diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 71617404..cb967f45 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ copyparty.egg-info/
 /dist/
 /py2/
 /sfx*
+/pyz/
 /unt/
 /log/
 
diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 17289afa..940d77ce
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -1391,12 +1391,16 @@ def run_argparse(
     return ret
 
 
-def main(argv: Optional[list[str]] = None) -> None:
+def main(argv: Optional[list[str]] = None, rsrc: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
     time.strptime("19970815", "%Y%m%d")  # python#7980
     if WINDOWS:
         os.system("rem")  # enables colors
 
     init_E(E)
+
+    if rsrc:  # pyz
+        E.mod = rsrc
+
     if argv is None:
         argv = sys.argv
 
diff --git a/scripts/make-pyz.sh b/scripts/make-pyz.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6c73eabe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make-pyz.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+echo
+
+# port install gnutar gsed coreutils
+gtar=$(command -v gtar || command -v gnutar) || true
+[ ! -z "$gtar" ] && command -v gsed >/dev/null && {
+	tar()  { $gtar "$@"; }
+	sed()  { gsed  "$@"; }
+	command -v grealpath >/dev/null &&
+		realpath() { grealpath "$@"; }
+}
+
+targs=(--owner=1000 --group=1000)
+[ "$OSTYPE" = msys ] &&
+	targs=()
+
+[ -e copyparty/__main__.py ] || cd ..
+[ -e copyparty/__main__.py ] || {
+	echo "run me from within the project root folder"
+	echo
+	exit 1
+}
+
+[ -e sfx/copyparty/__main__.py ] || {
+    echo "run ./scripts/make-sfx.py first"
+    echo
+    exit 1
+}
+
+rm -rf pyz
+mkdir -p pyz
+cd pyz
+
+cp -pR ../sfx/{copyparty,partftpy} .
+cp -pR ../sfx/{ftp,j2}/* .
+
+ts=$(date -u +%s)
+hts=$(date -u +%Y-%m%d-%H%M%S)
+ver="$(cat ../sfx/ver)"
+
+mkdir -p ../dist
+pyz_out=../dist/copyparty.pyz
+
+echo creating z.tar
+( cd copyparty
+  tar -cf z.tar "${targs[@]}" --numeric-owner web res
+  rm -rf web res
+)
+
+echo creating loader
+sed -r 's/^(VER = ).*/\1"'"$ver"'"/; s/^(STAMP = ).*/\1'$(date +%s)/ \
+    <../scripts/ziploader.py \
+    >__main__.py
+
+echo creating pyz
+rm -f $pyz_out
+zip -9 -q -r $pyz_out *
+
+echo done:
+echo "  $(realpath $pyz_out)"
diff --git a/scripts/make-sfx.sh b/scripts/make-sfx.sh
index 418793e1..fcc6f717 100755
--- a/scripts/make-sfx.sh
+++ b/scripts/make-sfx.sh
@@ -99,9 +99,6 @@ pybin=$(command -v python3 || command -v python) || {
 	exit 1
 }
 
-[ $CSN ] ||
-	CSN=sfx
-
 langs=
 use_gz=
 zopf=2560
@@ -148,9 +145,9 @@ stamp=$(
 	done | sort | tail -n 1 | sha1sum | cut -c-16
 )
 
-rm -rf $CSN/*
-mkdir -p $CSN build
-cd $CSN
+rm -rf sfx$CSN/*
+mkdir -p sfx$CSN build
+cd sfx$CSN
 
 tmpdir="$(
 	printf '%s\n' "$TMPDIR" /tmp |
@@ -386,11 +383,13 @@ git describe --tags >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && {
 	ver="$(awk '/^VERSION *= \(/ {
 		gsub(/[^0-9,a-g-]/,""); gsub(/,/,"."); print; exit}' < copyparty/__version__.py)"
 
