diff --git a/include/libwebsockets/lws-vfs.h b/include/libwebsockets/lws-vfs.h
index 4b0c70738..b59b4ac75 100644
--- a/include/libwebsockets/lws-vfs.h
+++ b/include/libwebsockets/lws-vfs.h
@@ -93,10 +93,15 @@ struct lws_fops_index {
 };
 
 struct lws_plat_file_ops {
-	lws_fop_fd_t (*LWS_FOP_OPEN)(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops,
+	lws_fop_fd_t (*LWS_FOP_OPEN)(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+				     const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops,
 				     const char *filename, const char *vpath,
 				     lws_fop_flags_t *flags);
 	/**< Open file (always binary access if plat supports it)
+	 * fops_own is the fops this was called through.  fops is the base
+	 * fops the open can use to find files to process as present as its own,
+	 * like the zip fops does.
+	 *
 	 * vpath may be NULL, or if the fops understands it, the point at which
 	 * the filename's virtual part starts.
 	 * *flags & LWS_FOP_FLAGS_MASK should be set to O_RDONLY or O_RDWR.
@@ -121,7 +126,12 @@ struct lws_plat_file_ops {
 	/**< vfs path signatures implying use of this fops */
 
 	const struct lws_plat_file_ops *next;
-	/**< NULL or next fops in list */
+	/**< NULL or next fops in list... eg copy static fops def to heap
+	 * and modify copy at runtime */
+
+	struct lws_context		*cx;
+	/**< the lws_context...  eg copy static fops def to heap
+	 * and modify copy at runtime */
 
 	/* Add new things just above here ---^
 	 * This is part of the ABI, don't needlessly break compatibility */
@@ -254,7 +264,8 @@ lws_vfs_file_write(lws_fop_fd_t fop_fd, lws_filepos_t *amount,
  */
 
 LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN lws_fop_fd_t
-_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
+_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+		    const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 		    const char *vpath, lws_fop_flags_t *flags);
 LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN int
 _lws_plat_file_close(lws_fop_fd_t *fop_fd);
diff --git a/lib/core/context.c b/lib/core/context.c
index b927b448f..c1fbf45dc 100644
--- a/lib/core/context.c
+++ b/lib/core/context.c
@@ -892,6 +892,7 @@ lws_create_context(const struct lws_context_creation_info *info)
 	context->fops_platform.LWS_FOP_READ	= _lws_plat_file_read;
 	context->fops_platform.LWS_FOP_WRITE	= _lws_plat_file_write;
 	context->fops_platform.fi[0].sig	= NULL;
+	context->fops_platform.cx		= context;
 
 	/*
 	 *  arrange a linear linked-list of fops starting from context->fops
@@ -908,6 +909,7 @@ lws_create_context(const struct lws_context_creation_info *info)
 	/* make a soft copy so we can set .next */
 	context->fops_zip = fops_zip;
 	prev->next = &context->fops_zip;
+	context->fops_zip.cx = context;
 	prev = (struct lws_plat_file_ops *)prev->next;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/lib/core/vfs.c b/lib/core/vfs.c
index e14d41592..01c44d0f3 100644
--- a/lib/core/vfs.c
+++ b/lib/core/vfs.c
@@ -88,20 +88,41 @@ lws_vfs_select_fops(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *vfs_path,
 	 * handled by a specific fops
 	 */
 
+	pf = fops->next; /* the first one is always platform fops, so skip */
+	while (pf) {
+		n = 0;
+		while (pf && n < (int)LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(pf->fi) && pf->fi[n].sig) {
+			if (!strncmp(p, pf->fi[n].sig, pf->fi[n].len)) {
+				*vpath = p + pf->fi[n].len;
+				//lwsl_notice("%s: hit, vpath '%s'\n",
+				//		__func__, *vpath);
+				return pf;
+			}
+			pf = pf->next;
+			n++;
+		}
+	}
+
 	while (p && *p) {
 		if (*p != '/') {
 			p++;
 			continue;
 		}
-		/* the first one is always platform fops, so skip */
-		pf = fops->next;
+
+		pf = fops->next; /* the first one is always platform fops, so skip */
 		while (pf) {
 			n = 0;
 			while (n < (int)LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(pf->fi) && pf->fi[n].sig) {
+				lwsl_warn("%s %s\n", p, pf->fi[n].sig);
 				if (p >= vfs_path + pf->fi[n].len)
+					/*
+					 * Accept sigs like .... .zip or
+					 * mysig...
+					 */
 					if (!strncmp(p - (pf->fi[n].len - 1),
 						     pf->fi[n].sig,
-						     (unsigned int)(pf->fi[n].len - 1))) {
+						     (unsigned int)(pf->fi[n].len - 1)) ||
+					    !strncmp(p, pf->fi[n].sig, pf->fi[n].len)) {
 						*vpath = p + 1;
 						return pf;
 					}
@@ -125,7 +146,7 @@ lws_vfs_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *vfs_path,
 
 	selected = lws_vfs_select_fops(fops, vfs_path, &vpath);
 
