diff --git a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
index 10f7f45de..bb0be55a6 100644
--- a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineBridge.cpp
@@ -1034,20 +1034,14 @@ public:
 
                 for (uint32_t i=0, count=plugin->getCustomDataCount(); i<count; ++i)
                 {
-                    using namespace juce;
-
                     const CustomData& cdata(plugin->getCustomData(i));
 
+                    if (std::strcmp(cdata.type, CUSTOM_DATA_TYPE_STRING) == 0 && std::strcmp(cdata.key, "CarlaLoadLv2StateNow") == 0 && std::strcmp(cdata.value, "true") == 0)
+                        continue;
+
                     const uint32_t typeLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(cdata.type)));
                     const uint32_t keyLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(cdata.key)));
-
-                    MemoryOutputStream valueMemStream;
-                    GZIPCompressorOutputStream compressedValueStream(&valueMemStream, 9, false);
-                    compressedValueStream.write(cdata.value, std::strlen(cdata.value));
-
-                    const CarlaString valueBase64(CarlaString::asBase64(valueMemStream.getData(), valueMemStream.getDataSize()));
-                    const uint32_t valueBase64Len(static_cast<uint32_t>(valueBase64.length()));
-                    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_CONTINUE(valueBase64Len > 0);
+                    const uint32_t valueLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(cdata.value)));
 
                     {
                         const CarlaMutexLocker _cml(fShmNonRtServerControl.mutex);
@@ -1060,10 +1054,11 @@ public:
                         fShmNonRtServerControl.writeUInt(keyLen);
                         fShmNonRtServerControl.writeCustomData(cdata.key, keyLen);
 
-                        fShmNonRtServerControl.writeUInt(valueBase64Len);
-                        fShmNonRtServerControl.writeCustomData(valueBase64.buffer(), valueBase64Len);
+                        fShmNonRtServerControl.writeUInt(valueLen);
+                        fShmNonRtServerControl.writeCustomData(cdata.value, valueLen);
 
                         fShmNonRtServerControl.commitWrite();
+                        fShmNonRtServerControl.waitIfDataIsReachingLimit();
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginBridge.cpp b/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginBridge.cpp
index c1c5b68a3..da56425e1 100644
--- a/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginBridge.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginBridge.cpp
@@ -1046,18 +1046,9 @@ public:
         CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(key != nullptr && key[0] != '\0',);
         CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(value != nullptr,);
 
-        using namespace juce;
-
         const uint32_t typeLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(type)));
         const uint32_t keyLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(key)));
-
-        MemoryOutputStream valueMemStream;
-        GZIPCompressorOutputStream compressedValueStream(&valueMemStream, 9, false);
-        compressedValueStream.write(value, std::strlen(value));
-
-        const CarlaString valueBase64(CarlaString::asBase64(valueMemStream.getData(), valueMemStream.getDataSize()));
-        const uint32_t valueBase64Len(static_cast<uint32_t>(valueBase64.length()));
-        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(valueBase64.length() > 0,);
+        const uint32_t valueLen(static_cast<uint32_t>(std::strlen(value)));
 
         {
             const CarlaMutexLocker _cml(fShmNonRtClientControl.mutex);
@@ -1070,8 +1061,8 @@ public:
             fShmNonRtClientControl.writeUInt(keyLen);
             fShmNonRtClientControl.writeCustomData(key, keyLen);
 
-            fShmNonRtClientControl.writeUInt(valueBase64Len);
-            fShmNonRtClientControl.writeCustomData(valueBase64.buffer(), valueBase64Len);
+            fShmNonRtClientControl.writeUInt(valueLen);
+            fShmNonRtClientControl.writeCustomData(value, valueLen);
 
             fShmNonRtClientControl.commitWrite();
         }
@@ -2179,9 +2170,7 @@ public:
             }   break;
 
             case kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetCustomData: {
-                // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[] (compressed)
-
-                using namespace juce;
+                // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[]
 
                 // type
                 const uint32_t typeSize(fShmNonRtServerControl.readUInt());
@@ -2196,17 +2185,12 @@ public:
                 fShmNonRtServerControl.readCustomData(key, keySize);
 
                 // value
-                const uint32_t valueBase64Size(fShmNonRtServerControl.readUInt());
-                char valueBase64[valueBase64Size+1];
-                carla_zeroChar(valueBase64, valueBase64Size+1);
-                fShmNonRtServerControl.readCustomData(valueBase64, valueBase64Size);
-
-                const std::vector<uint8_t> valueChunk(carla_getChunkFromBase64String(valueBase64));
-
-                MemoryInputStream valueMemStream(valueChunk.data(), valueChunk.size(), false);
-                GZIPDecompressorInputStream decompressedValueStream(valueMemStream);
+                const uint32_t valueSize(fShmNonRtServerControl.readUInt());
+                char value[valueSize+1];
+                carla_zeroChar(value, valueSize+1);
+                fShmNonRtServerControl.readCustomData(value, valueSize);
 
-                CarlaPlugin::setCustomData(type, key, decompressedValueStream.readEntireStreamAsString().toRawUTF8(), false);
+                CarlaPlugin::setCustomData(type, key, value, false);
             }   break;
 
             case kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetChunkDataFile: {
diff --git a/source/utils/CarlaBridgeUtils.hpp b/source/utils/CarlaBridgeUtils.hpp
index bd4b00bbe..f32193362 100644
--- a/source/utils/CarlaBridgeUtils.hpp
+++ b/source/utils/CarlaBridgeUtils.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ enum PluginBridgeNonRtClientOpcode {
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetParameterMidiCC,      // uint, short
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetProgram,              // int
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetMidiProgram,          // int
-    kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetCustomData,           // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[] (base64, compressed)
+    kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetCustomData,           // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[]
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetChunkDataFile,        // uint/size, str[] (filename, base64 content)
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetCtrlChannel,          // short
     kPluginBridgeNonRtClientSetOption,               // uint/option, bool
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ enum PluginBridgeNonRtServerOpcode {
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerCurrentMidiProgram, // int/index
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerProgramName,        // uint/index, uint/size, str[] (name)
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerMidiProgramData,    // uint/index, uint/bank, uint/program, uint/size, str[] (name)
-    kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetCustomData,      // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[] (base64, compressed)
+    kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetCustomData,      // uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[], uint/size, str[]
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetChunkDataFile,   // uint/size, str[] (filename, base64 content)
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerSetLatency,         // uint
     kPluginBridgeNonRtServerReady,