diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 89eb4baa6..c7507bf2e 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ group = org.quiltmc
 description = The mod loading component of Quilt
 url = https://github.com/quiltmc/quilt-loader
 # Don't forget to change this in QuiltLoaderImpl as well
-quilt_loader = 0.20.0-beta.6
+quilt_loader = 0.20.0-beta.7
 
 # Fabric & Quilt Libraries
 asm = 9.5
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/QuiltLoaderImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/QuiltLoaderImpl.java
index b736c76a6..18520a522 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/QuiltLoaderImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/QuiltLoaderImpl.java
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public final class QuiltLoaderImpl {
 
 	public static final int ASM_VERSION = Opcodes.ASM9;
 
-	public static final String VERSION = "0.20.0-beta.6";
+	public static final String VERSION = "0.20.0-beta.7";
 	public static final String MOD_ID = "quilt_loader";
 	public static final String DEFAULT_MODS_DIR = "mods";
 	public static final String DEFAULT_CACHE_DIR = ".cache";
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/filesystem/QuiltZipFileSystem.java b/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/filesystem/QuiltZipFileSystem.java
index e228df01d..6a7f4493c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/filesystem/QuiltZipFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/quiltmc/loader/impl/filesystem/QuiltZipFileSystem.java
@@ -28,19 +28,14 @@
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
-import java.nio.file.FileStore;
 import java.nio.file.FileSystems;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.OpenOption;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.StandardOpenOption;
-import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributeView;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributes;
-import java.nio.file.attribute.FileAttributeView;
-import java.nio.file.attribute.FileStoreAttributeView;
 import java.nio.file.spi.FileSystemProvider;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -55,6 +50,7 @@
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.filesystem.QuiltUnifiedEntry.QuiltUnifiedFile;
 import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.filesystem.QuiltUnifiedEntry.QuiltUnifiedFolderReadOnly;
+import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.filesystem.QuiltUnifiedEntry.QuiltUnifiedFolderWriteable;
 import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.util.ExposedByteArrayOutputStream;
 import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.util.FileUtil;
 import org.quiltmc.loader.impl.util.LimitedInputStream;
@@ -92,6 +88,9 @@ public QuiltZipFileSystem(String name, Path zipFrom, String zipPathPrefix) throw
 			source = new InMemorySource(Files.newInputStream(zipFrom));
 		}
 
+		// Ensure root exists - empty zips wouldn't create this otherwise
+		addEntryAndParents(new QuiltUnifiedFolderWriteable(root));
+
 		// Check for our header
 		byte[] header = new byte[QuiltZipCustomCompressedWriter.HEADER.length];
 		try (InputStream fileStream = source.openConstructingStream()) {
@@ -122,10 +121,6 @@ public QuiltZipFileSystem(String name, Path zipFrom, String zipPathPrefix) throw
 		QuiltZipFileSystemProvider.PROVIDER.register(this);
 		validate();
 		dumpEntries(name);
-
-		if (!isDirectory(root)) {
-			throw new IllegalStateException("Missing root???");
-		}
 	}
 
 	@Override