diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/server.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/server.js
index 285b29e6..759b81bb 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/server.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/core/server.js
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ modulejs.define('core/server', ['$', '_', 'config'], function ($, _, config) {
 
 		request: function (data, callback) {
 
-			data.api = true;
-
-			if (server.apiHref) {
+			if (server.api) {
 				$.ajax({
 					url: '.',
 					data: data,
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/delete.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/delete.js
index 15584e47..7c99f4de 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/delete.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/delete.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/delete', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/event', 'core/re
 
 		init = function () {
 
-			if (!settings.enabled || !server.apiHref) {
+			if (!settings.enabled || !server.api) {
 				return;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/download.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/download.js
index 5a396e3e..f61caa04 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/download.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/download.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/download', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'co
 			if (json && json.code === 0) {
 				setTimeout(function () { // wait here so the img above can be updated in time
 
-					window.location = server.apiHref + '?action=getarchive&id=' + json.id + '&as=h5ai-selection.' + settings.format;
+					window.location = '?action=getArchive&id=' + json.id + '&as=package.' + settings.format;
 				}, 200);
 			} else {
 				failed();
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/download', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'co
 			$img.attr('src', resource.image('loading.gif', true));
 
 			server.request({
-				action: 'archive',
+				action: 'createArchive',
 				execution: settings.execution,
 				format: settings.format,
 				hrefs: hrefsStr
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/download', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'co
 
 		init = function () {
 
-			if (!settings.enabled || !server.apiHref) {
+			if (!settings.enabled || !server.api) {
 				return;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/dropbox.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/dropbox.js
index e0f27dc0..e0d8caad 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/dropbox.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/dropbox.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/dropbox', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/entry', 'core/r
 
 		init = function () {
 
-			if (!settings.enabled || !server.apiHref) {
+			if (!settings.enabled || !server.api) {
 				return;
 			}
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/dropbox', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/entry', 'core/r
 
 				maxfiles: settings.maxfiles,
 				maxfilesize: settings.maxfilesize,
-				url: server.apiHref,
+				url: server.api,
 				data: {
 					action: 'upload',
 					href: entry.absHref
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/thumbnails.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/thumbnails.js
index cdb46a89..f399f5db 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/thumbnails.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/thumbnails.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/thumbnails', ['_', 'core/settings', 'core/entry', 'core/eve
 
 		requestThumbSmall = function (type, href, callback) {
 
-			server.request({action: 'getthumbsrc', type: type, href: href, mode: 'square', width: 16, height: 16}, function (json) {
+			server.request({action: 'getThumbHref', type: type, href: href, mode: 'square', width: 16, height: 16}, function (json) {
 
 				callback(json && json.code === 0 ? json.absHref : null);
 			});
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/thumbnails', ['_', 'core/settings', 'core/entry', 'core/eve
 
 		requestThumbBig = function (type, href, callback) {
 
-			server.request({action: 'getthumbsrc', type: type, href: href, mode: 'rational', width: 100, height: 48}, function (json) {
+			server.request({action: 'getThumbHref', type: type, href: href, mode: 'rational', width: 100, height: 48}, function (json) {
 
 				callback(json && json.code === 0 ? json.absHref : null);
 			});
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/thumbnails', ['_', 'core/settings', 'core/entry', 'core/eve
 
 		init = function (entry) {
 
-			if (!settings.enabled || !server.apiHref) {
+			if (!settings.enabled || !server.api) {
 				return;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/h5ai-main.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/h5ai-main.js
index 0d6906ce..4c90844d 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/h5ai-main.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/h5ai-main.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-modulejs.define('h5ai-main', ['_', 'core/event', 'core/settings'], function (_, event, settings) {
+modulejs.define('h5ai-main', ['_', 'core/event'], function (_, event) {
 
 	event.pub('beforeView');
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/scripts.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/scripts.js
index 50af566b..b14a9674 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/scripts.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/scripts.js
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 	if (backend === 'php') {
 
 		$.getJSON('.', {
-			api: true,
 			action: 'get',
 			options: true,
 			types: true,
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@
 						langs: langs,
 						server: {
 							backend: backend,
-							apiHref: null,
+							api: false,
 							name: 'apache',
 							version: null
 						}
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
index d8687c0a..cdd8ebb5 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
+++ b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ Options
 	*/
 	"download": {
 		"enabled": true,
-		"execution": "php",
+		"execution": "shell",
 		"format": "zip"
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Api.php b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Api.php
index 610487de..cbadb7fb 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Api.php
+++ b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Api.php
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class Api {
 		}
 
