diff --git a/src/distribution.ts b/src/distribution.ts
index faa1e32..5b6b6fe 100644
--- a/src/distribution.ts
+++ b/src/distribution.ts
@@ -133,16 +133,19 @@ ${json.slice(0, -2)}
         : undefined;
     }
 
-    public updateExtensions(): void { // we cannot handle enable/disable at the moment, see <https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/15466#issuecomment-724147661>
-        if(!files.isDirectory(this.Extensions) || !files.isFile(this.extensions)) return;
-
-        const json: string = fs.readFileSync(this.extensions, "utf-8");
-
-        const extensions: [{
+    public updateExtensions(json: string): void { // we cannot handle enable/disable at the moment, see <https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/15466#issuecomment-724147661>
+        const extensions: {
             identifier: string,
             version: string,
             enabled: boolean
-        }] = isValidJson(json) ? JSON.parse(json) : [];
+        }[] | undefined = isValidJson(json) ? JSON.parse(json) : undefined;
+
+        if(!Array.isArray(extensions) || !extensions.every(e => isNotNull(e) && typeof e.identifier === "string" && e.identifier.trim() !== ""))
+            return logger.warn("Skipped updating extensions: extensions.json is malformed", true);
+
+        fs.writeFileSync(this.extensions, json, {encoding: "utf-8"});
+
+        if(!files.isDirectory(this.Extensions)) return;
 
         const installed: string[] = fs.readdirSync(this.Extensions!, {withFileTypes: true})
                                         .filter(f => f.isDirectory())
diff --git a/src/sync/git.ts b/src/sync/git.ts
index 8d45ee7..3455f69 100644
--- a/src/sync/git.ts
+++ b/src/sync/git.ts
@@ -102,11 +102,9 @@ export const pull: (repo: string, branch?: string, skipNotify?: boolean) => Prom
                 /* extensions */ {
                     const extensions: string = path.join(temp, "extensions.json");
 
-                    if(files.isFile(extensions)){
-                        fs.copyFileSync(extensions, dist.extensions);
-
-                        dist.updateExtensions();
-                    }else
+                    if(files.isFile(extensions))
+                        dist.updateExtensions(fs.readFileSync(extensions, {encoding: "utf-8"}));
+                    else
                         logger.warn("Extensions not found");
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/sync/zip.ts b/src/sync/zip.ts
index 2404639..6998b45 100644
--- a/src/sync/zip.ts
+++ b/src/sync/zip.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,9 @@ export const inport: (fsPath: string) => void = (fsPath: string) => {
         /* extensions */ {
             const extensions: AdmZip.IZipEntry | null = zip.getEntry("extensions.json");
 
-            if(extensions && !extensions.isDirectory){
-                zip.extractEntryTo("extensions.json", dist.User, undefined, true);
-
-                dist.updateExtensions();
-            }else
+            if(extensions && !extensions.isDirectory)
+                dist.updateExtensions(extensions.getData().toString("utf-8"));
+            else
                 logger.warn("Extensions not found");
         }