diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 587bb17..ab86727 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -64,22 +64,14 @@ ifeq ($(SWITCH_SCREENS),1)
 	CFLAGS += -DSWITCH_SCREENS
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(AUTORUN_SCRIPT),1)
+	CFLAGS += -DAUTORUN_SCRIPT
+endif
+
 ifdef FIXED_BRIGHTNESS
 	CFLAGS += -DFIXED_BRIGHTNESS=$(FIXED_BRIGHTNESS)
 endif
 
-ifneq ("$(wildcard $(CURDIR)/../$(DATA)/README.md)","")
-	CFLAGS += -DHARDCODE_README
-endif
-
-ifneq ("$(wildcard $(CURDIR)/../$(DATA)/aeskeydb.bin)","")
-	CFLAGS += -DHARDCODE_KEYS
-endif
-
-ifneq ("$(wildcard $(CURDIR)/../$(DATA)/autorun.gm9)","")
-	CFLAGS += -DAUTORUN_SCRIPT
-endif
-
 CXXFLAGS	:= $(CFLAGS) -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions
 
 LDFLAGS	=	-T../link.ld -nostartfiles -g $(ARCH) -Wl,-Map,$(TARGET).map,-z,max-page-size=512
@@ -111,14 +103,7 @@ export DEPSDIR	:=	$(CURDIR)/$(BUILD)
 CFILES		:=	$(foreach dir,$(SOURCES),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/*.c)))
 CPPFILES	:=	$(foreach dir,$(SOURCES),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/*.cpp)))
 SFILES		:=	$(foreach dir,$(SOURCES),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/*.s)))
-BINFILES	:=	$(foreach dir,$(DATA),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/README.md))) \
-				$(foreach dir,$(DATA),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/aeskeydb.bin))) \
-				$(foreach dir,$(DATA),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/autorun.gm9)))
-ifeq ($(SAFEMODE),1)
-	BINFILES	+=	$(foreach dir,$(DATA),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/sm9*.*)))
-else
-	BINFILES	+=	$(foreach dir,$(DATA),$(notdir $(wildcard $(dir)/gm9*.*)))
-endif
+BINFILES	:=	
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # use CXX for linking C++ projects, CC for standard C
@@ -145,11 +130,7 @@ export INCLUDE	:=	$(foreach dir,$(INCLUDES),-I$(CURDIR)/$(dir)) \
 
 export LIBPATHS	:=	$(foreach dir,$(LIBDIRS),-L$(dir)/lib)
 
-ifeq ("$(wildcard $(CURDIR)/$(DATA)/vram0.img)","")
-	export FTCOMMON	:=	-D $(OUTPUT).elf $(OUTPUT_D)/screeninit.elf -C NDMA XDMA
-else
-    export FTCOMMON	:=	-A 0x18000000 -D $(OUTPUT).elf $(OUTPUT_D)/screeninit.elf $(CURDIR)/$(DATA)/vram0.img -C NDMA XDMA memcpy
-endif
+export FTCOMMON	:=	-A 0x18000000 -D $(OUTPUT).elf $(OUTPUT_D)/screeninit.elf $(CURDIR)/resources/vram0.tar -C NDMA XDMA memcpy
 
 .PHONY: common clean all firm binary screeninit release
 
@@ -214,28 +195,6 @@ $(OUTPUT).elf	:	$(OFILES)
 	@$(OBJCOPY) --set-section-flags .bss=alloc,load,contents -O binary $< $@
 	@echo built ... $(notdir $@)
 
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# you need a rule like this for each extension you use as binary data
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%_qlz.h %.qlz.o: %.qlz
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	@echo $(notdir $<)
-	@$(bin2o)
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%_bin.h %.bin.o: %.bin
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	@echo $(notdir $<)
-	@$(bin2o)
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%_gm9.h %.gm9.o: %.gm9
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	@echo $(notdir $<)
-	@$(bin2o)
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-%_md.h %.md.o: %.md
-#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-	@echo $(notdir $<)
-	@$(bin2o)
 
