diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_parser.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_parser.h
index 071d9e27..81594170 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_parser.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_parser.h
@@ -28,14 +28,25 @@
 
 #include <dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_options.h>
 
-namespace dwarfs::writer {
+namespace dwarfs {
+
+class file_access;
+
+namespace writer {
 
 struct fragment_order_parser {
  public:
   static std::string choices();
 
+  fragment_order_parser(std::shared_ptr<file_access const> const& fa)
+      : fa_{fa} {}
+
   fragment_order_options parse(std::string_view arg) const;
   std::string to_string(fragment_order_options const& opts) const;
+
+ private:
+  std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa_;
 };
 
-} // namespace dwarfs::writer
+} // namespace writer
+} // namespace dwarfs
diff --git a/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp b/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
index c14b3297..b83ffba4 100644
--- a/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <range/v3/view/join.hpp>
 #include <range/v3/view/map.hpp>
 
+#include <dwarfs/file_access.h>
 #include <dwarfs/option_map.h>
 #include <dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_parser.h>
 
@@ -99,13 +100,16 @@ fragment_order_parser::parse(std::string_view arg) const {
 
     case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT: {
       auto file = om.get<std::string>("file");
-      std::ifstream ifs{file};
-      if (!ifs) {
-        throw std::runtime_error(
-            fmt::format("failed to open explicit order file '{}'", file));
+      std::error_code ec;
+      auto input = fa_->open_input(file, ec);
+
+      if (ec) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "failed to open explicit order file '{}': {}", file, ec.message()));
       }
+
       std::string line;
-      while (std::getline(ifs, line)) {
+      while (std::getline(input->is(), line)) {
         auto const path = std::filesystem::path{line}.relative_path();
         rv.explicit_order[path] = rv.explicit_order.size();
       }
diff --git a/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp b/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
index 7ac8ea4e..5078fe73 100644
--- a/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
+++ b/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ int mkdwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol) {
   integral_value_parser<unsigned> window_size_parser(0, 24);
   integral_value_parser<unsigned> window_step_parser(0, 8);
   integral_value_parser<unsigned> bloom_filter_size_parser(0, 10);
-  writer::fragment_order_parser order_parser;
+  writer::fragment_order_parser order_parser(iol.file);
   block_compressor_parser compressor_parser;
 
   writer::scanner_options options;