diff --git a/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventory.java b/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventory.java
index 3f3694f..e040606 100644
--- a/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventory.java
+++ b/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventory.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class VirtualInventory implements ConfigurationSerializable {
      * @param stackSizes An array of maximum allowed stack sizes for each slot in the {@link VirtualInventory}.
      */
     public VirtualInventory(@Nullable UUID uuid, int size, @Nullable ItemStack[] items, int[] stackSizes) {
-        this.uuid = uuid;
+        this.uuid = uuid == null ? new UUID(0L, 0L) : uuid;
         this.size = size;
         this.items = items == null ? new ItemStack[size] : items;
         if (stackSizes == null) {
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ public class VirtualInventory implements ConfigurationSerializable {
         return result;
     }
     
+    public byte[] toByteArray() {
+        return VirtualInventoryManager.getInstance().serializeInventory(this);
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Gets a set of {@link Window}s that display this {@link VirtualInventory}.
      *
@@ -189,6 +193,7 @@ public class VirtualInventory implements ConfigurationSerializable {
      *
      * @return The {@link UUID}
      */
+    @NotNull
     public UUID getUuid() {
         return uuid;
     }
diff --git a/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventoryManager.java b/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventoryManager.java
index 1b26e42..ebc2693 100644
--- a/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventoryManager.java
+++ b/InvUI/src/main/java/de/studiocode/invui/virtualinventory/VirtualInventoryManager.java
@@ -120,6 +120,12 @@ public class VirtualInventoryManager {
         return new File(SAVE_DIR, virtualInventory.getUuid() + ".vi2");
     }
     
+    public byte[] serializeInventory(VirtualInventory vi) {
+        ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        serializeInventory(vi, out);
+        return out.toByteArray();
+    }
+    
     public void serializeInventory(VirtualInventory vi, OutputStream out) {
         try {
             DataOutputStream dos = new DataOutputStream(out);
@@ -146,6 +152,10 @@ public class VirtualInventoryManager {
         
     }
     
+    public VirtualInventory deserializeInventory(byte[] bytes) {
+        return deserializeInventory(new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes));
+    }
+    
     public VirtualInventory deserializeInventory(InputStream in) {
         try {
             DataInputStream din = new DataInputStream(in);