diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 2cb2a90798..bb3e8a57e4 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 		public static bool IsModInstalled(string modId)
 		{
-			return Manifest.AllMods[modId].RequiresMods.All(IsModInstalled);
+			return ModMetadata.AllMods[modId].RequiresMods.All(IsModInstalled);
 		}
 
 		public static bool IsModInstalled(KeyValuePair<string, string> mod)
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
index 0342c92f84..fa53465508 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
+using OpenRA.FileSystem;
 using OpenRA.Primitives;
 
 namespace OpenRA
@@ -32,8 +33,6 @@ namespace OpenRA
 	/// <summary> Describes what is to be loaded in order to run a mod. </summary>
 	public class Manifest
 	{
-		public static readonly Dictionary<string, Manifest> AllMods = LoadMods();
-
 		public readonly ModMetadata Mod;
 		public readonly string[]
 			Packages, Rules, ServerTraits,
@@ -60,13 +59,11 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		readonly TypeDictionary modules = new TypeDictionary();
 		readonly Dictionary<string, MiniYaml> yaml;
 
-		public Manifest(string modId, string modPath = null)
+		public Manifest(string modId)
 		{
-			if (modPath == null)
-				modPath = ModMetadata.CandidateModPaths[modId];
+			var package = ModMetadata.AllMods[modId].Package;
 
-			var path = Path.Combine(modPath, "mod.yaml");
-			yaml = new MiniYaml(null, MiniYaml.FromFile(path)).ToDictionary();
+			yaml = new MiniYaml(null, MiniYaml.FromStream(package.GetStream("mod.yaml"))).ToDictionary();
 
 			Mod = FieldLoader.Load<ModMetadata>(yaml["Metadata"]);
 			Mod.Id = modId;
@@ -200,28 +197,5 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 			return module;
 		}
-
-		static Dictionary<string, Manifest> LoadMods()
-		{
-			var ret = new Dictionary<string, Manifest>();
-			foreach (var mod in ModMetadata.CandidateModPaths)
-			{
-				if (!File.Exists(Path.Combine(mod.Value, "mod.yaml")))
-					continue;
-
-				try
-				{
-					var manifest = new Manifest(mod.Key, mod.Value);
-					ret.Add(mod.Key, manifest);
-				}
-				catch (Exception ex)
-				{
-					Log.Write("debug", "An exception occurred while trying to load mod {0}:", mod);
-					Log.Write("debug", ex.ToString());
-				}
-			}
-
-			return ret;
-		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ModMetadata.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ModMetadata.cs
index 09c30e3942..d7e6087f02 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/ModMetadata.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ModMetadata.cs
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
+using OpenRA.FileSystem;
 
 namespace OpenRA
 {
 	public class ModMetadata
 	{
-		public static readonly Dictionary<string, string> CandidateModPaths = GetCandidateMods();
 		public static readonly Dictionary<string, ModMetadata> AllMods = ValidateMods();
 
 		public string Id;
@@ -26,26 +26,40 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public string Version;
 		public string Author;
 		public bool Hidden;
+
+		public Dictionary<string, string> RequiresMods;
 		public ContentInstaller Content;
+		public IReadOnlyPackage Package;
 
 		static Dictionary<string, ModMetadata> ValidateMods()
 		{
 			var ret = new Dictionary<string, ModMetadata>();
-			foreach (var pair in CandidateModPaths)
+			foreach (var pair in GetCandidateMods())
 			{
 				try
 				{
-					var yamlPath = Path.Combine(pair.Value, "mod.yaml");
-					if (!File.Exists(yamlPath))
+					IReadOnlyPackage package = null;
+					if (Directory.Exists(pair.Value))
+						package = new Folder(pair.Value);
+					else
+						throw new InvalidDataException(pair.Value + " is not a valid mod package");
+
+					if (!package.Contains("mod.yaml"))
 						continue;
 
-					var yaml = new MiniYaml(null, MiniYaml.FromFile(yamlPath));
+					var yaml = new MiniYaml(null, MiniYaml.FromStream(package.GetStream("mod.yaml")));
 					var nd = yaml.ToDictionary();
 					if (!nd.ContainsKey("Metadata"))
 						continue;
 
 					var metadata = FieldLoader.Load<ModMetadata>(nd["Metadata"]);
 					metadata.Id = pair.Key;
+					metadata.Package = package;
+
+					if (nd.ContainsKey("RequiresMods"))
+						metadata.RequiresMods = nd["RequiresMods"].ToDictionary(my => my.Value);
+					else
+						metadata.RequiresMods = new Dictionary<string, string>();
 
 					if (nd.ContainsKey("ContentInstaller"))
 						metadata.Content = FieldLoader.Load<ContentInstaller>(nd["ContentInstaller"]);
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Platform.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Platform.cs
index 260684d20e..0b99287f61 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Platform.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Platform.cs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		{
 			// Resolve mod package paths.
 			if (ModMetadata.AllMods.ContainsKey(package))
-				package = ModMetadata.CandidateModPaths[package];
+				package = ModMetadata.AllMods[package].Package.Name;
 
 			return ResolvePath(Path.Combine(package, target));
 		}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Installation/InstallModLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Installation/InstallModLogic.cs
index b918827bdb..91e103c164 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Installation/InstallModLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/Installation/InstallModLogic.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 		{
 			var panel = widget.Get("INSTALL_MOD_PANEL");
 
-			var mods = Manifest.AllMods[modId].RequiresMods.Where(m => !Game.IsModInstalled(m)).Select(m => "{0} ({1})".F(m.Key, m.Value));
+			var mods = ModMetadata.AllMods[modId].RequiresMods.Where(m => !Game.IsModInstalled(m)).Select(m => "{0} ({1})".F(m.Key, m.Value));
 			var text = string.Join(", ", mods);
 			panel.Get<LabelWidget>("MOD_LIST").Text = text;
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ModBrowserLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ModBrowserLogic.cs
index cc71d41d9f..747c5eb58f 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ModBrowserLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ModBrowserLogic.cs
@@ -82,17 +82,19 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 			{
 				try
 				{
-					using (var preview = new Bitmap(Platform.ResolvePath(ModMetadata.CandidateModPaths[mod.Id], "preview.png")))
-						if (preview.Width == 296 && preview.Height == 196)
-							previews.Add(mod.Id, sheetBuilder.Add(preview));
+					using (var stream = ModMetadata.AllMods[mod.Id].Package.GetStream("preview.png"))
+						using (var preview = new Bitmap(stream))
+							if (preview.Width == 296 && preview.Height == 196)
+								previews.Add(mod.Id, sheetBuilder.Add(preview));
 				}
 				catch (Exception) { }
 
 				try
 				{
-					using (var logo = new Bitmap(Platform.ResolvePath(ModMetadata.CandidateModPaths[mod.Id], "logo.png")))
-						if (logo.Width == 96 && logo.Height == 96)
-							logos.Add(mod.Id, sheetBuilder.Add(logo));
+					using (var stream = ModMetadata.AllMods[mod.Id].Package.GetStream("logo.png"))
+						using (var logo = new Bitmap(stream))
+							if (logo.Width == 96 && logo.Height == 96)
+								logos.Add(mod.Id, sheetBuilder.Add(logo));
 				}
 				catch (Exception) { }
 			}