-	return selected->LWS_FOP_OPEN(fops, vfs_path, vpath, flags);
+	return selected->LWS_FOP_OPEN(selected, fops, vfs_path, vpath, flags);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/plat/freertos/freertos-file.c b/lib/plat/freertos/freertos-file.c
index 033d2587f..f4ff76ef5 100644
--- a/lib/plat/freertos/freertos-file.c
+++ b/lib/plat/freertos/freertos-file.c
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ int lws_plat_apply_FD_CLOEXEC(int n)
 
 
 lws_fop_fd_t IRAM_ATTR
-_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
+_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+		    const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 		    const char *vpath, lws_fop_flags_t *flags)
 {
 	struct stat stat_buf;
diff --git a/lib/plat/unix/unix-file.c b/lib/plat/unix/unix-file.c
index 81cbb222e..fe4960d7d 100644
--- a/lib/plat/unix/unix-file.c
+++ b/lib/plat/unix/unix-file.c
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ lws_plat_read_file(const char *filename, void *buf, size_t len)
 }
 
 lws_fop_fd_t
-_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
+_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+		    const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 		    const char *vpath, lws_fop_flags_t *flags)
 {
 	struct stat stat_buf;
diff --git a/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c b/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
index ba78bc64e..1cbdd0cee 100644
--- a/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
+++ b/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ int lws_plat_apply_FD_CLOEXEC(int n)
 }
 
 lws_fop_fd_t
-_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
+_lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+		    const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 		    const char *vpath, lws_fop_flags_t *flags)
 {
 	HANDLE ret;
diff --git a/lib/roles/http/server/fops-zip.c b/lib/roles/http/server/fops-zip.c
index 832dcfc1d..43ed0c04e 100644
--- a/lib/roles/http/server/fops-zip.c
+++ b/lib/roles/http/server/fops-zip.c
@@ -315,7 +315,8 @@ lws_fops_zip_reset_inflate(lws_fops_zip_t priv)
 }
 
 static lws_fop_fd_t
-lws_fops_zip_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *vfs_path,
+lws_fops_zip_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops_own,
+		  const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *vfs_path,
 		  const char *vpath, lws_fop_flags_t *flags)
 {
 	lws_fop_flags_t local_flags = 0;
@@ -342,7 +343,7 @@ lws_fops_zip_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *vfs_path,
 
 	/* open the zip file itself using the incoming fops, not fops_zip */
 
-	priv->zip_fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(fops, rp, NULL, &local_flags);
+	priv->zip_fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(fops_own, fops, rp, NULL, &local_flags);
 	if (!priv->zip_fop_fd) {
 		lwsl_err("%s: unable to open zip %s\n", __func__, rp);
 		goto bail1;
@@ -652,4 +653,5 @@ struct lws_plat_file_ops fops_zip = {
 	NULL,
 	{ { ".zip/", 5 }, { ".jar/", 5 }, { ".war/", 5 } },
 	NULL,
+	NULL,
 };
diff --git a/lib/roles/http/server/server.c b/lib/roles/http/server/server.c
index 667980d85..b93fb861f 100644
--- a/lib/roles/http/server/server.c
+++ b/lib/roles/http/server/server.c
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ lws_http_serve(struct lws *wsi, char *uri, const char *origin,
 		if (wsi->http.fop_fd)
 			lws_vfs_file_close(&wsi->http.fop_fd);
 
-		wsi->http.fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(wsi->a.context->fops,
+		wsi->http.fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(fops, wsi->a.context->fops,
 							path, vpath, &fflags);
 		if (!wsi->http.fop_fd) {
 			lwsl_info("%s: Unable to open '%s': errno %d\n",
@@ -2755,7 +2755,7 @@ lws_serve_http_file(struct lws *wsi, const char *file, const char *content_type,
 	if (!wsi->http.fop_fd) {
 		fops = lws_vfs_select_fops(wsi->a.context->fops, file, &vpath);
 		fflags |= lws_vfs_prepare_flags(wsi);
-		wsi->http.fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(wsi->a.context->fops,
+		wsi->http.fop_fd = fops->LWS_FOP_OPEN(fops, wsi->a.context->fops,
 							file, vpath, &fflags);
 		if (!wsi->http.fop_fd) {
 			lwsl_info("%s: Unable to open: '%s': errno %d\n",
diff --git a/minimal-examples-lowlevel/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/minimal-http-client-multi.c b/minimal-examples-lowlevel/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/minimal-http-client-multi.c
index b521b3db6..bd43ba8b7 100644
--- a/minimal-examples-lowlevel/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/minimal-http-client-multi.c
+++ b/minimal-examples-lowlevel/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/minimal-http-client-multi.c
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 	 * It will just allocate for 1 internal and COUNT + 1 (allowing for h2
 	 * network wsi) that we will use.
 	 */
-	info.fd_limit_per_thread = 1 + COUNT + 1;
+	info.fd_limit_per_thread = 1 + COUNT + 8 + 1;
 	info.register_notifier_list = na;
 	info.pcontext = &context;