diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Database/FirmwareDatabase.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Database/FirmwareDatabase.cs
index 0cbc5a245d..5f65ab4d0a 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Database/FirmwareDatabase.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Database/FirmwareDatabase.cs
@@ -165,22 +165,10 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Common
 			FirmwareAndOption(SHA1Checksum.Dummy, 251658240 + 64, "NDS", "NAND (CHN)", "DSi_Nand_CHN.bin", "DSi NAND (China)");
 			FirmwareAndOption(SHA1Checksum.Dummy, 251658240 + 64, "NDS", "NAND (KOR)", "DSi_Nand_KOR.bin", "DSi NAND (Korea)");
 
-			FirmwareAndOption("5A3D3D6DF4743E6B50AFE0FC717FA8A12BC888E6", 65536, "3DS", "boot9", "3DS_Boot9.bin", "ARM9 BIOS");
-			FirmwareAndOption("B9CFA84916A930D272250130D67CEB822141177D", 512, "3DS", "sector0x96", "sector0x96.bin", "Secret Section");
 			// bleh, undefined hash AND size...
+			FirmwareAndOption(SHA1Checksum.Dummy, 0, "3DS", "aes_keys", "aes_keys.txt", "AES Keys");
 			FirmwareAndOption(SHA1Checksum.Dummy, 0, "3DS", "seeddb", "seeddb.bin", "SEEDDB");
 
-			Firmware("3DS", "NATIVE_FIRM", "3DS Native Firmware");
-			// TODO: add the other 26 native firmware versions!!!
-			var o3ds_nf_v27476 = File("4DBEB23726B1516FE7B4691BA8DB5602FE49CDA0", 984320, "0004013800000002.cia", "3DS Native Firmware (11.3.0-36)");
-			Option("3DS", "NATIVE_FIRM", in o3ds_nf_v27476, FirmwareOptionStatus.Ideal);
-			Firmware("3DS", "SAFE_MODE_FIRM", "3DS Safe Mode Firmware");
-			var o3ds_smf_v432 = File("58732AA986BCC7570AC63A1BB2B6865CC6DE215E", 861440, "0004013800000003.cia", "3DS Safe Mode Firmware (1.0.0-0)");
-			var o3ds_smf_v5632 = File("0FD265D5CF251E70EAC455C91DAD39447EDEEA57", 861440, "0004013800000003.cia", "3DS Safe Mode Firmware (3.0.0-5)");
-			Option("3DS", "SAFE_MODE_FIRM", in o3ds_smf_v432);
-			Option("3DS", "SAFE_MODE_FIRM", in o3ds_smf_v5632, FirmwareOptionStatus.Ideal);
-			FirmwareAndOption("2C25467FA2FADB73EB3A137072643C65033B0483", 1012992, "3DS", "N3DS_SAFE_MODE_FIRM", "0004013820000003.cia", "New 3DS Safe Mode Firmware");
-
 			FirmwareAndOption("E4ED47FAE31693E016B081C6BDA48DA5B70D7CCB", 512, "Lynx", "Boot", "LYNX_boot.img", "Boot Rom");
 
 			FirmwareAndOption("5A65B922B562CB1F57DAB51B73151283F0E20C7A", 8192, "INTV", "EROM", "INTV_EROM.bin", "Executive Rom");
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/3DS/Citra.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/3DS/Citra.cs
index f3f28bc794..427cbf889e 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/3DS/Citra.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/3DS/Citra.cs
@@ -88,49 +88,24 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Consoles.Nintendo._3DS
 
 			_serviceProvider.Register<IVideoProvider>(_citraVideoProvider);
 
-			var boot9 = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(new("3DS", "boot9"));
-			if (boot9 is not null)
+			var sysDataDir = Path.Combine(_userPath, "sysdata");
+			if (!Directory.Exists(sysDataDir))
 			{
-				File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(_userPath, "sysdata", "boot9.bin"), boot9);
+				Directory.CreateDirectory(sysDataDir);
 			}
 
-			var sector0x96 = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(new("3DS", "sector0x96"));
-			if (sector0x96 is not null)
+			var aesKeys = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(new("3DS", "aes_keys"));
+			if (aesKeys is not null)
 			{
-				File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(_userPath, "sysdata", "sector0x96.bin"), sector0x96);
+				File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(sysDataDir, "aes_keys.txt"), aesKeys);
 			}
 
 			var seeddb = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(new("3DS", "seeddb"));
 			if (seeddb is not null)
 			{
-				File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(_userPath, "sysdata", "seeddb.bin"), seeddb);
+				File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(sysDataDir, "seeddb.bin"), seeddb);
 			}
 
-			void InstallFirmCia(string firmName)
-			{
-				var firm = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(new("3DS", firmName));
-				if (firm is not null)
-				{
-					var firmCia = TempFileManager.GetTempFilename(firmName, ".cia", false);
-					try
-					{
-						File.WriteAllBytes(firmCia, firm);
-						var message = new byte[1024];
-						_core.Citra_InstallCIA(_context, firmCia, true, message, message.Length);
-						// InstallCIA returns false as these CIAs should not be executable
-						Util.DebugWriteLine(Encoding.UTF8.GetString(message).TrimEnd());
-					}
-					finally
-					{
-						TempFileManager.RenameTempFilenameForDelete(firmCia);
-					}
-				}
-			}
-
-			InstallFirmCia("NATIVE_FIRM");
-			InstallFirmCia("SAFE_MODE_FIRM");
-			InstallFirmCia("N3DS_SAFE_MODE_FIRM");
-
 			var romPath = lp.Roms[0].RomPath;
 			if (lp.Roms[0].Extension.ToLowerInvariant() == ".cia")
 			{