 -include $(DEPENDS)
 
diff --git a/resources/vram0.tar b/resources/vram0.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5842bb
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/vram0.tar differ
diff --git a/source/crypto/keydb.c b/source/crypto/keydb.c
index 68b64ed..c7c9bf7 100644
--- a/source/crypto/keydb.c
+++ b/source/crypto/keydb.c
@@ -2,9 +2,7 @@
 #include "aes.h"
 #include "sha.h"
 #include "ff.h"
-#ifdef HARDCODE_KEYS
-#include "aeskeydb_bin.h"
-#endif
+#include "vram0.h"
 
 typedef struct {
     u8   slot;           // keyslot, 0x00...0x39 
@@ -123,16 +121,17 @@ u32 LoadKeyDb(const char* path_db, AesKeyInfo* keydb, u32 bsize) {
             f_close(&fp);
         }
     } else {
-        #ifdef HARDCODE_KEYS
+        // check for hardcoded key database
+        u64 aeskeydb_bin_size = 0;
+        void* aeskeydb_bin = FindVTarFileInfo(VRAM0_AESKEY_DB, &aeskeydb_bin_size, NULL);
         fsize = (aeskeydb_bin_size <= bsize) ? aeskeydb_bin_size : 0;
         if (fsize) memcpy(keydb, aeskeydb_bin, aeskeydb_bin_size);
-        #else
+        
         // try to load aeskeydb.bin file
         if (f_open(&fp, SUPPORT_PATH "/" KEYDB_NAME, FA_READ | FA_OPEN_EXISTING) == FR_OK) {
             if ((f_read(&fp, keydb, bsize, &fsize) != FR_OK) || (fsize >= bsize)) fsize = 0;
             f_close(&fp);
         }
-        #endif
     }
     
     u32 nkeys = 0;
diff --git a/source/godmode.c b/source/godmode.c
index 4c04bbe..7a4cbb4 100644
--- a/source/godmode.c
+++ b/source/godmode.c
@@ -28,17 +28,8 @@
 #include "rtc.h"
 #include "power.h"
 #include "vff.h"
+#include "vram0.h"
 
-#include QLZ_SPLASH_H
-#ifdef AUTORUN_SCRIPT
-#include "autorun_gm9.h"
-#endif
-#ifdef HARDCODE_README
-#include "README_md.h"
-#else
-#define README_md NULL
-#define README_md_size 0
-#endif
 
 #define N_PANES 2
 
@@ -71,6 +62,7 @@
 #define BOOTMENU_KEY    BUTTON_START
 #endif
 
+
 typedef struct {
     char path[256];
     u32 cursor;
@@ -1607,7 +1599,7 @@ u32 HomeMoreMenu(char* current_path) {
     int hsrestore = ((CheckHealthAndSafetyInject("1:") == 0) || (CheckHealthAndSafetyInject("4:") == 0)) ? (int) ++n_opt : -1;
     int clock = ++n_opt;
     int sysinfo = ++n_opt;
-    int readme = (README_md != NULL) ? (int) ++n_opt : -1;
+    int readme = (FindVTarFileInfo(VRAM0_README_MD, NULL, NULL)) ? (int) ++n_opt : -1;
     
     if (sdformat > 0) optionstr[sdformat - 1] = "SD format menu";
     if (bonus > 0) optionstr[bonus - 1] = "Bonus drive setup";
@@ -1721,7 +1713,9 @@ u32 HomeMoreMenu(char* current_path) {
         return 0;
     }
     else if (user_select == readme) { // Display GodMode9 readme
-        MemToCViewer((const char*) README_md, README_md_size, "GodMode9 ReadMe Table of Contents");
+        u64 README_md_size;
+        char* README_md = FindVTarFileInfo(VRAM0_README_MD, &README_md_size, NULL);
+        MemToCViewer(README_md, README_md_size, "GodMode9 ReadMe Table of Contents");
         return 0;
     } else return 1;
     
@@ -1729,6 +1723,7 @@ u32 HomeMoreMenu(char* current_path) {
 }
 
 u32 SplashInit(const char* modestr) {
+    void* splash = FindVTarFileInfo(VRAM0_SPLASH_QLZ, NULL, NULL);
     const char* namestr = FLAVOR " " VERSION;
     const char* loadstr = "booting...";
     const u32 pos_xb = 10;
@@ -1737,7 +1732,8 @@ u32 SplashInit(const char* modestr) {
     const u32 pos_yu = SCREEN_HEIGHT - 10 - GetDrawStringHeight(loadstr);
     
