diff --git a/src/main/java/gregtech/api/metatileentity/NeighborCacheTileEntityBase.java b/src/main/java/gregtech/api/metatileentity/NeighborCacheTileEntityBase.java
index 97200ab8518..dac9672978a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gregtech/api/metatileentity/NeighborCacheTileEntityBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gregtech/api/metatileentity/NeighborCacheTileEntityBase.java
@@ -11,11 +11,17 @@
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
 
 public abstract class NeighborCacheTileEntityBase extends SyncedTileEntityBase implements INeighborCache {
 
-    private final TileEntity[] neighbors = new TileEntity[6];
+    private static final WeakReference<TileEntity> NULL = new WeakReference<>(null);
+    private static final WeakReference<TileEntity> INVALID = new WeakReference<>(null);
+
+    private final List<WeakReference<TileEntity>> neighbors = Arrays.asList(
+            INVALID, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID);
     private boolean neighborsInvalidated = false;
 
     public NeighborCacheTileEntityBase() {
@@ -24,7 +30,9 @@ public NeighborCacheTileEntityBase() {
 
     protected void invalidateNeighbors() {
         if (!this.neighborsInvalidated) {
-            Arrays.fill(this.neighbors, this);
+            for (EnumFacing value : EnumFacing.VALUES) {
+                this.neighbors.set(value.getIndex(), INVALID);
+            }
             this.neighborsInvalidated = true;
         }
     }
@@ -60,17 +68,34 @@ public void onChunkUnload() {
     @Override
     public @Nullable TileEntity getNeighbor(@NotNull EnumFacing facing) {
         if (world == null || pos == null) return null;
-        int i = facing.getIndex();
-        TileEntity neighbor = this.neighbors[i];
-        if (neighbor == this || (neighbor != null && neighbor.isInvalid())) {
-            neighbor = world.getTileEntity(pos.offset(facing));
-            this.neighbors[i] = neighbor;
-            this.neighborsInvalidated = false;
-        }
-        return neighbor;
+        // if the ref is INVALID, compute neighbor, otherwise, return TE or null
+        WeakReference<TileEntity> ref = invalidRef(facing) ? computeNeighbor(facing) : getRef(facing);
+        return ref.get();
+    }
+
+    private boolean invalidRef(EnumFacing facing) {
+        WeakReference<TileEntity> ref = getRef(facing);
+        if (ref == INVALID) return true;
+        TileEntity te = ref.get();
+        return te != null && te.isInvalid();
+    }
+
+    @NotNull
+    private WeakReference<TileEntity> computeNeighbor(EnumFacing facing) {
+        TileEntity te = super.getNeighbor(facing);
+        // avoid making new references to null TEs
+        WeakReference<TileEntity> ref = te == null ? NULL : new WeakReference<>(te);
+        this.neighbors.set(facing.getIndex(), ref);
+        this.neighborsInvalidated = false;
+        return ref;
+    }
+
+    @NotNull
+    private WeakReference<TileEntity> getRef(EnumFacing facing) {
+        return this.neighbors.get(facing.getIndex());
     }
 
     public void onNeighborChanged(@NotNull EnumFacing facing) {
-        this.neighbors[facing.getIndex()] = this;
+        this.neighbors.set(facing.getIndex(), INVALID);
     }
 }