diff --git a/mods/ENVIRONMENT/mcl_weather/skycolor.lua b/mods/ENVIRONMENT/mcl_weather/skycolor.lua
index 87952845b..b815e79aa 100644
--- a/mods/ENVIRONMENT/mcl_weather/skycolor.lua
+++ b/mods/ENVIRONMENT/mcl_weather/skycolor.lua
@@ -152,8 +152,7 @@ mcl_weather.skycolor = {
 			local pos = player:get_pos()
 			local dim = mcl_worlds.pos_to_dimension(pos)
 			local has_weather = (mcl_worlds.has_weather(pos) and (mcl_weather.state == "snow" or mcl_weather.state =="rain" or mcl_weather.state == "thunder") and mcl_weather.has_snow(pos)) or ((mcl_weather.state =="rain" or mcl_weather.state == "thunder") and mcl_weather.has_rain(pos))
-			local checkname = minetest.get_node(vector.new(pos.x,pos.y+1.5,pos.z)).name
-			if minetest.get_item_group(checkname, "water") ~= 0 then
+			if mcl_player.is_head_in_water(player) then
 				local biome_index = minetest.get_biome_data(player:get_pos()).biome
 				local biome_name = minetest.get_biome_name(biome_index)
 				local biome = minetest.registered_biomes[biome_name]
diff --git a/mods/HUD/hudbars/init.lua b/mods/HUD/hudbars/init.lua
index 23dade636..48c70ae5d 100644
--- a/mods/HUD/hudbars/init.lua
+++ b/mods/HUD/hudbars/init.lua
@@ -557,7 +557,10 @@ local function do_breath_tick(player, dtime)
 	local breath_max = hb.settings.breath_max
 	local player_name = player:get_player_name()
 	local node_head = mcl_playerinfo[player_name].node_head
-	local in_water = node_head and minetest.get_item_group(node_head, "water") > 0
+	minetest.debug(mcl_playerinfo[player_name].node_head,
+	mcl_playerinfo[player_name].ndef_head.param2 and
+	bit.band(mcl_playerinfo[player_name].ndef_head.param2, 7))
+	local in_water = mcl_player.is_head_in_water(player)
 	local current_breath = hb.get_breath(player)
 
 	local helmet = player:get_inventory():get_stack("armor", 2)
diff --git a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_player/init.lua b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_player/init.lua
index 164e0083b..2c41b588b 100644
--- a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_player/init.lua
+++ b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_player/init.lua
@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ function mcl_player.player_set_animation(player, anim_name, speed)
 	player:set_animation(anim, speed or model.animation_speed, animation_blend)
 end
 
+
+function mcl_player.is_head_in_water(player)
+	return minetest.get_item_group(mcl_playerinfo[player:get_player_name()].node_head, "water") ~= 0
+end
+
 -- Update appearance when the player joins
 minetest.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 	local name = player:get_player_name()
@@ -237,7 +242,7 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 			end
 
 			-- ask if player is swiming
-			local head_in_water = minetest.get_item_group(mcl_playerinfo[name].node_head, "water") ~= 0
+			local head_in_water = mcl_player.is_head_in_water(player)
 			-- ask if player is sprinting
 			local is_sprinting = mcl_sprint.is_sprinting(name)
 
diff --git a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerinfo/init.lua b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerinfo/init.lua
index 1f1b84749..d520a3a4d 100644
--- a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerinfo/init.lua
+++ b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerinfo/init.lua
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ mcl_playerinfo = {}
 -- Get node but use fallback for nil or unknown
 local function node_ok(pos, fallback)
 
-	fallback = fallback or "air"
+	fallback = fallback or {name="air", param1=0, param2=0}
 
 	local node = minetest.get_node_or_nil(pos)
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ local function node_ok(pos, fallback)
 	end
 
 	if minetest.registered_nodes[node.name] then
-		return node.name
+		return node
 	end
 
 	return fallback
@@ -24,23 +24,30 @@ end
 local time = 0
 
 local function get_player_nodes(player_pos)
+	local infotable = {}
 	local work_pos = table.copy(player_pos)
 
 	-- what is around me?
 	work_pos.y = work_pos.y - 0.1 -- standing on
-	local node_stand = node_ok(work_pos)
-	local node_stand_below = node_ok({x=work_pos.x, y=work_pos.y-1, z=work_pos.z})
+	infotable.ndef_stand = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.node_stand = infotable.ndef_stand.name
+
+	infotable.ndef_stand_below = node_ok({x=work_pos.x, y=work_pos.y-1, z=work_pos.z})
+	infotable.node_stand_below = infotable.ndef_stand_below.name
 
 	work_pos.y = work_pos.y + 1.5 -- head level
-	local node_head = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.ndef_head = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.node_head = infotable.ndef_head.name
 	work_pos.y = work_pos.y + 0.5 -- top of head level, at collision box height
-	local node_head_top = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.ndef_head_top = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.node_head_top = infotable.ndef_head_top.name
 	work_pos.y = work_pos.y - 0.5
 
 	work_pos.y = work_pos.y - 1.2 -- feet level
-	local node_feet = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.ndef_feet = node_ok(work_pos)
+	infotable.node_feet = infotable.ndef_feet.name
 
-	return node_stand, node_stand_below, node_head, node_feet, node_head_top
+	return infotable
 end
 
 minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
@@ -65,13 +72,7 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 		local pos = player:get_pos()
 
 		-- what is around me?
-		local node_stand, node_stand_below, node_head, node_feet, node_head_top = get_player_nodes(pos)
-		mcl_playerinfo[name].node_stand = node_stand
-		mcl_playerinfo[name].node_stand_below = node_stand_below
-		mcl_playerinfo[name].node_head = node_head
-		mcl_playerinfo[name].node_feet = node_feet
-		mcl_playerinfo[name].node_head_top = node_head_top
-
+		mcl_playerinfo[name] = get_player_nodes(pos)
 	end
 
 end)
@@ -86,6 +87,11 @@ minetest.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 		node_stand = "",
 		node_stand_below = "",
 		node_head_top = "",
+		ndef_head = "",
+		ndef_feet = "",
+		ndef_stand = "",
+		ndef_stand_below = "",
+		ndef_head_top = "",
 	}
 
 end)
diff --git a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerplus/init.lua b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerplus/init.lua
index 646030202..5da9e3f2b 100644
--- a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerplus/init.lua
+++ b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_playerplus/init.lua
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 		end
 
 		-- Underwater: Spawn bubble particles
-		if get_item_group(node_head, "water") ~= 0 then
+		if mcl_player.is_head_in_water(player) then
 			add_particlespawner({
 				amount = 10,
 				time = 0.15,