     ClearScreenF(true, true, COLOR_STD_BG);
-    QlzDecompress(TOP_SCREEN, QLZ_SPLASH, 0);
+    if (splash) QlzDecompress(TOP_SCREEN, splash, 0);
+    else DrawStringF(TOP_SCREEN, 10, 10, COLOR_STD_FONT, COLOR_TRANSPARENT, "(splash not found)");
     if (modestr) DrawStringF(TOP_SCREEN, SCREEN_WIDTH_TOP - 10 - GetDrawStringWidth(modestr),
         SCREEN_HEIGHT - 10 - GetDrawStringHeight(modestr), COLOR_STD_FONT, COLOR_TRANSPARENT, modestr);
     
@@ -2317,14 +2313,20 @@ u32 ScriptRunner(int entrypoint) {
     InitNandCrypto(entrypoint != ENTRY_B9S);
     InitExtFS();
     
-    while (CheckButton(BUTTON_A)); // don't continue while A is held
+    while (HID_STATE); // wait until no buttons are pressed
     while (timer_msec( timer ) < 500); // show splash for at least 0.5 sec
     ClearScreenF(true, true, COLOR_STD_BG); // clear splash
     
-    // copy script to script buffer and run it
-    memset(SCRIPT_BUFFER, 0, SCRIPT_BUFFER_SIZE);
-    memcpy(SCRIPT_BUFFER, autorun_gm9, autorun_gm9_size);
-    ExecuteGM9Script(NULL);
+    // get script from VRAM0 TAR
+    u64 autorun_gm9_size = 0;
+    void* autorun_gm9 = FindVTarFileInfo(VRAM0_AUTORUN_GM9, &autorun_gm9_size, NULL);
+    
+    if (autorun_gm9 && autorun_gm9_size) {
+        // copy script to script buffer and run it
+        memset(SCRIPT_BUFFER, 0, SCRIPT_BUFFER_SIZE);
+        memcpy(SCRIPT_BUFFER, autorun_gm9, autorun_gm9_size);
+        ExecuteGM9Script(NULL);
+    } else ShowPrompt(false, "Compiled as script autorunner\nbut no autorun.gm9 provided.\n \nDerp!");
     
     // deinit
     DeinitExtFS();
diff --git a/source/system/tar.c b/source/system/tar.c
index 1b316a9..94107bf 100644
--- a/source/system/tar.c
+++ b/source/system/tar.c
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ void* FindTarFileInfo(void* tardata, void* tardata_end, const char* fname, u64*
         TarHeader* tar = tardata;
         
         if (ValidateTarHeader(tardata, tardata_end) != 0) break;
-        ShowPrompt(false, "%s\n%s", tar->fname, fname);
         if ((strncasecmp(tar->fname, fname, 100) == 0) && (tar->ftype == '0'))
             return GetTarFileInfo(tardata, NULL, fsize, is_dir);
         tardata = ((u8*) tardata) + sizeof(TarHeader) + align(ReadAsciiOctal(tar->fsize, 12), 512);
diff --git a/source/system/vram0.h b/source/system/vram0.h
index b94a27a..383d201 100644
--- a/source/system/vram0.h
+++ b/source/system/vram0.h
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
 #include "tar.h"
 
 
+// known file names inside VRAM0 TAR
+#define VRAM0_AUTORUN_GM9       "autorun.gm9"
+#define VRAM0_README_MD         "README.md"
+#define VRAM0_AESKEY_DB         "aeskey.db"
+#ifndef SAFEMODE
+#define VRAM0_SPLASH_QLZ        "gm9_splash.qlz"
+#else
+#define VRAM0_SPLASH_QLZ        "sm9_splash_baby.qlz"
+#endif
+
+
 #define VRAM0_OFFSET    0x18000000
 #define VRAM0_LIMIT     0x00300000
 
diff --git a/source/utils/scripting.c b/source/utils/scripting.c
index 947de19..5f147ce 100644
--- a/source/utils/scripting.c
+++ b/source/utils/scripting.c
@@ -823,11 +823,12 @@ bool run_line(const char* line_start, const char* line_end, u32* flags, char* er
 
 // checks for illegal ASCII symbols
 bool ValidateText(const char* text, u32 len) {
+    if (!len) return false;
     for (u32 i = 0; i < len; i++) {
         char c = text[i];
         if ((c == '\r') && ((i+1) < len) && (text[i+1] != '\n')) return false; // CR without LF
         if ((c < 0x20) && (c != '\t') && (c != '\r') && (c != '\n')) return false; // illegal control char
-        if (c == 0xFF) return false; // other illegal char
+        if (c == 0xFF) return false; // 0xFF illegal char
     }
     return true;
 }