diff --git a/src/ManualClient.py b/src/ManualClient.py
index 0f2a4c4e..cfa1b97d 100644
--- a/src/ManualClient.py
+++ b/src/ManualClient.py
@@ -889,8 +889,18 @@ async def game_watcher_manual(ctx: ManualContext):
         await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
 
-def read_apmanual_file(apmanual_file):
+def read_apmanual_file(apmanual_file) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    import zipfile
     from base64 import b64decode
+    from .container import APManualFile
+
+    if zipfile.is_zipfile(apmanual_file):
+        try:
+            container = APManualFile(apmanual_file)
+            container.read()
+            return container.as_dict()
+        except Exception as e:
+            print("Error reading APManual file:", e)
 
     with open(apmanual_file, 'r') as f:
         return json.loads(b64decode(f.read()))
diff --git a/src/__init__.py b/src/__init__.py
index 8c56e4b5..2b794687 100644
--- a/src/__init__.py
+++ b/src/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-from base64 import b64encode
 import logging
 import os
-import json
 from typing import Callable, Optional
 import webbrowser
 
@@ -9,7 +7,7 @@
 from worlds.generic.Rules import forbid_items_for_player
 from worlds.LauncherComponents import Component, SuffixIdentifier, components, Type, launch_subprocess, icon_paths
 
-from .Data import item_table, location_table, region_table, category_table
+from .Data import item_table, location_table, category_table
 from .Game import game_name, filler_item_name, starting_items
 from .Meta import world_description, world_webworld, enable_region_diagram
 from .Locations import location_id_to_name, location_name_to_id, location_name_to_location, location_name_groups, victory_names
@@ -21,6 +19,7 @@
 from .Rules import set_rules
 from .Options import manual_options_data
 from .Helpers import is_item_enabled, get_option_value, get_items_for_player, resolve_yaml_option, format_state_prog_items_key, ProgItemsCat
+from .container import APManualFile
 
 from BaseClasses import CollectionState, ItemClassification, Item
 from Options import PerGameCommonOptions
@@ -386,10 +385,12 @@ def fill_slot_data(self):
         return slot_data
 
     def generate_output(self, output_directory: str):
-        data = self.client_data()
         filename = f"{self.multiworld.get_out_file_name_base(self.player)}.apmanual"
-        with open(os.path.join(output_directory, filename), 'wb') as f:
-            f.write(b64encode(bytes(json.dumps(data), 'utf-8')))
+        zf_path = os.path.join(output_directory, filename)
+
+        apmanual = APManualFile(zf_path, player=self.player, player_name=self.player_name)
+        apmanual.write()
+
 
     def write_spoiler(self, spoiler_handle):
         before_write_spoiler(self, self.multiworld, spoiler_handle)
@@ -482,18 +483,6 @@ def get_item_counts(self, player: Optional[int] = None, reset: bool = False) ->
             self.item_counts[player] = {i.name: real_pool.count(i) for i in real_pool}
         return self.item_counts.get(player)
 
-    def client_data(self):
-        return {
-            "game": self.game,
-            'player_name': self.multiworld.get_player_name(self.player),
-            'player_id': self.player,
-            'items': self.item_name_to_item,
-            'locations': self.location_name_to_location,
-            # todo: extract connections out of multiworld.get_regions() instead, in case hooks have modified the regions.
-            'regions': region_table,
-            'categories': category_table
-        }
-
 ###
 # Non-world client methods
 ###
diff --git a/src/container.py b/src/container.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..493e06b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/container.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import json
+import zipfile
+from typing import Any
+
+from worlds import Files
+
+from .Data import region_table
+from .Game import game_name
+from .Locations import location_name_to_location
+from .Items import item_name_to_item
+
+if hasattr(Files, 'APPlayerContainer'):
+    APPlayerContainer = Files.APPlayerContainer
+else:
+    # Prior to 0.6.2, all containers were player containers.
+    APPlayerContainer = Files.APContainer
+
+class APManualFile(APPlayerContainer):
+    game = game_name
+    patch_file_ending = ".apmanual"
+
+    def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+    def write_contents(self, opened_zipfile: zipfile.ZipFile):
+        super().write_contents(opened_zipfile)
+        opened_zipfile.writestr("items.json", json.dumps(item_name_to_item, indent=2))
+        opened_zipfile.writestr("locations.json", json.dumps(location_name_to_location, indent=2))
+        opened_zipfile.writestr("regions.json", json.dumps(region_table, indent=2))
+
+    def read_contents(self, opened_zipfile: zipfile.ZipFile) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        manifest = super().read_contents(opened_zipfile)
+        self.items = json.loads(opened_zipfile.read("items.json"))
+        self.locations = json.loads(opened_zipfile.read("locations.json"))
+        self.regions = json.loads(opened_zipfile.read("regions.json"))
+        return manifest
+
+    def as_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        data = {}
+        data["items"] = self.items
+        data["locations"] = self.locations
+        data["regions"] = self.regions
+        return data