diff --git a/Common/File/VFS/VFS.cpp b/Common/File/VFS/VFS.cpp
index 634f53baa1..260a6b007a 100644
--- a/Common/File/VFS/VFS.cpp
+++ b/Common/File/VFS/VFS.cpp
@@ -8,8 +8,12 @@
 VFS g_VFS;
 
 void VFS::Register(const char *prefix, VFSBackend *reader) {
-	entries_.push_back(VFSEntry{ prefix, reader });
-	DEBUG_LOG(IO, "Registered VFS for prefix %s: %s", prefix, reader->toString().c_str());
+	if (reader) {
+		entries_.push_back(VFSEntry{ prefix, reader });
+		DEBUG_LOG(IO, "Registered VFS for prefix %s: %s", prefix, reader->toString().c_str());
+	} else {
+		ERROR_LOG(IO, "Trying to register null VFS backend for prefix %s", prefix);
+	}
 }
 
 void VFS::Clear() {
diff --git a/android/jni/app-android.cpp b/android/jni/app-android.cpp
index a85fba04f2..d7ac20ec4b 100644
--- a/android/jni/app-android.cpp
+++ b/android/jni/app-android.cpp
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeApp_init
 	deviceType = jdeviceType;
 
 	Path apkPath(GetJavaString(env, japkpath));
-	g_VFS.Register("", new ZipFileReader(apkPath, "assets/"));
+	g_VFS.Register("", ZipFileReader::Create(apkPath, "assets/"));
 
 	systemName = GetJavaString(env, jmodel);
 	langRegion = GetJavaString(env, jlangRegion);
diff --git a/headless/Headless.cpp b/headless/Headless.cpp
index c61e248d0a..9f9da25825 100644
--- a/headless/Headless.cpp
+++ b/headless/Headless.cpp
@@ -483,10 +483,10 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
 #if PPSSPP_PLATFORM(ANDROID)
 	// For some reason the debugger installs it with this name?
 	if (File::Exists(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp-2.apk"))) {
-		g_VFS.Register("", new ZipFileReader(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp-2.apk"), "assets/"));
+		g_VFS.Register("", ZipFileReader::Create(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp-2.apk"), "assets/"));
 	}
 	if (File::Exists(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp.apk"))) {
-		g_VFS.Register("", new ZipFileReader(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp.apk"), "assets/"));
+		g_VFS.Register("", ZipFileReader::Create(Path("/data/app/org.ppsspp.ppsspp.apk"), "assets/"));
 	}
 #elif !PPSSPP_PLATFORM(WINDOWS)
 	g_VFS.Register("", new DirectoryReader(g_Config.flash0Directory / ".."));