diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d903659b..21c405c3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -510,9 +510,9 @@ select which type of archive you want in the `[⚙️] config` tab:
 | name | url-suffix | description |
 |--|--|--|
 | `tar` | `?tar` | plain gnutar, works great with `curl \| tar -xv` |
-| `tar.gz` | `?tar=gz` | gzip compressed tar, for `curl \| tar -xvz` |
-| `tar.xz` | `?tar=xz` | gnu-tar with xz / lzma compression (good) |
-| `tar.bz2` | `?tar=bz2` | bzip2-compressed tar (mostly useless) |
+| `pax` | `?tar=pax` | pax-format tar, futureproof, not as fast |
+| `tgz` | `?tar=gz` | gzip compressed gnu-tar (slow), for `curl \| tar -xvz` |
+| `txz` | `?tar=xz` | gnu-tar with xz / lzma compression (v.slow) |
 | `zip` | `?zip=utf8` | works everywhere, glitchy filenames on win7 and older |
 | `zip_dos` | `?zip` | traditional cp437 (no unicode) to fix glitchy filenames |
 | `zip_crc` | `?zip=crc` | cp437 with crc32 computed early for truly ancient software |
diff --git a/contrib/nixos/modules/copyparty.nix b/contrib/nixos/modules/copyparty.nix
index 1a305942..a60257eb 100644
--- a/contrib/nixos/modules/copyparty.nix
+++ b/contrib/nixos/modules/copyparty.nix
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ in {
                 "d" (delete): permanently delete files and folders
                 "g" (get):    download files, but cannot see folder contents
                 "G" (upget):  "get", but can see filekeys of their own uploads
-                "a" (upget):  can see uploader IPs, config-reload
+                "h" (html):   "get", but folders return their index.html
+                "a" (admin):  can see uploader IPs, config-reload
 
               For example: "rwmd"
 
diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index c31e937e..1d3e53ad 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -2910,13 +2910,13 @@ class HttpCli(object):
 
         if fmt == "tar":
             packer: Type[StreamArc] = StreamTar
-            if cancmp and uarg.startswith("gz"):
+            if cancmp and "gz" in uarg:
                 mime = "application/gzip"
                 ext = "tar.gz"
-            elif cancmp and uarg.startswith("bz2"):
+            elif cancmp and "bz2" in uarg:
                 mime = "application/x-bzip"
                 ext = "tar.bz2"
-            elif cancmp and uarg.startswith("xz"):
+            elif cancmp and "xz" in uarg:
                 mime = "application/x-xz"
                 ext = "tar.xz"
             else:
@@ -2973,7 +2973,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             fgen,
             utf8="utf" in uarg,
             pre_crc="crc" in uarg,
-            cmp=uarg if cancmp else "",
+            cmp=uarg if cancmp or uarg == "pax" else "",
         )
         bsent = 0
         for buf in bgen.gen():
diff --git a/copyparty/star.py b/copyparty/star.py
index 6d0d6c77..078b1169 100644
--- a/copyparty/star.py
+++ b/copyparty/star.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 
+import re
 import stat
 import tarfile
 
@@ -54,16 +55,21 @@ class StreamTar(StreamArc):
         self.qfile = QFile()
         self.errf: dict[str, Any] = {}
 
+        # python 3.8 changed to PAX_FORMAT as default;
+        # slower, bigger, and no particular advantage
+        fmt = tarfile.GNU_FORMAT
+        if "pax" in cmp:
+            # unless a client asks for it (currently
+            # gnu-tar has wider support than pax-tar)
+            fmt = tarfile.PAX_FORMAT
+            cmp = re.sub(r"[^a-z0-9]*pax[^a-z0-9]*", "", cmp)
+
         try:
             cmp, lv = cmp.replace(":", ",").split(",")
             lv = int(lv)
         except:
             lv = None
 
-        # python 3.8 changed to PAX_FORMAT as default,
-        # waste of space and don't care about the new features
-        fmt = tarfile.GNU_FORMAT
-
         arg = {"name": None, "fileobj": self.qfile, "mode": "w", "format": fmt}
         if cmp == "gz":
             fun = tarfile.TarFile.gzopen
diff --git a/copyparty/web/browser.js b/copyparty/web/browser.js
index e86f48fa..694a6c16 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/browser.js
+++ b/copyparty/web/browser.js
@@ -377,9 +377,10 @@ var Ls = {
 		"fu_xe1": "failed to load unpost list from server:\n\nerror ",
 		"fu_xe2": "404: File not found??",
 
-		"fz_tar": "plain gnu-tar file (linux / mac)",
-		"fz_targz": "tar with gzip level 3 compression$N$Nthis is usually very slow, so$Nuse uncompressed tar instead",
-		"fz_tarxz": "tar with xz level 1 compression$N$Nthis is usually very slow, so$Nuse uncompressed tar instead",
+		"fz_tar": "uncompressed gnu-tar file (linux / mac)",
+		"fz_pax": "uncompressed pax-format tar (slower)",
+		"fz_targz": "gnu-tar with gzip level 3 compression$N$Nthis is usually very slow, so$Nuse uncompressed tar instead",
+		"fz_tarxz": "gnu-tar with xz level 1 compression$N$Nthis is usually very slow, so$Nuse uncompressed tar instead",
 		"fz_zip8": "zip with utf8 filenames (maybe wonky on windows 7 and older)",
 		"fz_zipd": "zip with traditional cp437 filenames, for really old software",
 		"fz_zipc": "cp437 with crc32 computed early,$Nfor MS-DOS PKZIP v2.04g (october 1993)$N(takes longer to process before download can start)",
@@ -846,6 +847,7 @@ var Ls = {
 		"fu_xe2": "404: Filen finnes ikke??",
 
 		"fz_tar": "ukomprimert gnu-tar arkiv, for linux og mac",
+		"fz_pax": "ukomprimert pax-tar arkiv, litt tregere",
 		"fz_targz": "gnu-tar pakket med gzip (nivå 3)$N$NNB: denne er veldig treg;$Nukomprimert tar er bedre",
 		"fz_tarxz": "gnu-tar pakket med xz (nivå 1)$N$NNB: denne er veldig treg;$Nukomprimert tar er bedre",
 		"fz_zip8": "zip med filnavn i utf8 (noe problematisk på windows 7 og eldre)",
@@ -6685,6 +6687,7 @@ var arcfmt = (function () {
 	var html = [],
 		fmts = [
 			["tar", "tar", L.fz_tar],
+			["pax", "tar=pax", L.fz_pax],
 			["tgz", "tar=gz", L.fz_targz],
 			["txz", "tar=xz", L.fz_tarxz],
 			["zip", "zip=utf8", L.fz_zip8],
@@ -6716,7 +6719,7 @@ var arcfmt = (function () {
 
 		for (var a = 0, aa = tds.length; a < aa; a++) {
 			var o = tds[a], txt = o.textContent, href = o.getAttribute('href');
-			if (!/^(zip|tar|tgz|txz)$/.exec(txt))
+			if (!/^(zip|tar|pax|tgz|txz)$/.exec(txt))
 				continue;
 
 			var ofs = href.lastIndexOf('?');
diff --git a/docs/devnotes.md b/docs/devnotes.md
index f2935a73..3eeb6027 100644
--- a/docs/devnotes.md
+++ b/docs/devnotes.md
@@ -125,8 +125,14 @@ authenticate using header `Cookie: cppwd=foo` or url param `&pw=foo`
 | GET | `?b` | list files/folders at URL as simplified HTML |
 | GET | `?tree=.` | list one level of subdirectories inside URL |
 | GET | `?tree` | list one level of subdirectories for each level until URL |
-| GET | `?tar` | download everything below URL as a tar file |
-| GET | `?zip=utf-8` | download everything below URL as a zip file |
+| GET | `?tar` | download everything below URL as a gnu-tar file |
+| GET | `?tar=gz:9` | ...as a gzip-level-9 gnu-tar file |
+| GET | `?tar=xz:9` | ...as an xz-level-9 gnu-tar file |
+| GET | `?tar=pax` | ...as a pax-tar file |
+| GET | `?tar=pax,xz` | ...as an xz-level-1 pax-tar file |
+| GET | `?zip=utf-8` | ...as a zip file |
+| GET | `?zip` | ...as a WinXP-compatible zip file |
+| GET | `?zip=crc` | ...as an MSDOS-compatible zip file |
 | GET | `?ups` | show recent uploads from your IP |
 | GET | `?ups&filter=f` | ...where URL contains `f` |
 | GET | `?mime=foo` | specify return mimetype `foo` |