diff --git a/src/client/client.cpp b/src/client/client.cpp
index caa3cc78c..3190641cf 100644
--- a/src/client/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client/client.cpp
@@ -200,14 +200,30 @@ void Client::scanModSubfolder(const std::string &mod_name, const std::string &mo
 	std::string full_path = mod_path + DIR_DELIM + mod_subpath;
 	std::vector<fs::DirListNode> mod = fs::GetDirListing(full_path);
 	for (const fs::DirListNode &j : mod) {
-		std::string filename = j.name;
 		if (j.dir) {
-			scanModSubfolder(mod_name, mod_path, mod_subpath
-					+ filename + DIR_DELIM);
+			scanModSubfolder(mod_name, mod_path, mod_subpath + j.name + DIR_DELIM);
 			continue;
 		}
-		std::replace( mod_subpath.begin(), mod_subpath.end(), DIR_DELIM_CHAR, '/');
-		m_mod_files[mod_name + ":" + mod_subpath + filename] = full_path  + filename;
+		std::replace(mod_subpath.begin(), mod_subpath.end(), DIR_DELIM_CHAR, '/');
+
+		std::string real_path = full_path + j.name;
+		std::string vfs_path = mod_name + ":" + mod_subpath + j.name;
+		infostream << "Client::scanModSubfolder(): Loading \"" << real_path
+				<< "\" as \"" << vfs_path << "\"." << std::endl;
+
+		std::ifstream is(real_path, std::ios::binary | std::ios::ate);
+		if(!is.good()) {
+			errorstream << "Client::scanModSubfolder(): Can't read file \""
+					<< real_path << "\"." << std::endl;
+			continue;
+		}
+		auto size = is.tellg();
+		std::string contents(size, '\0');
+		is.seekg(0);
+		is.read(&contents[0], size);
+
+		infostream << "  size: " << size << " bytes" << std::endl;
+		m_mod_vfs.emplace(vfs_path, contents);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1866,12 +1882,9 @@ scene::IAnimatedMesh* Client::getMesh(const std::string &filename, bool cache)
 
 const std::string* Client::getModFile(const std::string &filename)
 {
-	StringMap::const_iterator it = m_mod_files.find(filename);
-	if (it == m_mod_files.end()) {
-		errorstream << "Client::getModFile(): File not found: \"" << filename
-			<< "\"" << std::endl;
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	StringMap::const_iterator it = m_mod_vfs.find(filename);
+	if (it == m_mod_vfs.end())
+		return nullptr;
 	return &it->second;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/client.h b/src/client/client.h
index e3c931837..40ad4c064 100644
--- a/src/client/client.h
+++ b/src/client/client.h
@@ -576,8 +576,6 @@ private:
 	// Storage for mesh data for creating multiple instances of the same mesh
 	StringMap m_mesh_data;
 
-	StringMap m_mod_files;
-
 	// own state
 	LocalClientState m_state;
 
@@ -588,11 +586,13 @@ private:
 	IntervalLimiter m_localdb_save_interval;
 	u16 m_cache_save_interval;
 
+	// Client modding
 	ClientScripting *m_script = nullptr;
 	bool m_modding_enabled;
 	std::unordered_map<std::string, ModMetadata *> m_mod_storages;
 	float m_mod_storage_save_timer = 10.0f;
 	std::vector<ModSpec> m_mods;
+	StringMap m_mod_vfs;
 
 	bool m_shutdown = false;
 
diff --git a/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp b/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
index caa335d76..1f40bb06a 100644
--- a/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
+++ b/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
@@ -197,18 +197,22 @@ void ScriptApiBase::loadModFromMemory(const std::string &mod_name)
 {
 	ModNameStorer mod_name_storer(getStack(), mod_name);
 
-	const std::string *init_filename = getClient()->getModFile(mod_name + ":init.lua");
-	const std::string display_filename = mod_name + ":init.lua";
-	if(init_filename == NULL)
-		throw ModError("Mod:\"" + mod_name + "\" lacks init.lua");
+	sanity_check(m_type == ScriptingType::Client);
 
-	verbosestream << "Loading and running script " << display_filename << std::endl;
+	const std::string init_filename = mod_name + ":init.lua";
+	const std::string chunk_name = "@" + init_filename;
+
+	const std::string *contents = getClient()->getModFile(init_filename);
+	if (!contents)
+		throw ModError("Mod \"" + mod_name + "\" lacks init.lua");
+
+	verbosestream << "Loading and running script " << chunk_name << std::endl;
 
 	lua_State *L = getStack();
 
 	int error_handler = PUSH_ERROR_HANDLER(L);
 
-	bool ok = ScriptApiSecurity::safeLoadFile(L, init_filename->c_str(), display_filename.c_str());
+	bool ok = ScriptApiSecurity::safeLoadString(L, *contents, chunk_name.c_str());
 	if (ok)
 		ok = !lua_pcall(L, 0, 0, error_handler);
 	if (!ok) {
diff --git a/src/script/cpp_api/s_security.cpp b/src/script/cpp_api/s_security.cpp
index fd68a2cb0..b5abcfb5d 100644
--- a/src/script/cpp_api/s_security.cpp
+++ b/src/script/cpp_api/s_security.cpp
@@ -627,16 +627,19 @@ int ScriptApiSecurity::sl_g_loadfile(lua_State *L)
 	ScriptApiBase *script = (ScriptApiBase *) lua_touserdata(L, -1);
 	lua_pop(L, 1);
 
+	// Client implementation
 	if (script->getType() == ScriptingType::Client) {
-		std::string display_path = readParam<std::string>(L, 1);
-		const std::string *path = script->getClient()->getModFile(display_path);
-		if (!path) {
-			std::string error_msg = "Coudln't find script called:" + display_path;
+		std::string path = readParam<std::string>(L, 1);
+		const std::string *contents = script->getClient()->getModFile(path);
+		if (!contents) {
+			std::string error_msg = "Coudln't find script called: " + path;
 			lua_pushnil(L);
 			lua_pushstring(L, error_msg.c_str());
 			return 2;
 		}
-		if (!safeLoadFile(L, path->c_str(), display_path.c_str())) {
+
+		std::string chunk_name = "@" + path;
+		if (!safeLoadString(L, *contents, chunk_name.c_str())) {
 			lua_pushnil(L);
 			lua_insert(L, -2);
 			return 2;
@@ -644,6 +647,8 @@ int ScriptApiSecurity::sl_g_loadfile(lua_State *L)
 		return 1;
 	}
 #endif
+
+	// Server implementation
 	const char *path = NULL;
 	if (lua_isstring(L, 1)) {
 		path = lua_tostring(L, 1);