diff --git a/source/fs.c b/source/fs.c
index 8dbd4e6..215724b 100644
--- a/source/fs.c
+++ b/source/fs.c
@@ -218,6 +218,15 @@ bool PathCopyVirtual(const char* destdir, const char* orig) {
     TruncateString(deststr, dest, 36, 8);
     TruncateString(origstr, orig, 36, 8);
     
+    if (GetVirtualSource(dest)) { // check destination file flags
+        VirtualFile dvfile;
+        if (!FindVirtualFile(&dvfile, dest, 0))
+            return false;
+        if ((dvfile.flags & VFLAG_A9LH_AREA) &&
+            !ShowPrompt(true, "This is critical for A9LH:\n%s\nProceed writing to it?", deststr))
+            return false;
+    }
+    
     if (GetVirtualSource(dest) && GetVirtualSource(orig)) { // virtual to virtual
         VirtualFile dvfile;
         VirtualFile ovfile;
diff --git a/source/nand/virtual.c b/source/nand/virtual.c
index 8dbce1e..2773884 100644
--- a/source/nand/virtual.c
+++ b/source/nand/virtual.c
@@ -16,19 +16,19 @@ VirtualFile virtualFileTemplates[] = {
     { "twln.bin"         , 0x00012E00, 0x08FB5200, 0x03, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
     { "twlp.bin"         , 0x09011A00, 0x020B6600, 0x03, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
     { "agbsave.bin"      , 0x0B100000, 0x00030000, 0x07, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
-    { "firm0.bin"        , 0x0B130000, 0x00400000, 0x06, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
-    { "firm1.bin"        , 0x0B530000, 0x00400000, 0x06, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
+    { "firm0.bin"        , 0x0B130000, 0x00400000, 0x06, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA},
+    { "firm1.bin"        , 0x0B530000, 0x00400000, 0x06, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA},
     { "ctrnand_fat.bin"  , 0x0B95CA00, 0x2F3E3600, 0x04, VFLAG_ON_O3DS },
     { "ctrnand_fat.bin"  , 0x0B95AE00, 0x41D2D200, 0x05, VFLAG_ON_N3DS },
     { "ctrnand_fat.bin"  , 0x0B95AE00, 0x41D2D200, 0x04, VFLAG_ON_NO3DS },
     { "ctrnand_full.bin" , 0x0B930000, 0x2F5D0000, 0x04, VFLAG_ON_O3DS },
     { "ctrnand_full.bin" , 0x0B930000, 0x41ED0000, 0x05, VFLAG_ON_N3DS },
     { "ctrnand_full.bin" , 0x0B930000, 0x41ED0000, 0x04, VFLAG_ON_NO3DS },
-    { "nand.bin"         , 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_NAND_SIZE },
-    { "nand_minsize.bin" , 0x00000000, 0x3AF00000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_O3DS },
-    { "nand_minsize.bin" , 0x00000000, 0x4D800000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_N3DS | VFLAG_ON_NO3DS },
-    { "sector0x96.bin"   , 0x00012C00, 0x00000200, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
-    { "nand_hdr.bin"     , 0x00000000, 0x00000200, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND },
+    { "nand.bin"         , 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_NAND_SIZE | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA },
+    { "nand_minsize.bin" , 0x00000000, 0x3AF00000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_O3DS | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA},
+    { "nand_minsize.bin" , 0x00000000, 0x4D800000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_N3DS | VFLAG_ON_NO3DS | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA },
+    { "sector0x96.bin"   , 0x00012C00, 0x00000200, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA },
+    { "nand_hdr.bin"     , 0x00000000, 0x00000200, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_NAND | VFLAG_A9LH_AREA },
     { "itcm.mem"         , 0x01FF8000, 0x00008000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_MEMORY },
     { "arm9.mem"         , 0x08000000, 0x00100000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_MEMORY },
     { "arm9ext.mem"      , 0x08010000, 0x00100000, 0xFF, VFLAG_ON_MEMORY | VFLAG_N3DS_ONLY },
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ bool FindVirtualFile(VirtualFile* vfile, const char* path, u32 size)
     // process special flags
     if ((vfile->keyslot == 0x05) && !CheckSlot0x05Crypto())
         return false; // keyslot 0x05 not properly set up
+    if (!(virtual_src & VRT_SYSNAND) || (*(vu32*) 0x101401C0))
+        vfile->flags &= ~VFLAG_A9LH_AREA; // flag is meaningless outside of A9LH / SysNAND
     if ((vfile->flags & VFLAG_N3DS_ONLY) && (GetUnitPlatform() != PLATFORM_N3DS))
         return false; // this is not on O3DS consoles
     if (vfile->flags & VFLAG_NAND_SIZE) {
diff --git a/source/nand/virtual.h b/source/nand/virtual.h
index bff357a..a1ac21d 100644
--- a/source/nand/virtual.h
+++ b/source/nand/virtual.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #define VRT_IMGNAND NAND_IMGNAND
 #define VRT_MEMORY  (1<<10)
 
-#define VFLAG_EXT_A9LH_AREA (1<<20)
+#define VFLAG_A9LH_AREA (1<<20)
 
 static const char* virtualFileList[] = { // must have a match in virtualFileTemplates[]
     "twln.bin", "twlp.bin", "agbsave.bin", "firm0.bin", "firm1.bin", "ctrnand_fat.bin",