diff --git a/Dist/Package.sh b/Dist/Package.sh
index d6dea0f7ba..0d5f22a268 100755
--- a/Dist/Package.sh
+++ b/Dist/Package.sh
@@ -6,5 +6,4 @@ find "output" -type f \( -wholename "output/EmuHawk.exe" -o -wholename "output/D
 if [ "$1" = "windows-x64" ]; then rm "packaged_output/EmuHawkMono.sh"; fi
 find "packaged_output/dll" -type f -name "*.xml" -exec rm "{}" \;
 mkdir "packaged_output/Firmware"
-cd "packaged_output/gamedb" && 7za a -t7z -mx9 "NesCarts.7z" "NesCarts.xml" && rm "NesCarts.xml" && cd "../.."
 find "packaged_output" -type f -name "*.sh" -exec chmod +x {} \; # installed with -m644 but needs to be 755
diff --git a/Dist/QuickTestBuildAndPackage.bat b/Dist/QuickTestBuildAndPackage.bat
index 30f4fe8bfc..30aed11744 100644
--- a/Dist/QuickTestBuildAndPackage.bat
+++ b/Dist/QuickTestBuildAndPackage.bat
@@ -69,12 +69,6 @@ cd temp
 rem Patch up working dir with a few other things we want
 mkdir Firmware
 
-rem compress nescart 7z
-cd gamedb
-..\..\7za a -t7z -mx9 NesCarts.7z NesCarts.xml
-del NesCarts.xml
-cd ..
-
 rem Build the final zip
 ..\zip.exe -X -9 -r ..\%NAME% . -i \*
 cd ..
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/BootGodDB.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/BootGodDB.cs
index aa6c8733f5..d728ad1ae9 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/BootGodDB.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/BootGodDB.cs
@@ -55,14 +55,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 			// notes: there can be multiple each of prg,chr,wram,vram
 			// we aren't tracking the individual hashes yet.
 
-			string xmlPath = Path.Combine(basePath, "NesCarts.xml");
-			string x7zPath = Path.Combine(basePath, "NesCarts.7z");
-			bool loadXml = File.Exists(xmlPath);
-			using var nesCartFile = new HawkFile(loadXml ? xmlPath : x7zPath);
-			if (!loadXml)
-			{
-				nesCartFile.BindFirst();
-			}
+			using HawkFile nesCartFile = new(Path.Combine(basePath, "NesCarts.xml"));
 
 			var stream = nesCartFile.GetStream();