diff --git a/packages/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/client.ts b/packages/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/client.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..663e2c32d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/client.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { assertSecret } from "@blitzkit/core";
+import { LocalVFS } from "./local";
+import { MixedVFS } from "./mixed";
+import { ZipVFS } from "./zip";
+
+// zip reads straight from the remote archive; CLIENT_DIR stays first so SmartDLC patches override it
+export function createClientVFS() {
+  const local = new LocalVFS(assertSecret(import.meta.env.CLIENT_DIR));
+
+  if (import.meta.env.CLIENT_PROVIDER === "zip") {
+    return new MixedVFS([
+      local,
+      new ZipVFS(assertSecret(import.meta.env.CLIENT_SOURCE)),
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  return local;
+}
diff --git a/packages/scripts/src/downloadClient/index.ts b/packages/scripts/src/downloadClient/index.ts
index 44b5531bd..464d54b58 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/src/downloadClient/index.ts
+++ b/packages/scripts/src/downloadClient/index.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import { mkdir, rm } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { downloadSteamClient } from "./steam";
 import { downloadWGCClient } from "./wgc";
 import { downloadWGPKGClient } from "./wgpkg";
-import { downloadZipClient } from "./zip";
 
 export const DEPOT_DOWNLOADER_RETRY_TIME = 30_000;
 
@@ -20,9 +19,9 @@ switch (provider) {
     await downloadSteamClient();
     break;
 
-  // from zip, usually has a root directory for opentest
+  // from zip, read remotely by ZipVFS at build time; nothing to download
   case "zip":
-    await downloadZipClient();
+    console.log("Zip client provider; skipping download in favor of ZipVFS");
     break;
 
   // effectively the same as wgc, but direct for preview
diff --git a/packages/scripts/src/vfs/vfs.ts b/packages/scripts/src/vfs/vfs.ts
index a94b39bae..cf3fe8c5f 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/src/vfs/vfs.ts
+++ b/packages/scripts/src/vfs/vfs.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { assertSecret } from "@blitzkit/core";
-import { LocalVFS } from "@blitzkit/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/local";
+import { createClientVFS } from "@blitzkit/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/client";
 
-export const vfs = new LocalVFS(assertSecret(import.meta.env.CLIENT_DIR));
+export const vfs = createClientVFS();
diff --git a/packages/website/src/core/blitzkit/vfs.ts b/packages/website/src/core/blitzkit/vfs.ts
index a94b39bae..cf3fe8c5f 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/core/blitzkit/vfs.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/core/blitzkit/vfs.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { assertSecret } from "@blitzkit/core";
-import { LocalVFS } from "@blitzkit/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/local";
+import { createClientVFS } from "@blitzkit/core/src/blitzkit/vfs/client";
 
-export const vfs = new LocalVFS(assertSecret(import.meta.env.CLIENT_DIR));
+export const vfs = createClientVFS();