diff --git a/include/iarchive.h b/include/iarchive.h
index 59a4180c6c..ec9b16baff 100644
--- a/include/iarchive.h
+++ b/include/iarchive.h
@@ -57,3 +57,49 @@ class ArchiveTextFile :
 };
 typedef std::shared_ptr<ArchiveTextFile> ArchiveTextFilePtr;
 
+/**
+ * Representation of an archive in the virtual filesystem.
+ * This might be a PK4/ZIP file or a regular mod directory.
+ * 
+ * \ingroup vfs
+ */
+class IArchive
+{
+public:
+    typedef std::shared_ptr<IArchive> Ptr;
+
+    virtual ~IArchive() {}
+
+    class Visitor
+    {
+    public:
+        virtual ~Visitor() {}
+
+        // Invoked for each file in an Archive
+        virtual void visitFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
+
+        // Invoked for each directory in an Archive. Return true to skip the directory.
+        virtual bool visitDirectory(const std::string& name, std::size_t depth) = 0;
+    };
+
+    /// \brief Returns a new object associated with the file identified by \p name, or 0 if the file cannot be opened.
+    /// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
+    virtual ArchiveFilePtr openFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
+
+    /// \brief Returns a new object associated with the file identified by \p name, or 0 if the file cannot be opened.
+    /// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
+    virtual ArchiveTextFilePtr openTextFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
+
+    /// Returns true if the file identified by \p name can be opened.
+    /// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
+    virtual bool containsFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
+
+    /// \brief Performs a depth-first traversal of the archive tree starting at \p root.
+    /// Traverses the entire tree if \p root is "".
+    /// When a file is encountered, calls \c visitor.file passing the file name.
+    /// When a directory is encountered, calls \c visitor.directory passing the directory name.
+    /// Skips the directory if \c visitor.directory returned true.
+    /// Root comparisons are case-insensitive.
+    /// Names are mixed-case.
+    virtual void traverse(Visitor& visitor, const std::string& root) = 0;
+};
diff --git a/include/ifilesystem.h b/include/ifilesystem.h
index 1a33a9a587..56644566e1 100644
--- a/include/ifilesystem.h
+++ b/include/ifilesystem.h
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 
 #include "imodule.h"
-
-class ArchiveFile;
-typedef std::shared_ptr<ArchiveFile> ArchiveFilePtr;
-class ArchiveTextFile;
-typedef std::shared_ptr<ArchiveTextFile> ArchiveTextFilePtr;
+#include "iarchive.h"
 
 namespace vfs
 {
@@ -171,6 +167,11 @@ class VirtualFileSystem :
 	/// This is a variant of openTextFile taking an absolute path as argument.
 	virtual ArchiveTextFilePtr openTextFileInAbsolutePath(const std::string& filename) = 0;
 
+    // Opens an independent archive located in the given physical path.
+    // (This archive can be located somewhere outside the current VFS hierarchy.)
+    // Loading this archive won't have any effect on the VFS setup, it is opened stand-alone.
+    virtual IArchive::Ptr openArchiveInAbsolutePath(const std::string& pathToArchive) = 0;
+
 	/// \brief Calls the visitor function for each file under \p basedir matching \p extension.
 	/// Use "*" as \p extension to match all file extensions.
 	virtual void forEachFile(const std::string& basedir,
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/Archive.h b/radiantcore/vfs/Archive.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ab5dd19e32..0000000000
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/Archive.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#include "iarchive.h"
-
-/**
- * Representation of an archive in the virtual filesystem.
- * This might be a PK4/ZIP file or a regular mod directory.
- *
- * \ingroup vfs
- */
-class Archive
-{
-public:
-	class Visitor
-	{
-	public:
-		virtual ~Visitor() {}
-
-		// Invoked for each file in an Archive
-		virtual void visitFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
-
-		// Invoked for each directory in an Archive. Return true to skip the directory.
-		virtual bool visitDirectory(const std::string& name, std::size_t depth) = 0;
-	};
-
-	/// \brief destructor
-	virtual ~Archive() {}
-
-	/// \brief Returns a new object associated with the file identified by \p name, or 0 if the file cannot be opened.
-	/// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
-	virtual ArchiveFilePtr openFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
-
-	/// \brief Returns a new object associated with the file identified by \p name, or 0 if the file cannot be opened.
-	/// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
-	virtual ArchiveTextFilePtr openTextFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
-
-	/// Returns true if the file identified by \p name can be opened.
-	/// Name comparisons are case-insensitive.
-	virtual bool containsFile(const std::string& name) = 0;
-
-	/// \brief Performs a depth-first traversal of the archive tree starting at \p root.
-	/// Traverses the entire tree if \p root is "".
-	/// When a file is encountered, calls \c visitor.file passing the file name.
-	/// When a directory is encountered, calls \c visitor.directory passing the directory name.
-	/// Skips the directory if \c visitor.directory returned true.
-	/// Root comparisons are case-insensitive.
-	/// Names are mixed-case.
-	virtual void traverse(Visitor& visitor, const std::string& root) = 0;
-};
-typedef std::shared_ptr<Archive> ArchivePtr;
-
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/DirectoryArchive.h b/radiantcore/vfs/DirectoryArchive.h
index 8b892e1c57..a6f55516e2 100644
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/DirectoryArchive.h
+++ b/radiantcore/vfs/DirectoryArchive.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "Archive.h"
+#include "iarchive.h"
 
