diff --git a/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp b/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
index 00fe9ed..8601767 100644
--- a/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
+++ b/src/CardinalPlugin.cpp
@@ -798,6 +798,24 @@ protected:
             // context->history->setSaved();
 
            #if CARDINAL_VARIANT_MINI
+            FILE* const f = std::fopen(join(context->patch->autosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "r");
+            DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr, String());
+
+            DEFER({
+                std::fclose(f);
+            });
+
+            std::fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
+            const long fileSize = std::ftell(f);
+            DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(fileSize > 0, String());
+
+            std::fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
+            char* const fileContent = static_cast<char*>(std::malloc(fileSize+1));
+
+            DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(std::fread(fileContent, fileSize, 1, f) == 1, String());
+            fileContent[fileSize] = '\0';
+
+            return String(fileContent, false);
            #else
             try {
                 data = rack::system::archiveDirectory(fAutosavePath, 1);
@@ -813,7 +831,7 @@ protected:
        #if CARDINAL_VARIANT_MINI
         if (std::strcmp(key, "param") == 0)
         {
-            longlong moduleId = 0;
+            long long moduleId = 0;
             int paramId = 0;
             float paramValue = 0.f;
             std::sscanf(value, "%lld:%d:%f", &moduleId, &paramId, &paramValue);
@@ -886,13 +904,13 @@ protected:
             return;
 
        #if CARDINAL_VARIANT_MINI
-        FILE* const f = std::fopen(rack::system::join(fAutosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "w");
-        DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr,);
-
         rack::system::removeRecursively(fAutosavePath);
         rack::system::createDirectories(fAutosavePath);
 
-        std::fwrite(value, std::strlen(value)+1, 1, f);
+        FILE* const f = std::fopen(rack::system::join(fAutosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "w");
+        DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr,);
+
+        std::fwrite(value, std::strlen(value), 1, f);
         std::fclose(f);
        #else
         const std::vector<uint8_t> data(d_getChunkFromBase64String(value));
@@ -924,6 +942,8 @@ protected:
 
         try {
             context->patch->loadAutosave();
+        } catch(const rack::Exception& e) {
+            d_stderr(e.what());
         } DISTRHO_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("setState loadAutosave",);
 
         // context->history->setSaved();
diff --git a/src/CardinalRemote.cpp b/src/CardinalRemote.cpp
index 4f72a3f..3c2173c 100644
--- a/src/CardinalRemote.cpp
+++ b/src/CardinalRemote.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ void sendParamChangeToRemote(RemoteDetails* const remote, int64_t moduleId, int
 {
 #if CARDINAL_VARIANT_MINI
     char paramBuf[512] = {};
-    std::snprintf(paramBuf, sizeof(paramBuf), "%llu:%d:%f", (ulonglong)moduleId, paramId, value);
+    std::snprintf(paramBuf, sizeof(paramBuf), "%lld:%d:%f", (long long)moduleId, paramId, value);
     static_cast<CardinalBaseUI*>(remote->handle)->setState("param", paramBuf);
 #elif defined(HAVE_LIBLO)
     const lo_address addr = lo_address_new_with_proto(LO_UDP, REMOTE_HOST, CARDINAL_DEFAULT_REMOTE_HOST_PORT);
@@ -164,11 +164,24 @@ void sendFullPatchToRemote(RemoteDetails* const remote)
     using namespace rack::system;
 
    #if CARDINAL_VARIANT_MINI
-    try {
-        data = readFile(join(context->patch->autosavePath, "patch.json"));
-    } DISTRHO_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("sendFullPatchToRemote",);
+    FILE* const f = std::fopen(join(context->patch->autosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "r");
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr,);
 
-    static_cast<CardinalBaseUI*>(remote->handle)->setState("patch", reinterpret_cast<const char*>(data.data()));
+    DEFER({
+        std::fclose(f);
+    });
+
+    std::fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
+    const long fileSize = std::ftell(f);
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(fileSize > 0,);
+
+    std::fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
+    char* const fileContent = new char[fileSize+1];
+
+    DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(std::fread(fileContent, fileSize, 1, f) == 1,);
+    fileContent[fileSize] = '\0';
+    static_cast<CardinalBaseUI*>(remote->handle)->setState("patch", fileContent);
+    delete[] fileContent;
    #elif defined(HAVE_LIBLO)
     try {
         data = archiveDirectory(context->patch->autosavePath, 1);
diff --git a/src/CardinalUI.cpp b/src/CardinalUI.cpp
index dbd0eb4..b33ff76 100644
--- a/src/CardinalUI.cpp
+++ b/src/CardinalUI.cpp
@@ -826,34 +826,21 @@ protected:
             if (fAutosavePath.empty())
                 return;
 
-            const std::vector<uint8_t> data(d_getChunkFromBase64String(value));
-
-            DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(data.size() >= 4,);
-
             rack::system::removeRecursively(fAutosavePath);
             rack::system::createDirectories(fAutosavePath);
 
-            static constexpr const char zstdMagic[] = "\x28\xb5\x2f\xfd";
+            FILE* const f = std::fopen(rack::system::join(fAutosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "w");
+            DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr,);
 
-            if (std::memcmp(data.data(), zstdMagic, sizeof(zstdMagic)) != 0)
-            {
-                FILE* const f = std::fopen(rack::system::join(fAutosavePath, "patch.json").c_str(), "w");
-                DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(f != nullptr,);
-
-                std::fwrite(data.data(), data.size(), 1, f);
-                std::fclose(f);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                try {
-                    rack::system::unarchiveToDirectory(data, fAutosavePath);
-                } DISTRHO_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("setState unarchiveToDirectory",);
-            }
+            std::fwrite(value, std::strlen(value), 1, f);
+            std::fclose(f);
 
             const ScopedContext sc(this);
 
             try {
                 context->patch->loadAutosave();
+            } catch(const rack::Exception& e) {
+                d_stderr(e.what());
             } DISTRHO_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("setState loadAutosave",);
 
             return;
diff --git a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
index 644ae31..42e9423 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
+++ b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
@@ -356,6 +356,10 @@ BUILD_CXX_FLAGS += -std=gnu++17
 endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(CARDINAL_VARIANT),mini)
+BUILD_CXX_FLAGS += -DDISTRHO_PLUGIN_MINIMUM_BUFFER_SIZE=0xffff
+endif
+
 # Rack code is not tested for this flag, unset it
 BUILD_CXX_FLAGS += -U_GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS -Wp,-U_GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS