diff --git a/src/Entities/Entity.cpp b/src/Entities/Entity.cpp
index 90aefd082..11405d2fd 100644
--- a/src/Entities/Entity.cpp
+++ b/src/Entities/Entity.cpp
@@ -528,9 +528,9 @@ bool cEntity::DoTakeDamage(TakeDamageInfo & a_TDI)
 		Player->GetStatManager().AddValue(statDamageDealt, static_cast<StatValue>(floor(a_TDI.FinalDamage * 10 + 0.5)));
 	}
 
-	m_Health -= static_cast<short>(a_TDI.FinalDamage);
+	m_Health -= static_cast<float>(a_TDI.FinalDamage);
 
-	m_Health = std::max(m_Health, 0);
+	m_Health = std::max(m_Health, 0.0f);
 
 	// Add knockback:
 	if ((IsMob() || IsPlayer()) && (a_TDI.Attacker != nullptr))
@@ -810,9 +810,9 @@ void cEntity::Heal(int a_HitPoints)
 
 
 
-void cEntity::SetHealth(int a_Health)
+void cEntity::SetHealth(float a_Health)
 {
-	m_Health = Clamp(a_Health, 0, m_MaxHealth);
+	m_Health = Clamp(a_Health, 0.0f, m_MaxHealth);
 }
 
 
@@ -1782,7 +1782,7 @@ void cEntity::OnFinishedBurning(void)
 
 
 
-void cEntity::SetMaxHealth(int a_MaxHealth)
+void cEntity::SetMaxHealth(float a_MaxHealth)
 {
 	m_MaxHealth = a_MaxHealth;
 
diff --git a/src/Entities/Entity.h b/src/Entities/Entity.h
index 4174160bf..fae296ab4 100644
--- a/src/Entities/Entity.h
+++ b/src/Entities/Entity.h
@@ -368,10 +368,10 @@ public:
 	virtual void Heal(int a_HitPoints);
 
 	/** Returns the health of this entity */
-	int GetHealth(void) const { return m_Health; }
+	float GetHealth(void) const { return m_Health; }
 
 	/** Sets the health of this entity; doesn't broadcast any hurt animation */
-	void SetHealth(int a_Health);
+	void SetHealth(float a_Health);
 
 	// tolua_end
 
@@ -403,9 +403,9 @@ public:
 	// tolua_begin
 
 	/** Sets the maximum value for the health */
-	void SetMaxHealth(int a_MaxHealth);
+	void SetMaxHealth(float a_MaxHealth);
 
-	int GetMaxHealth(void) const { return m_MaxHealth; }
+	float GetMaxHealth(void) const { return m_MaxHealth; }
 
 	/** Sets whether the entity is fireproof */
 	void SetIsFireproof(bool a_IsFireproof);
@@ -556,8 +556,8 @@ protected:
 	Note that the UniqueID is not persisted through storage. */
 	UInt32 m_UniqueID;
 
-	int m_Health;
-	int m_MaxHealth;
+	float m_Health;
+	float m_MaxHealth;
 
 	/** The entity to which this entity is attached (vehicle), nullptr if none */
 	cEntity * m_AttachedTo;
diff --git a/src/Entities/Minecart.cpp b/src/Entities/Minecart.cpp
index 7c5ca49ce..4de53d716 100644
--- a/src/Entities/Minecart.cpp
+++ b/src/Entities/Minecart.cpp
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ bool cMinecart::DoTakeDamage(TakeDamageInfo & TDI)
 	if ((TDI.Attacker != nullptr) && TDI.Attacker->IsPlayer() && static_cast<cPlayer *>(TDI.Attacker)->IsGameModeCreative())
 	{
 		Destroy();
-		TDI.FinalDamage = GetMaxHealth();  // Instant hit for creative
+		TDI.FinalDamage = static_cast<int>(GetMaxHealth());  // Instant hit for creative
 		SetInvulnerableTicks(0);
 		return super::DoTakeDamage(TDI);  // No drops for creative
 	}
diff --git a/src/Protocol/Protocol_1_8.cpp b/src/Protocol/Protocol_1_8.cpp
index e7f197d3d..ec5a9440b 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/Protocol_1_8.cpp
+++ b/src/Protocol/Protocol_1_8.cpp
@@ -3310,7 +3310,7 @@ void cProtocol_1_8_0::WriteEntityMetadata(cPacketizer & a_Pkt, const cEntity & a
 			Health: 1 | 3 - (1 - 3) = 5
 			*/
 			auto & Minecart = reinterpret_cast<const cMinecart &>(a_Entity);
-			a_Pkt.WriteBEInt32((((a_Entity.GetMaxHealth() / 2) - (a_Entity.GetHealth() - (a_Entity.GetMaxHealth() / 2))) * Minecart.LastDamage()) * 4);
+			a_Pkt.WriteBEInt32(static_cast<Int32>((((a_Entity.GetMaxHealth() / 2) - (a_Entity.GetHealth() - (a_Entity.GetMaxHealth() / 2))) * Minecart.LastDamage()) * 4));
 			a_Pkt.WriteBEUInt8(0x52);
 			a_Pkt.WriteBEInt32(1);  // Shaking direction, doesn't seem to affect anything
 			a_Pkt.WriteBEUInt8(0x73);
diff --git a/src/WorldStorage/NBTChunkSerializer.cpp b/src/WorldStorage/NBTChunkSerializer.cpp
index 12f767abf..78573572d 100644
--- a/src/WorldStorage/NBTChunkSerializer.cpp
+++ b/src/WorldStorage/NBTChunkSerializer.cpp
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ void cNBTChunkSerializer::AddBasicEntity(cEntity * a_Entity, const AString & a_C
 		m_Writer.AddDouble("", a_Entity->GetYaw());
 		m_Writer.AddDouble("", a_Entity->GetPitch());
 	m_Writer.EndList();
-	m_Writer.AddShort("Health", static_cast<Int16>(a_Entity->GetHealth()));
+	m_Writer.AddFloat("Health", a_Entity->GetHealth());
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/WorldStorage/WSSAnvil.cpp b/src/WorldStorage/WSSAnvil.cpp
index b47d3eddd..35fdaa8d8 100755
--- a/src/WorldStorage/WSSAnvil.cpp
+++ b/src/WorldStorage/WSSAnvil.cpp
@@ -3154,9 +3154,28 @@ bool cWSSAnvil::LoadEntityBaseFromNBT(cEntity & a_Entity, const cParsedNBT & a_N
 	a_Entity.SetYaw(Rotation[0]);
 	a_Entity.SetRoll(Rotation[1]);
 
-	// Load health:
+	// Depending on the Minecraft version, the entity's health is
+	// stored either as a float Health tag (HealF prior to 1.9) or
+	// as a short Health tag. The float tags should be preferred.
 	int Health = a_NBT.FindChildByName(a_TagIdx, "Health");
-	a_Entity.SetHealth(Health > 0 ? a_NBT.GetShort(Health) : a_Entity.GetMaxHealth());
+	int HealF  = a_NBT.FindChildByName(a_TagIdx, "HealF");
+
+	if (Health > 0 && a_NBT.GetType(Health) == TAG_Float)
+	{
+		a_Entity.SetHealth(a_NBT.GetFloat(Health));
+	}
+	else if (HealF > 0)
+	{
+		a_Entity.SetHealth(a_NBT.GetFloat(HealF));
+	}
+	else if (Health > 0)
+	{
+		a_Entity.SetHealth(static_cast<float>(a_NBT.GetShort(Health)));
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		a_Entity.SetHealth(a_Entity.GetMaxHealth());
+	}
 
 	return true;
 }