 /**
  * greebo: This wraps around a certain path in the "real"
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * added to the list of PK4 archives, using this class.
  */
 class DirectoryArchive :
-	public Archive
+	public IArchive
 {
 	std::string _root;
 
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.cpp b/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.cpp
index c7c96f30ee..5657010f8e 100644
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.cpp
+++ b/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "string/encoding.h"
 #include "os/path.h"
 #include "os/dir.h"
+#include "os/file.h"
 
 #include "string/split.h"
 #include "debugging/ScopedDebugTimer.h"
@@ -120,13 +121,14 @@ class AssetsList
 };
 
 /*
- * Archive::Visitor class used in GlobalFileSystem().foreachFile().
+ * IArchive::Visitor class used in GlobalFileSystem().foreachFile().
  * It's filtering out the files matching the defined extension only.
  * The directory part is cut off the filename.
  * On top of that, this class maintains a list of visited files to avoid
  * hitting the same file twice (it might be present in more than one Archive).
  */
-class FileVisitor: public Archive::Visitor
+class FileVisitor : 
+    public IArchive::Visitor
 {
     // Maximum traversal depth
     std::size_t _maxDepth;
@@ -446,6 +448,17 @@ ArchiveTextFilePtr Doom3FileSystem::openTextFileInAbsolutePath(const std::string
     return ArchiveTextFilePtr();
 }
 
+IArchive::Ptr Doom3FileSystem::openArchiveInAbsolutePath(const std::string& pathToArchive)
+{
+    if (!os::fileIsReadable(pathToArchive))
+    {
+        rWarning() << "Requested file is not readable: " << pathToArchive << std::endl;
+        return IArchive::Ptr();
+    }
+
+    return std::make_shared<archive::ZipArchive>(pathToArchive);
+}
+
 void Doom3FileSystem::forEachFile(const std::string& basedir,
                                   const std::string& extension,
                                   const VisitorFunc& visitorFunc,
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.h b/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.h
index 436b04a417..f3531119d2 100644
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.h
+++ b/radiantcore/vfs/Doom3FileSystem.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "Archive.h"
+#include "iarchive.h"
 #include "ifilesystem.h"
 
 namespace vfs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class Doom3FileSystem :
 	struct ArchiveDescriptor
 	{
 		std::string name;
-		ArchivePtr archive;
+		IArchive::Ptr archive;
 		bool is_pakfile;
 	};
 
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class Doom3FileSystem :
 
 	ArchiveFilePtr openFileInAbsolutePath(const std::string& filename) override;
 	ArchiveTextFilePtr openTextFileInAbsolutePath(const std::string& filename) override;
+    IArchive::Ptr openArchiveInAbsolutePath(const std::string& pathToArchive) override;
 
 	// Call the specified callback function for each file matching extension
 	// inside basedir.
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/GenericFileSystem.h b/radiantcore/vfs/GenericFileSystem.h
index 447674679e..391f8b060e 100644
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/GenericFileSystem.h
+++ b/radiantcore/vfs/GenericFileSystem.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "Archive.h"
+#include "iarchive.h"
 #include "string/string.h"
 #include "os/path.h"
 
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class GenericFileSystem
 	/// Traverses the entire tree if \p root is "".
 	/// Calls \p visitor.file() with the path to each file relative to the filesystem root.
 	/// Calls \p visitor.directory() with the path to each directory relative to the filesystem root.
-	void traverse(Archive::Visitor& visitor, const std::string& root)
+	void traverse(IArchive::Visitor& visitor, const std::string& root)
 	{
 		unsigned int start_depth = getPathDepth(root.c_str());
 		unsigned int skip_depth = 0;
diff --git a/radiantcore/vfs/ZipArchive.h b/radiantcore/vfs/ZipArchive.h
index ae57a99010..c9cb6fbd10 100644
--- a/radiantcore/vfs/ZipArchive.h
+++ b/radiantcore/vfs/ZipArchive.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ namespace archive
  * Archives are owned and instantiated by the GlobalFileSystem instance.
  */
 class ZipArchive :
-	public Archive
+	public IArchive
 {
 private:
 	class ZipRecord
diff --git a/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj b/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj
index c398d68e18..1e9539663b 100644
--- a/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj
+++ b/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj
@@ -1016,7 +1016,6 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\undo\Stack.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\undo\StackFiller.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\undo\UndoSystem.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\Archive.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\DeflatedArchiveFile.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\DeflatedArchiveTextFile.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\DeflatedInputStream.h" />
diff --git a/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj.filters b/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj.filters
index b8ed5d5739..da7f34b145 100644
--- a/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/tools/msvc/DarkRadiantCore.vcxproj.filters
@@ -1047,9 +1047,6 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\xmlregistry\XMLRegistry.h">
       <Filter>src\xmlregistry</Filter>
     </ClInclude>
-    <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\Archive.h">
-      <Filter>src\vfs</Filter>
-    </ClInclude>
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\radiantcore\vfs\DeflatedArchiveFile.h">
       <Filter>src\vfs</Filter>
     </ClInclude>