diff --git a/NewHorizons/Builder/Props/NomaiText/NomaiTextBuilder.cs b/NewHorizons/Builder/Props/NomaiText/NomaiTextBuilder.cs
index 42f15192..e14c261b 100644
--- a/NewHorizons/Builder/Props/NomaiText/NomaiTextBuilder.cs
+++ b/NewHorizons/Builder/Props/NomaiText/NomaiTextBuilder.cs
@@ -643,15 +643,12 @@ namespace NewHorizons.Builder.Props
 
             ArcCacheData[] cachedData = null;
             if (nhBody.Cache?.ContainsKey(cacheKey) ?? false)
-            { 
-                var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(nhBody.Cache[cacheKey]);
-                cachedData = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<ArcCacheData[]>(json);
-            }
+                cachedData = nhBody.Cache.Get<ArcCacheData[]>(cacheKey);
 
             Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: cache key *" + cacheKey+"*");
             Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: cache is null? " + (nhBody.Cache == null));
             Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: cache contains key? " + (nhBody.Cache?.ContainsKey(cacheKey) ?? false));
-            Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: cache keys: " + String.Join(",", nhBody.Cache?.Keys));
+            //Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: cache keys: " + String.Join(",", nhBody.Cache?.Keys));
 
             var arranger = nomaiWallText.gameObject.AddComponent<NomaiTextArcArranger>();
 
@@ -733,7 +730,7 @@ namespace NewHorizons.Builder.Props
                         zRotation = spiralManipulator.transform.localEulerAngles.z
                     }).ToArray();
 
-                    nhBody.Cache[cacheKey] = cacheData;
+                    nhBody.Cache.Set(cacheKey, cacheData);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/NewHorizons/Utility/Cache.cs b/NewHorizons/Utility/Cache.cs
index f4767a50..5860cc9e 100644
--- a/NewHorizons/Utility/Cache.cs
+++ b/NewHorizons/Utility/Cache.cs
@@ -1,34 +1,60 @@
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using OWML.Common;
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Runtime.Serialization;
 
 namespace NewHorizons.Utility
 {
-    public class Cache : Dictionary<string, Object>
+    public class Cache
     {
-        [NonSerialized] string filepath;
+        string filepath;
+        IModBehaviour mod;
+        Dictionary<string, string> data = new Dictionary<string, string>();
 
-        public Cache(string cacheFilePath) 
+        public Cache(IModBehaviour mod, string cacheFilePath) 
         {
+            this.mod = mod;
+
             filepath = cacheFilePath;
-            var existingEntries = NewHorizons.Main.Instance.ModHelper.Storage.Load<Dictionary<string, Object>>(filepath);
+            
+			var json = File.ReadAllText(mod.ModHelper.Manifest.ModFolderPath + cacheFilePath);
+            data = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Dictionary<string, string>>(json);
+            // the above is exactly the same thing that the below does, but the below for some reason always returns null. no clue why
+            // data = mod.ModHelper.Storage.Load<Dictionary<string, string>>(filepath);
+
+            if (data == null)
+            {
+                Logger.LogWarning("Failed to load cache! Cache path: " + cacheFilePath);
+                data = new Dictionary<string, string>();
+            }
 
             Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: Cache path: " + cacheFilePath);
-            Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: Loaded cache == null? " + (existingEntries == null));
-            Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: Loaded cache keys: " + String.Join(",", existingEntries?.Keys));
-
-            if (existingEntries == null) return;
-
-            foreach(var entry in existingEntries)
-            {
-                this[entry.Key] = entry.Value;
-            }
+            Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: Loaded cache == null? " + (data == null));
+            Logger.LogWarning("CACHE DEBUG: Loaded cache keys: " + String.Join(",", data?.Keys ?? new Dictionary<string, string>().Keys));
         }
 
         public void WriteToFile() 
         { 
-            NewHorizons.Main.Instance.ModHelper.Storage.Save<Dictionary<string, Object>>(this, filepath);  
+            mod.ModHelper.Storage.Save<Dictionary<string, string>>(data, filepath);
+        }
+
+        public bool ContainsKey(string key) 
+        {
+            return data.ContainsKey(key);
+        }
+
+        public T Get<T>(string key)
+        {
+            var json = data[key];
+            return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(json);
+        }
+
+        public void Set<T>(string key, T value)
+        {
+            data[key] = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(value);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/NewHorizons/Utility/NewHorizonBody.cs b/NewHorizons/Utility/NewHorizonBody.cs
index e75bb562..2bd4370d 100644
--- a/NewHorizons/Utility/NewHorizonBody.cs
+++ b/NewHorizons/Utility/NewHorizonBody.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace NewHorizons.Utility
             }
 
             var pathWithoutExtension = RelativePath.Substring(0, RelativePath.LastIndexOf('.'));
-            Cache = new Cache(pathWithoutExtension+".nhcache");
+            Cache = new Cache(Mod, pathWithoutExtension+".nhcache");
         }
 
         public void UnloadCache(bool writeBeforeUnload=false)