+echo "$ver" >ver  # pyz
+
 ts=$(date -u +%s)
 hts=$(date -u +%Y-%m%d-%H%M%S) # --date=@$ts (thx osx)
 
 mkdir -p ../dist
-sfx_out=../dist/copyparty-$CSN
+sfx_out=../dist/copyparty-sfx$CSN
 
 echo cleanup
 find -name '*.pyc' -delete
@@ -542,7 +541,7 @@ gzres() {
 }
 
 
-zdir="$tmpdir/cpp-mk$CSN"
+zdir="$tmpdir/cpp-mksfx$CSN"
 [ -e "$zdir/$stamp" ] || rm -rf "$zdir"
 mkdir -p "$zdir"
 echo a > "$zdir/$stamp"
diff --git a/scripts/rls.sh b/scripts/rls.sh
index c9ea9f92..32023803 100755
--- a/scripts/rls.sh
+++ b/scripts/rls.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ $f$s.py --version >/dev/null
     min=99999999
     for ((a=0; a<$parallel; a++)); do
         while [ -e .sfx-run ]; do
-            CSN=sfx$a ./make-sfx.sh re "$@"
+            CSN=$a ./make-sfx.sh re "$@"
             sz=$(wc -c <$f$a$s.py | awk '{print$1}')
             [ $sz -ge $min ] && continue
             mv $f$a$s.py $f$s.py.$sz
diff --git a/scripts/ziploader.py b/scripts/ziploader.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d06b7baa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ziploader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import atexit
+import os
+import platform
+import sys
+import tarfile
+import tempfile
+import threading
+import time
+import traceback
+
+
+VER = None
+STAMP = None
+WINDOWS = sys.platform in ["win32", "msys"]
+
+
+def msg(*a, **ka):
+    if a:
+        a = ["[ZIP]", a[0]] + list(a[1:])
+
+    ka["file"] = sys.stderr
+    print(*a, **ka)
+
+
+def utime(top):
+    # avoid cleaners
+    files = [os.path.join(dp, p) for dp, dd, df in os.walk(top) for p in dd + df]
+    try:
+        while True:
+            t = int(time.time())
+            for f in [top] + files:
+                os.utime(f, (t, t))
+
+            time.sleep(78123)
+    except Exception as ex:
+        print("utime:", ex, f)
+
+
+def confirm(rv):
+    msg()
+    msg("retcode", rv if rv else traceback.format_exc())
+    if WINDOWS:
+        msg("*** hit enter to exit ***")
+        try:
+            input()
+        except:
+            pass
+
+    sys.exit(rv or 1)
+
+
+def run():
+    import copyparty
+    from copyparty.__main__ import main as cm
+
+    td = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="")
+    atexit.register(td.cleanup)
+    rsrc = td.name
+
+    try:
+        from importlib.resources import files
+
+        f = files(copyparty).joinpath("z.tar").open("rb")
+    except:
+        from importlib.resources import open_binary
+
+        f = open_binary("copyparty", "z.tar")
+
+    with tarfile.open(fileobj=f) as tf:
+        try:
+            tf.extractall(rsrc, filter="tar")
+        except TypeError:
+            tf.extractall(rsrc)  # nosec (archive is safe)
+
+    f.close()
+    f = None
+
+    msg("  rsrc dir:", rsrc)
+    msg()
+
+    t = threading.Thread(target=utime, args=(rsrc,))
+    t.daemon = True
+    t.start()
+
+    cm(rsrc=rsrc)
+
+
+def main():
+    sysver = str(sys.version).replace("\n", "\n" + " " * 18)
+    pktime = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d, %H:%M:%S", time.gmtime(STAMP))
+    msg()
+    msg("   this is: copyparty", VER)
+    msg(" packed at:", pktime, "UTC,", STAMP)
+    msg("python bin:", sys.executable)
+    msg("python ver:", platform.python_implementation(), sysver)
+
+    try:
+        run()
+    except SystemExit as ex:
+        c = ex.code
+        if c not in [0, -15]:
+            confirm(ex.code)
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        pass
+    except:
+        confirm(0)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()