diff --git a/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/ItemBuilder.java b/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/ItemBuilder.java
index 052d655..817e3fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/ItemBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/ItemBuilder.java
@@ -68,16 +68,19 @@ public class ItemBuilder implements Cloneable {
         ItemStack itemStack = new ItemStack(material, amount);
         
         ItemMeta itemMeta = itemStack.getItemMeta();
-        if (itemMeta instanceof Damageable) ((Damageable) itemMeta).setDamage(damage);
-        if (customModelData != -1) itemMeta.setCustomModelData(customModelData);
-        if (displayName != null) itemMeta.setDisplayName(displayName);
-        if (gameProfile != null)
-            ReflectionUtils.setFieldValue(ReflectionRegistry.CB_CRAFT_META_SKULL_PROFILE_FIELD, itemMeta, gameProfile);
-        enchantments.forEach((enchantment, pair) -> itemMeta.addEnchant(enchantment, pair.getFirst(), pair.getSecond()));
-        itemMeta.addItemFlags(itemFlags.toArray(new ItemFlag[0]));
-        itemMeta.setLore(lore);
+        if (itemMeta != null) {
+            if (itemMeta instanceof Damageable) ((Damageable) itemMeta).setDamage(damage);
+            if (customModelData != -1) itemMeta.setCustomModelData(customModelData);
+            if (displayName != null) itemMeta.setDisplayName(displayName);
+            if (gameProfile != null)
+                ReflectionUtils.setFieldValue(ReflectionRegistry.CB_CRAFT_META_SKULL_PROFILE_FIELD, itemMeta, gameProfile);
+            enchantments.forEach((enchantment, pair) -> itemMeta.addEnchant(enchantment, pair.getFirst(), pair.getSecond()));
+            itemMeta.addItemFlags(itemFlags.toArray(new ItemFlag[0]));
+            itemMeta.setLore(lore);
+            
+            itemStack.setItemMeta(itemMeta);
+        }
         
-        itemStack.setItemMeta(itemMeta);
         return itemStack;
     }
     
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/impl/AsyncItem.java b/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/impl/AsyncItem.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f072a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/item/impl/AsyncItem.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package de.studiocode.invui.item.impl;
+
+import de.studiocode.invui.InvUI;
+import de.studiocode.invui.item.Item;
+import de.studiocode.invui.item.ItemBuilder;
+import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
+import org.bukkit.Material;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
+import org.bukkit.event.inventory.ClickType;
+import org.bukkit.event.inventory.InventoryClickEvent;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
+
+/**
+ * An {@link Item} that creates it's {@link ItemBuilder} asynchronously and displays
+ * a placeholder {@link ItemBuilder} until the actual {@link ItemBuilder} has been created.
+ */
+public class AsyncItem extends BaseItem {
+    
+    private volatile ItemBuilder itemBuilder;
+    
+    public AsyncItem(@Nullable ItemBuilder itemBuilder, @NotNull Supplier<ItemBuilder> builderSupplier) {
+        this.itemBuilder = itemBuilder == null ? new ItemBuilder(Material.AIR) : itemBuilder;
+        
+        Bukkit.getScheduler().runTaskAsynchronously(InvUI.getInstance().getPlugin(), () -> {
+            this.itemBuilder = builderSupplier.get();
+            Bukkit.getScheduler().runTask(InvUI.getInstance().getPlugin(), this::notifyWindows);
+        });
+    }
+    
+    public AsyncItem(@NotNull Supplier<ItemBuilder> builderSupplier) {
+        this(null, builderSupplier);
+    }
+    
+    @Override
+    public ItemBuilder getItemBuilder() {
+        return itemBuilder;
+    }
+    
+    @Override
+    public void handleClick(ClickType clickType, Player player, InventoryClickEvent event) {
+        // empty
+    }
+    
+}