 
-		else if ($action === "getthumbsrc") {
+		else if ($action === "getThumbHref") {
 
 			if (!$options["thumbnails"]["enabled"]) {
 				json_fail(1, "thumbnails disabled");
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Api {
 		}
 
 
-		else if ($action === "archive") {
+		else if ($action === "createArchive") {
 
 			json_fail(1, "downloads disabled", !$options["download"]["enabled"]);
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class Api {
 		}
 
 
-		else if ($action === "getarchive") {
+		else if ($action === "getArchive") {
 
 			json_fail(1, "downloads disabled", !$options["download"]["enabled"]);
 
@@ -222,11 +222,6 @@ class Api {
 
 			json_exit();
 		}
-
-
-		else {
-			json_fail(100, "unsupported action");
-		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/App.php b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/App.php
index 0ab82a94..6b67c46d 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/App.php
+++ b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/App.php
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ class App {
 
 		return array(
 			"backend" => "php",
-			"apiHref" => $this->app_abs_href . "server/php/api.php",
+			"api" => true,
 			"name" => strtolower(preg_replace("/\\/.*$/", "", getenv("SERVER_SOFTWARE"))),
 			"version" => strtolower(preg_replace("/^.*\\//", "", preg_replace("/\\s.*$/", "", getenv("SERVER_SOFTWARE"))))
 		);
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Archive.php b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Archive.php
index be6d2424..94715b75 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Archive.php
+++ b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/Archive.php
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ class Archive {
 
 				$real_file = $this->app->get_abs_path($href);
 				$archived_file = preg_replace("!^" . normalize_path($this->app->get_root_abs_path(), true) . "!", "", $real_file);
+				// $archived_file = preg_replace("!^" . normalize_path($this->app->get_abs_path(), true) . "!", "", $real_file);
 
 				if (is_dir($real_file)) {
 					$this->add_dir($real_file, $archived_file);
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/init.php b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/init.php
index 8a536b15..28fbd352 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/init.php
+++ b/src/_h5ai/server/php/inc/init.php
@@ -19,14 +19,25 @@ normalized_require_once("/server/php/inc/util.php");
 normalized_require_once("/server/php/inc/App.php");
 normalized_require_once("/server/php/inc/Entry.php");
 
-$APP = new App(APP_ABS_PATH, APP_ABS_HREF, ABS_HREF);
+$app = new App(APP_ABS_PATH, APP_ABS_HREF, ABS_HREF);
 
-if (array_key_exists("api", $_REQUEST)) {
+if (count($_REQUEST)) {
+
+	header("Content-type: application/json;h5ai={{pkg.version}}");
 
-	use_request_params("api");
 	normalized_require_once("/server/php/inc/Api.php");
-	$api = new Api($APP);
+	$api = new Api($app);
 	$api->apply();
+
+	json_fail(100, "unsupported request");
+
+} else {
+
+	header("Content-type: text/html;h5ai={{pkg.version}}");
+
+	$HREF = $app->get_app_abs_href();
+	$JSON = $app->get_generic_json();
+	$FALLBACK = $app->get_no_js_fallback();
 }
 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/server/php/index.php.jade b/src/_h5ai/server/php/index.php.jade
index 4b60f893..1c26775a 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/server/php/index.php.jade
+++ b/src/_h5ai/server/php/index.php.jade
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 |<?php require_once(str_replace("\\", "/", dirname(__FILE__)) . "/inc/init.php"); ?>
-|<?php header("Content-type: text/html;h5ai={{pkg.version}}"); ?>
 
-- var href = "<?php echo $APP->get_app_abs_href(); ?>"
-- var json = "<?php echo $APP->get_generic_json(); ?>"
-- var fallback = "<?php echo $APP->get_no_js_fallback(); ?>"
+- var href = "<?php echo $HREF; ?>"
+- var json = "<?php echo $JSON; ?>"
+- var fallback = "<?php echo $FALLBACK; ?>"
 
 doctype 5
 //if lt IE 9