diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index af13d7d..3966670 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,13 @@ export RELDIR := release
 # Definitions for initial RAM disk
 VRAM_OUT    := $(OUTDIR)/vram0.tar
 VRAM_DATA   := data
-VRAM_FLAGS  := --format=v7 --blocking-factor=1 --xform='s/^$(VRAM_DATA)\/\|^resources\///'
+VRAM_FLAGS  := --make-new --path-limit 99 --size-limit 3145728
+
+ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
+    PY3 := py -3
+else
+    PY3 := python3
+endif
 
 # Definitions for ARM binaries
 export INCLUDE := -I"$(shell pwd)/common"
@@ -62,7 +68,7 @@ release: clean
 vram0:
 	@mkdir -p "$(OUTDIR)"
 	@echo "Creating $(VRAM_OUT)"
-	@tar cf $(VRAM_OUT) $(VRAM_FLAGS) $(shell ls -d $(README) $(SPLASH) $(VRAM_DATA)/*)
+	@$(PY3) utils/add2tar.py $(VRAM_FLAGS) $(VRAM_OUT) $(shell ls -d $(README) $(SPLASH) $(VRAM_DATA)/*)
 
 elf:
 	@set -e; for elf in $(ELF); do \
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 38cba81..c6062cb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ You may now run GodMode9 via holding the X Button (or any other button you chose
 
 
 ## How to build this / developer info
-Build `GodMode9.firm` via `make firm` (requires [firmtool](https://github.com/TuxSH/firmtool) installed). On macOS, you may have to install [gnu-tar](https://www.gnu.org/software/tar/) first - do so in terminal via `brew install gnu-tar --with-default-names`.
+Build `GodMode9.firm` via `make firm`. This requires [firmtool](https://github.com/TuxSH/firmtool), [Python 3.5+](https://www.python.org/downloads/) and [devkitARM](https://sourceforge.net/projects/devkitpro/) installed).
 
 You may run `make release` to get a nice, release-ready package of all required files. To build __SafeMode9__ (a bricksafe variant of GodMode9, with limited write permissions) instead of GodMode9, compile with `make FLAVOR=SafeMode9`. To switch screens, compile with `make SWITCH_SCREENS=1`. For additional customization, you may choose the internal font via `make FONT=6X10`, `make FONT=ACORN`, `make FONT=GB` or `make FONT=ORIG`. You may also hardcode the brightness via `make FIXED_BRIGHTNESS=x`, whereas `x` is a value between 0...15.
 
diff --git a/utils/add2tar.py b/utils/add2tar.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b8ef961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/add2tar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import tarfile
+import glob
+import os.path
+import posixpath
+from os import unlink
+
+# don't add useless files
+prefix_to_ignore = ('thumbs.db', 'desktop.ini', '$recycle.bin', '.')
+
+
+class PathTooLongException(Exception):
+    """Filename is too long to be added to the TAR file."""
+
+
+class TarTooLargeException(Exception):
+    """Resulting tar is larger than the given size."""
+
+
+def tarpack(*, items, out, size_limit=0, path_limit=0, make_new=False):
+    with tarfile.open(out, 'w' if make_new else 'a', format=tarfile.USTAR_FORMAT, bufsize=tarfile.BLOCKSIZE) as tar:
+        def addtotar(realpath, tarpath):
+            if path_limit and len(tarpath) > path_limit:
+                raise PathTooLongException("path is longer than {} chars ({}): {}".format(path_limit, len(tarpath), tarpath))
+            print('add:', tarpath)
+            info = tarfile.TarInfo(tarpath)
+            info.size = os.path.getsize(realpath)
+            with open(realpath, 'rb') as f:
+                tar.addfile(tarinfo=info, fileobj=f)
+
+        def iterdir(realpath, tarpath):
+            items = os.listdir(realpath)
+            if path_limit and len(tarpath) > path_limit:
+                raise PathTooLongException("path is longer than {} chars ({}): {}".format(path_limit, len(tarpath), tarpath))
+            info = tarfile.TarInfo(tarpath)
+            info.type = tarfile.DIRTYPE
+            tar.addfile(info)
+            for path in items:
+                new_realpath = os.path.join(realpath, path)
+                if os.path.isdir(new_realpath) and not os.path.basename(path).lower().startswith(prefix_to_ignore):
+                    iterdir(new_realpath, posixpath.join(tarpath, path))
+                elif os.path.isfile(new_realpath) and not os.path.basename(path).lower().startswith(prefix_to_ignore):
+                    addtotar(os.path.join(realpath, path), posixpath.join(tarpath, path))
+
+        for i in items:
+            if os.path.isdir(i):
+                iterdir(i, os.path.basename(i))
+            elif os.path.isfile(i):
+                addtotar(i, os.path.basename(i))
+            else:
+                raise FileNotFoundError("couldn't find " + i)
+
+        # tarfile is adding more end blocks when it only needs two
+        tar.fileobj.seek(0, 2)
+        tar.fileobj.write(tarfile.NUL * (tarfile.BLOCKSIZE * 2))
+        tar.fileobj.close()
+        tar.closed = True
+
+    tarsize = os.path.getsize(out)
+    if size_limit and tarsize > size_limit:
+        raise TarTooLargeException("TAR size is {} bytes is larger than the limit of {} bytes".format(tarsize, size_limit))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Pack files into a TAR file, leaving out extra information.")
+    parser.add_argument('--make-new', '-n', help="Always create a new TAR file.", action='store_true')
+    parser.add_argument('--size-limit', '-l', type=int, help="Throw an error when the file size reaches the specified limit.")
+    parser.add_argument('--path-limit', '-p', type=int, help="Throw an error when a file path is longer than the specified limit.")
+    parser.add_argument('out', help="Output filename.")
+    parser.add_argument('items', nargs='+', help="Files and directories to add.")
+
+    a = parser.parse_args()
+    tarpack(items=a.items, out=a.out, size_limit=a.size_limit, path_limit=a.path_limit, make_new=a.make_new)