		}
+		nonEmpty++
+		if stateFlags(v)&flagFluid != 0 {
+			fluid++
 		}
 	}
-	return n
+	return nonEmpty, fluid
 }
 
 // writeSingleValued writes a bits-per-entry-0 paletted container (no data).
diff --git a/internal/world/encode_test.go b/internal/world/encode_test.go
index be5cf11..db8066c 100644
--- a/internal/world/encode_test.go
+++ b/internal/world/encode_test.go
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ func TestFlatChunkEncodesCleanly(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("section %d count: %v", s, err)
 		}
-		if _, err := r.Uint16(); err != nil { // reserved 2-byte field
-			t.Fatalf("section %d reserved: %v", s, err)
+		if _, err := r.Uint16(); err != nil { // fluidCount
+			t.Fatalf("section %d fluid count: %v", s, err)
 		}
 		if count > 0 {
 			nonAirSections++
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ func TestFlatChunkEncodesCleanly(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Light: four bitsets, then sky arrays, then block arrays.
-	expectedSkyArrays := parseBitSet(t, r) // sky mask
+	expectedSkyArrays := parseBitSet(t, r)   // sky mask
 	expectedBlockArrays := parseBitSet(t, r) // block mask
-	parseBitSet(t, r) // empty sky mask
-	parseBitSet(t, r) // empty block mask
+	parseBitSet(t, r)                        // empty sky mask
+	parseBitSet(t, r)                        // empty block mask
 	skyArrays, err := r.VarInt()
 	if err != nil || skyArrays != int32(expectedSkyArrays) {
 		t.Fatalf("sky arrays = %d (err %v), want %d", skyArrays, err, expectedSkyArrays)
diff --git a/internal/world/heightmap_test.go b/internal/world/heightmap_test.go
index 3e97ef2..4c57aaa 100644
--- a/internal/world/heightmap_test.go
+++ b/internal/world/heightmap_test.go
@@ -104,3 +104,45 @@ func TestBlockStatePredicates(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("dandelion blocks motion; it should not")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestSectionFluidCount checks the second short of a chunk section. It was
+// written as a constant zero under a comment calling it reserved, so every
+// client was told every section is fluid-free.
+func TestSectionFluidCount(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewChunk(0, 0, BiomePlains)
+	const y = 20
+	// One section: stone floor, water above it, and one waterlogged block —
+	// which counts as fluid even though it is not a fluid block.
+	stairs := nameToStateID("minecraft:oak_stairs", map[string]string{
+		"facing": "north", "half": "bottom", "shape": "straight", "waterlogged": "true",
+	})
+	if stairs == StateAir {
+		t.Fatal("waterlogged oak stairs are missing from the block table")
+	}
+	if stateFlags(stairs)&flagFluid == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("waterlogged stairs do not carry the fluid flag; the dump is wrong")
+	}
+	for lx := 0; lx < 16; lx++ {
+		for lz := 0; lz < 16; lz++ {
+			c.SetBlock(lx, y, lz, StateStone)
+			c.SetBlock(lx, y+1, lz, StateWater)
+		}
+	}
+	c.SetBlock(0, y+2, 0, stairs)
+
+	si := (y - MinY) >> 4
+	nonEmpty, fluid := sectionCounts(c.sections[si])
+	if want := uint16(16*16*2 + 1); nonEmpty != want {
+		t.Errorf("nonEmptyBlockCount = %d, want %d", nonEmpty, want)
+	}
+	if want := uint16(16*16 + 1); fluid != want {
+		t.Errorf("fluidCount = %d, want %d (256 water + 1 waterlogged)", fluid, want)
+	}
+
+	// A section of dry stone still reports zero, and an absent section too.
+	dry := NewChunk(0, 0, BiomePlains)
+	dry.SetBlock(0, y, 0, StateStone)
+	if _, fluid := sectionCounts(dry.sections[si]); fluid != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("dry section fluidCount = %d, want 0", fluid)
+	}
+}