diff --git a/dfu/src/main/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOps.java b/dfu/src/main/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOps.java
index 6513e66..1dc6052 100644
--- a/dfu/src/main/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOps.java
+++ b/dfu/src/main/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOps.java
@@ -462,10 +462,26 @@ private static void addHomogenized(
             return;
         }
         for (LinTag<?> element : elements) {
-            builder.add(element instanceof LinCompoundTag existing ? existing : wrapElement(element));
+            builder.add(wrapElementIfNeeded(element));
         }
     }
 
+    private static LinCompoundTag wrapElementIfNeeded(LinTag<?> element) {
+        // If the element is a compound that isn't already wrapper-looking, we can use it as-is.
+        // Otherwise, we need to wrap it again to preserve the value when unwrapped later.
+        if (element instanceof LinCompoundTag compound && unwrapOrNull(compound) == null) {
+            return compound;
+        }
+        return LinCompoundTag.of(Map.of("", element));
+    }
+
+    private static @Nullable LinTag<?> unwrapOrNull(LinCompoundTag compound) {
+        if (compound.value().size() == 1) {
+            return compound.value().get("");
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@return the shared type of {@code elements}, or the compound type if they are heterogeneous}
      *
@@ -510,13 +526,9 @@ private static List<LinTag<?>> unwrapStoredList(LinListTag<?> list) {
         return result;
     }
 
-    private static LinCompoundTag wrapElement(LinTag<?> element) {
-        return LinCompoundTag.of(Map.of("", element));
-    }
-
     private static LinTag<?> tryUnwrap(LinTag<?> element) {
-        if (element instanceof LinCompoundTag compound && compound.value().size() == 1) {
-            LinTag<?> unwrapped = compound.value().get("");
+        if (element instanceof LinCompoundTag compound) {
+            LinTag<?> unwrapped = unwrapOrNull(compound);
             if (unwrapped != null) {
                 return unwrapped;
             }
diff --git a/dfu/src/test/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOpsListTest.java b/dfu/src/test/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOpsListTest.java
index b5b0345..ea12504 100644
--- a/dfu/src/test/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOpsListTest.java
+++ b/dfu/src/test/java/org/enginehub/linbus/dfu/LinOpsListTest.java
@@ -116,6 +116,39 @@ void createListWrapsOnlyNonCompoundElementsWhenMixedWithCompound() {
         assertThat(OPS.getStream(list)).hasStreamResultThat().containsExactly(a, LinIntTag.of(2)).inOrder();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @NbtOpsBehavior
+    void createListWrapsWrapperShapedCompoundElements() {
+        LinCompoundTag wrapperShaped = wrap(LinIntTag.of(1));
+        LinCompoundTag other = LinCompoundTag.builder().putInt("a", 1).build();
+        LinTag<?> list = OPS.createList(Stream.of(wrapperShaped, other));
+        assertThat(list)
+            .isEqualTo(LinListTag.of(LinTagType.compoundTag(), List.of(wrap(wrapperShaped), other)));
+        assertThat(OPS.getStream(list))
+            .hasStreamResultThat().containsExactly(wrapperShaped, other).inOrder();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @NbtOpsBehavior
+    void createListWrapsWrapperShapedCompoundElementsAlone() {
+        LinCompoundTag wrapperShaped = wrap(LinIntTag.of(1));
+        LinTag<?> list = OPS.createList(Stream.of(wrapperShaped));
+        assertThat(list)
+            .isEqualTo(LinListTag.of(LinTagType.compoundTag(), List.of(wrap(wrapperShaped))));
+        assertThat(OPS.getStream(list))
+            .hasStreamResultThat().containsExactly(wrapperShaped).inOrder();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @NbtOpsBehavior
+    void createListOfOnlyWrapperShapedCompoundsRoundTrips() {
+        LinCompoundTag a = wrap(LinIntTag.of(1));
+        LinCompoundTag b = wrap(LinStringTag.of("x"));
+        LinTag<?> list = OPS.createList(Stream.of(a, b));
+        assertThat(list).isEqualTo(LinListTag.of(LinTagType.compoundTag(), List.of(wrap(a), wrap(b))));
+        assertThat(OPS.getStream(list)).hasStreamResultThat().containsExactly(a, b).inOrder();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void mergeToListOntoEndTakesElementType() {
         assertThat(OPS.mergeToList(LinEndTag.instance(), LinIntTag.of(1)))
@@ -157,6 +190,20 @@ void mergeToListGrowsWrappedList() {
             )));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @NbtOpsBehavior
+    void mergeToListWrapsWrapperShapedCompound() {
+        LinCompoundTag wrapperShaped = wrap(LinIntTag.of(2));
+        LinTag<?> list = OPS.mergeToList(
+            LinListTag.of(LinTagType.intTag(), List.of(LinIntTag.of(1))), wrapperShaped
+        ).result().orElseThrow();
+        assertThat(list).isEqualTo(LinListTag.of(LinTagType.compoundTag(), List.of(
+            wrap(LinIntTag.of(1)), wrap(wrapperShaped)
+        )));
+        assertThat(OPS.getStream(list))
+            .hasStreamResultThat().containsExactly(LinIntTag.of(1), wrapperShaped).inOrder();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void mergeToListAppendsSeveralValues() {
         assertThat(OPS.mergeToList(