diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/BaseComponent.java b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/BaseComponent.java
index aeef2c74..a0436cce 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/BaseComponent.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/BaseComponent.java
@@ -323,7 +323,8 @@ public abstract class BaseComponent
         return color != null || bold != null
                 || italic != null || underlined != null
                 || strikethrough != null || obfuscated != null
-                || hoverEvent != null || clickEvent != null;
+                || hoverEvent != null || clickEvent != null
+                || (extra != null && extra.size() > 0);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -376,6 +377,6 @@ public abstract class BaseComponent
     @Override
     public String toString()
     {
-        return String.format( "BaseComponent{color=%s, bold=%b, italic=%b, underlined=%b, strikethrough=%b, obfuscated=%b, clickEvent=%s, hoverEvent=%s}", getColor().getName(), isBold(), isItalic(), isUnderlined(), isStrikethrough(), isObfuscated(), getClickEvent(), getHoverEvent() );
+        return String.format( "BaseComponent{color=%s, bold=%b, italic=%b, underlined=%b, strikethrough=%b, obfuscated=%b, clickEvent=%s, hoverEvent=%s, extra=%s}", getColor().getName(), isBold(), isItalic(), isUnderlined(), isStrikethrough(), isObfuscated(), getClickEvent(), getHoverEvent(), getExtra() );
     }
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/TextComponent.java b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/TextComponent.java
index 10b43910..529ea2bb 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/TextComponent.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/api/chat/TextComponent.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import lombok.Setter;
 import net.md_5.bungee.api.ChatColor;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -142,6 +143,17 @@ public class TextComponent extends BaseComponent
         setText( textComponent.getText() );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a TextComponent with blank text and the extras set
+     * to the passed array
+     *
+     * @param extras the extras to set
+     */
+    public TextComponent(BaseComponent ...extras) {
+        setText( "" );
+        setExtra( Arrays.asList(extras) );
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected void toPlainText(StringBuilder builder)
     {
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/chat/ComponentSerializer.java b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/chat/ComponentSerializer.java
index 3c9df139..d097d408 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/chat/ComponentSerializer.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/chat/ComponentSerializer.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class ComponentSerializer implements JsonSerializer<BaseComponent>, JsonD
 
     public static String toString(BaseComponent... components)
     {
-        return gson.toJson( components );
+        return gson.toJson( new TextComponent( components ) );
     }
 
     @Override