diff --git a/src/pc/lua/utils/smlua_audio_utils.c b/src/pc/lua/utils/smlua_audio_utils.c
index 63cc1ff1..d2df0423 100644
--- a/src/pc/lua/utils/smlua_audio_utils.c
+++ b/src/pc/lua/utils/smlua_audio_utils.c
@@ -222,18 +222,28 @@ struct BassAudio* audio_load_internal(const char* filename, bool isStream) {
     // remember file
     bassAudio->file = modFile;
 
-    // copy audio into rawData
+    // open file pointer
+    bool opened = false;
     if (modFile->fp == NULL) {
         modFile->fp = fopen(modFile->cachedPath, "rb");
         if (modFile->fp == NULL) {
             LOG_ERROR("Could not open mod file: %s", modFile->cachedPath);
             return NULL;
         }
+        opened = true;
     }
+
+    // copy data
     rewind(modFile->fp);
     bassAudio->rawData = (char*)malloc(modFile->size * sizeof(char));
     fread(bassAudio->rawData, modFile->size, 1, modFile->fp);
 
+    // close file pointer
+    if (opened) {
+        fclose(modFile->fp);
+        modFile->fp = NULL;
+    }
+
     // load audio and return it
     if (isStream) {
         bassAudio->handle = bassh_create_fx_stream_from_file(bassAudio->rawData, modFile->size, 0);
diff --git a/src/pc/mods/mods.c b/src/pc/mods/mods.c
index 090d1b43..f8887339 100644
--- a/src/pc/mods/mods.c
+++ b/src/pc/mods/mods.c
@@ -71,22 +71,6 @@ void mods_activate(struct Mods* mods) {
         }
     }
 
-    // open file pointers
-    if (mods != &gRemoteMods) {
-        for (int i = 0; i < gActiveMods.entryCount; i++) {
-            struct Mod* mod = gActiveMods.entries[i];
-            for (int j = 0; j < mod->fileCount; j++) {
-                struct ModFile* file = &mod->files[j];
-
-                file->fp = fopen(file->cachedPath, "rb");
-                if (file->fp == NULL) {
-                    LOG_ERROR("Failed to open file '%s'", file->cachedPath);
-                    continue;
-                }
-
-            }
-        }
-    }
     mod_cache_save();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pc/network/packets/packet_download.c b/src/pc/network/packets/packet_download.c
index c11c3515..edce6541 100644
--- a/src/pc/network/packets/packet_download.c
+++ b/src/pc/network/packets/packet_download.c
@@ -265,10 +265,27 @@ void network_send_download(u64 requestOffset) {
             u64 fileReadOffset = MAX(((s64)requestOffset - (s64)fileStartOffset), 0);
             u64 fileReadLength = MIN((modFile->size - fileReadOffset), (CHUNK_SIZE - chunkFill));
 
+            // open file pointer
+            bool opened = false;
+            if (modFile->fp == NULL) {
+                modFile->fp = fopen(modFile->cachedPath, "rb");
+                if (modFile->fp == NULL) {
+                    LOG_ERROR("Failed to open mod file during download: %s", modFile->cachedPath);
+                    return;
+                }
+                opened = true;
+            }
+
             // read from file, filling chunk
             fseek(modFile->fp, fileReadOffset, SEEK_SET);
             fread(&chunk[chunkFill], sizeof(u8), fileReadLength, modFile->fp);
 
+            // close file pointer
+            if (opened) {
+                fclose(modFile->fp);
+                modFile->fp = NULL;
+            }
+
             // increment counters
             chunkFill += fileReadLength;
             fileStartOffset += modFile->size;
@@ -384,8 +401,19 @@ after_group:;
             // read from file, filling chunk
             if (!modFile->cachedPath) {
                 open_mod_file(mod, modFile);
+                if (modFile->fp == NULL) {
+                    LOG_ERROR("Failed to open file for download write: %s", modFile->cachedPath);
+                    return;
+                }
                 fseek(modFile->fp, fileWriteOffset, SEEK_SET);
                 fwrite(&chunk[chunkPour], sizeof(u8), fileWriteLength, modFile->fp);
+
+                if (modFile->fp != NULL) {
+                    fflush(modFile->fp);
+                    fclose(modFile->fp);
+                    modFile->fp = NULL;
+                }
+
                 wroteBytes += fileWriteLength;
             }