diff --git a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/api/data/modifier/Modifier.java b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/api/data/modifier/Modifier.java
index 0c99b16..5e928bb 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/api/data/modifier/Modifier.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/api/data/modifier/Modifier.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import net.minecraft.core.Holder;
 import net.minecraft.resources.ResourceKey;
 import net.minecraft.resources.ResourceLocation;
+import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import java.util.*;
 
@@ -30,11 +31,11 @@ public class Modifier {
     ).apply(instance, (filter, properties, flags, tags) -> new Modifier(filter, properties.orElse(null), tags, flags)));
 
     public final VariantFilter variantFilter;
-    public final BlockPropsModifier properties;
+    public final @Nullable BlockPropsModifier properties;
     public final List<ResourceLocation> tags;
     public final Set<Flag> flags;
 
-    public Modifier(VariantFilter variantFilter, BlockPropsModifier properties, List<ResourceLocation> tags, Set<Flag> flags) {
+    public Modifier(VariantFilter variantFilter, @Nullable BlockPropsModifier properties, List<ResourceLocation> tags, Set<Flag> flags) {
         this.variantFilter = variantFilter;
         this.properties = properties;
         this.tags = tags;
@@ -50,8 +51,8 @@ public final ResourceKey<Modifier> getKeyOrThrow() {
     }
 
     public static class Builder {
-        private VariantFilter variantFilter;
-        private BlockPropsModifier properties;
+        private @Nullable VariantFilter variantFilter;
+        private @Nullable BlockPropsModifier properties;
         private final List<ResourceLocation> tags = new ArrayList<>();
         private final Set<Flag> flags = new HashSet<>();
 
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/ExcavatedVariants.java b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/ExcavatedVariants.java
index 5b0e701..eab308c 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/ExcavatedVariants.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/ExcavatedVariants.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import net.minecraft.world.level.block.Block;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
+import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.function.BiConsumer;
@@ -45,9 +46,9 @@ private ExcavatedVariants() {}
 
     public static final Logger LOGGER = LogManager.getLogger(MOD_ID);
     public static final List<Supplier<Item>> ITEMS = new ArrayList<>();
-    private static ModConfig CONFIG;
+    private static @Nullable ModConfig CONFIG;
     public static final DataResourceCache DATA_CACHE = ResourceCache.register(new DataResourceCache(new ResourceLocation(MOD_ID, "data")));
-    private static Map<Ore, List<Stone>> NEW_VARIANTS_MAP;
+    private static @Nullable Map<Ore, List<Stone>> NEW_VARIANTS_MAP;
     private static final List<VariantFuture> NEW_VARIANTS = new ArrayList<>();
     public static final Map<ResourceKey<Block>, List<VariantFuture>> NEEDED_KEYS = new IdentityHashMap<>();
     public static final Map<VariantFuture, List<ResourceKey<Block>>> REVERSE_NEEDED_KEYS = new IdentityHashMap<>();
@@ -55,9 +56,12 @@ private ExcavatedVariants() {}
     public static final Map<VariantFuture, ModifiedOreBlock> BLOCKS = new IdentityHashMap<>();
     public static final List<VariantFuture> COMPLETE_VARIANTS = new ArrayList<>();
     public static final RecipePlanner RECIPE_PLANNER = new RecipePlanner();
-    public static MappingsCache MAPPINGS_CACHE;
+    public static @Nullable MappingsCache MAPPINGS_CACHE;
 
     public synchronized static void setupMap() {
+        if (ModLifecycle.getLifecyclePhase() != ModLifecycle.PRE_INITIALIZATION) {
+            return;
+        }
         if (NEW_VARIANTS_MAP == null) {
             Map<Ore, List<Stone>> newVariants = new HashMap<>();
             Map<Ore, Set<Stone>> newVariantsSet = new HashMap<>();
@@ -118,7 +122,7 @@ public static void init() {
 
         setupMap();
 
-        for (Map.Entry<Ore, List<Stone>> entry : NEW_VARIANTS_MAP.entrySet()) {
+        for (Map.Entry<Ore, List<Stone>> entry : Objects.requireNonNull(NEW_VARIANTS_MAP, "New variants map was not set up").entrySet()) {
             Ore ore = entry.getKey();
             List<Stone> stones = entry.getValue();
             for (Stone stone : stones) {
@@ -202,7 +206,7 @@ public static synchronized void initPostRegister() {
 
         // No reason to keep any of this around; this way some of it can be GCed...
         NEW_VARIANTS.clear();
-        NEW_VARIANTS_MAP.clear();
+        Objects.requireNonNull(NEW_VARIANTS_MAP, "New variants map was not set up").clear();
         NEEDED_KEYS.clear();
         REVERSE_NEEDED_KEYS.clear();
         READY_QUEUE.clear();
@@ -254,7 +258,7 @@ else if (tag.getPath().startsWith("items/"))
         if (getConfig().addConversionRecipes) {
             for (VariantFuture future : COMPLETE_VARIANTS) {
                 planItemTag(future.ore.getConvertibleTagKey().location(), new ResourceLocation(ExcavatedVariants.MOD_ID, future.fullId));
-                RECIPE_PLANNER.oreToBaseOreMap.put(future.ore.getConvertibleTagKey(), future.foundOreKey);
+                RECIPE_PLANNER.oreToBaseOreMap.put(future.ore.getConvertibleTagKey(), Objects.requireNonNull(future.foundOreKey));
             }
         }
 
@@ -275,7 +279,7 @@ else if (tag.getPath().startsWith("items/"))
 
         TAG_QUEUE.queue(tierHolder);
 
-        MAPPINGS_CACHE.update();
+        Objects.requireNonNull(MAPPINGS_CACHE, "Mappings cache was not set up").update();
         MAPPINGS_CACHE.save();
 
         ModLifecycle.setLifecyclePhase(ModLifecycle.POST);
@@ -359,10 +363,10 @@ public static class VariantFuture {
         public final Stone stone;
         public final String fullId;
         public boolean done = false;
-        public Block foundStone = null;
-        public Block foundOre = null;
-        public ResourceKey<Block> foundOreKey = null;
-        public Stone foundSourceStone = null;
+        public @Nullable Block foundStone = null;
+        public @Nullable Block foundOre = null;
+        public @Nullable ResourceKey<Block> foundOreKey = null;
+        public @Nullable Stone foundSourceStone = null;
         public final Set<Flag> flags = new HashSet<>();
         public final List<BlockPropsModifier> propsModifiers = new ArrayList<>();
 
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/worldgen/OreFinderUtil.java b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/worldgen/OreFinderUtil.java
index 1189dad..e8b72ae 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/worldgen/OreFinderUtil.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/dev/lukebemish/excavatedvariants/impl/worldgen/OreFinderUtil.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ private OreFinderUtil() {
     public static void setupBlocks() {
         if (ModLifecycle.getLifecyclePhase() != ModLifecycle.POST) {
             var e = new IllegalStateException("Something has gone badly wrong with load ordering. Please report this to Excavated Variants alongside a log!");
-            ExcavatedVariants.LOGGER.error("...huh? Where are we?", e);
+            ExcavatedVariants.LOGGER.error("...huh? Where are we? Expected {}, but in {}", ModLifecycle.POST.name(), ModLifecycle.getLifecyclePhase().name(), e);
             throw e;
         }