diff --git a/webAO/client/handleCharacterInfo.ts b/webAO/client/handleCharacterInfo.ts
index 1a403e03..f2d9bfcb 100644
--- a/webAO/client/handleCharacterInfo.ts
+++ b/webAO/client/handleCharacterInfo.ts
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ export const handleCharacterInfo = async (chargs: string[], charid: number) => {
             )}/char_icon`;
             for (let i = 0; i < extensions.length; i++) {
                 const fileUrl = charIconBaseUrl + extensions[i];
-                const exists = await fileExistsManifest(client,
-                                                        AO_HOST,
-                                                        fileUrl);
+                const exists = await fileExistsManifest(fileUrl);
                 if (exists) {
                     img.alt = chargs[0];
                     img.title = chargs[0];
diff --git a/webAO/client/setEmote.ts b/webAO/client/setEmote.ts
index 62ebf25a..41fe6b51 100644
--- a/webAO/client/setEmote.ts
+++ b/webAO/client/setEmote.ts
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ const setEmote = async (
       )}${encodeURI(emotename)}${extension}`;
     }
 
-    const exists = await fileExistsManifest(client.manifest,
-                                            AO_HOST,
-                                            url.slice(AO_HOST.length));
+    const exists = await fileExistsManifest(url);
     if (exists) {
       emoteSelector.src = url;
       break;
diff --git a/webAO/packets/handlers/handlePV.ts b/webAO/packets/handlers/handlePV.ts
index 32a82a7a..affabbed 100644
--- a/webAO/packets/handlers/handlePV.ts
+++ b/webAO/packets/handlers/handlePV.ts
@@ -74,8 +74,6 @@ export const handlePV = async (args: string[]) => {
 
   if (
     await fileExistsManifest(
-      client.manifest,
-      AO_HOST,
       `characters/${encodeURI(me.name.toLowerCase())}/custom.gif`
     )
   ) {
diff --git a/webAO/utils/fileExists.js b/webAO/utils/fileExists.js
index 2afd4ed8..dab41072 100644
--- a/webAO/utils/fileExists.js
+++ b/webAO/utils/fileExists.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import {AO_HOST} from "../client/aoHost"
+import {client} from "../client"
 import {canonicalizePath} from "./paths"
 import {binarySearch} from "./binarySearch"
 
@@ -21,22 +23,18 @@ const fileExists = async (url) => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
 export default fileExists;
 
 /* Returns whether file exists.
- * `manifest' is a sorted array of strings.
- * `ao_head' is the base URL.
- * `url' is a URL-encoded path.
+ * `url' is a URL, including the base URL for bw compat.
  * If manifest is empty, check the old way.
  * Otherwise, look it up in the manifest */
-const fileExistsManifest = async (manifest, ao_host, url) =>
+const fileExistsManifest = async (url) =>
       new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+          if(client.manifest.length == 0) {
+              resolve(fileExists(url));
+              return;
+          }
+          const c_url = encodeURI(canonicalizePath(decodeURI(url.slice(AO_HOST.length))));
 
-          if(manifest == undefined ||
-             manifest == null ||
-             manifest.length == 0)
-              resolve(fileExists(ao_host + url));
-
-          const c_url = encodeURI(canonicalizePath(decodeURI(url)));
-
-          if(binarySearch(manifest, c_url) != null)
+          if(binarySearch(client.manifest, c_url) != null)
               resolve(true);
 
           resolve(false);
diff --git a/webAO/utils/tryUrls.ts b/webAO/utils/tryUrls.ts
index 7bca6322..1e5107f7 100644
--- a/webAO/utils/tryUrls.ts
+++ b/webAO/utils/tryUrls.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import {client} from "../client.ts"
-import {AO_HOST} from "../client/aoHost.ts"
 import {fileExistsManifest} from './fileExists'
 import transparentPng from '../constants/transparentPng'
 const urlExtensionsToTry = [
@@ -12,9 +10,7 @@ const tryUrls = async (url: string) => {
     for (let i = 0; i < urlExtensionsToTry.length; i++) {
         const extension = urlExtensionsToTry[i]
         const fullFileUrl = url + extension
-        const exists = await fileExistsManifest(client.manifest,
-                                                AO_HOST,
-                                                fullFileUrl);
+        const exists = await fileExistsManifest(fullFileUrl);
         if (exists) {
             return fullFileUrl
         }
diff --git a/webAO/viewport/utils/setSide.ts b/webAO/viewport/utils/setSide.ts
index 518b25d4..69018227 100644
--- a/webAO/viewport/utils/setSide.ts
+++ b/webAO/viewport/utils/setSide.ts
@@ -61,10 +61,8 @@ export const set_side = async ({
 
     if (showDesk === true && desk) {
         const deskFilename = (await fileExistsManifest(
-            client.manifest,
-            AO_HOST,
-            (client.viewport.getBackgroundFolder() +
-                desk.ao2).slice(AO_HOST.length))
+          (client.viewport.getBackgroundFolder() +
+            desk.ao2)))
             ? desk.ao2
             : desk.ao1;
         bench.src = client.viewport.getBackgroundFolder() + deskFilename;