diff --git a/include/dwarfs/utility/filesystem_extractor.h b/include/dwarfs/utility/filesystem_extractor.h
index e4a03fed..971a9dee 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/utility/filesystem_extractor.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/utility/filesystem_extractor.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 namespace dwarfs {
 
+class file_access;
 class glob_matcher;
 class library_dependencies;
 class logger;
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ struct filesystem_extractor_archive_format {
 
 class filesystem_extractor {
  public:
-  filesystem_extractor(logger& lgr, os_access const& os);
+  filesystem_extractor(logger& lgr, os_access const& os,
+                       std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa = nullptr);
 
   static void add_library_dependencies(library_dependencies& deps);
 
diff --git a/src/utility/filesystem_extractor.cpp b/src/utility/filesystem_extractor.cpp
index cda75c22..b4ce5056 100644
--- a/src/utility/filesystem_extractor.cpp
+++ b/src/utility/filesystem_extractor.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include <folly/system/ThreadName.h>
 
 #include <dwarfs/config.h>
+#include <dwarfs/file_access.h>
 #include <dwarfs/file_stat.h>
 #include <dwarfs/fstypes.h>
 #include <dwarfs/glob_matcher.h>
@@ -112,9 +113,11 @@ class archive_error : public std::runtime_error {
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 class filesystem_extractor_ final : public filesystem_extractor::impl {
  public:
-  explicit filesystem_extractor_(logger& lgr, os_access const& os)
+  explicit filesystem_extractor_(logger& lgr, os_access const& os,
+                                 std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa)
       : LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
-      , os_{os} {}
+      , os_{os}
+      , fa_{std::move(fa)} {}
 
   ~filesystem_extractor_() override {
     try {
@@ -139,13 +142,13 @@ class filesystem_extractor_ final : public filesystem_extractor::impl {
 
     configure_format(format, &output);
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-    check_result(::archive_write_open_filename_w(
-        a_, output.empty() ? nullptr : output.wstring().c_str()));
-#else
-    check_result(::archive_write_open_filename(
-        a_, output.empty() ? nullptr : output.string().c_str()));
-#endif
+    if (output.empty()) {
+      check_result(::archive_write_open_filename(a_, nullptr));
+    } else {
+      out_ = fa_->open_output_binary(output);
+      check_result(::archive_write_open2(a_, this, nullptr, on_stream_write,
+                                         on_stream_close, on_stream_free));
+    }
 #endif
   }
 
@@ -219,6 +222,26 @@ class filesystem_extractor_ final : public filesystem_extractor::impl {
           filesystem_extractor_options const& opts) override;
 
  private:
+  static la_ssize_t on_stream_write(struct archive* /*a*/, void* client_data,
+                                    void const* buffer, size_t length) {
+    auto self = static_cast<filesystem_extractor_*>(client_data);
+    auto& os = self->out_->os();
+    os.write(static_cast<char const*>(buffer), length);
+    return os.good() ? static_cast<la_ssize_t>(length) : -1;
+  }
+
+  static int on_stream_close(struct archive* /*a*/, void* client_data) {
+    auto self = static_cast<filesystem_extractor_*>(client_data);
+    self->out_->close();
+    return ARCHIVE_OK;
+  }
+
+  static int on_stream_free(struct archive* /*a*/, void* client_data) {
+    auto self = static_cast<filesystem_extractor_*>(client_data);
+    self->out_.reset();
+    return ARCHIVE_OK;
+  }
+
   void configure_format(filesystem_extractor_archive_format const& format
                         [[maybe_unused]],
                         std::filesystem::path const* output
@@ -301,7 +324,9 @@ class filesystem_extractor_ final : public filesystem_extractor::impl {
 
   LOG_PROXY_DECL(debug_logger_policy);
   os_access const& os_;
+  std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa_;
   struct ::archive* a_{nullptr};
+  std::unique_ptr<output_stream> out_;
   std::array<int, 2> pipefd_{-1, -1};
   std::unique_ptr<std::thread> iot_;
 };
@@ -560,10 +585,12 @@ std::string filesystem_extractor_archive_format::description() const {
   return desc;
 }
 
-filesystem_extractor::filesystem_extractor(logger& lgr, os_access const& os)
+filesystem_extractor::filesystem_extractor(
+    logger& lgr, os_access const& os, std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa)
     : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<filesystem_extractor::impl,
                                        internal::filesystem_extractor_,
-                                       logger_policies>(lgr, os)) {}
+                                       logger_policies>(lgr, os,
+                                                        std::move(fa))) {}
 
 void filesystem_extractor::add_library_dependencies(
     library_dependencies& deps) {
diff --git a/test/tool_main_test.cpp b/test/tool_main_test.cpp
index 755d7f81..4e7305ba 100644
--- a/test/tool_main_test.cpp
+++ b/test/tool_main_test.cpp
@@ -2289,6 +2289,30 @@ TEST(dwarfsextract_test, filters) {
   EXPECT_EQ(ARCHIVE_OK, ::archive_read_free(ar)) << ::archive_error_string(ar);
 }
 
+TEST(dwarfsextract_test, auto_format) {
+  auto t = dwarfsextract_tester::create_with_image();
+  ASSERT_EQ(0, t.run({"-i", "image.dwarfs", "-f", "auto", "-o", "image.tar"}))
+      << t.err();
+
+  auto out = t.fa->get_file("image.tar").value();
+
+  auto ar = ::archive_read_new();
+  ASSERT_EQ(ARCHIVE_OK, ::archive_read_support_format_all(ar))
+      << ::archive_error_string(ar);
+  ASSERT_EQ(ARCHIVE_OK, ::archive_read_open_memory(ar, out.data(), out.size()))
+      << ::archive_error_string(ar);
+
+  struct archive_entry* entry;
+  int ret = ::archive_read_next_header(ar, &entry);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(ARCHIVE_OK, ret) << ::archive_error_string(ar);
+  auto fmt = ::archive_format(ar);
+  EXPECT_EQ(ARCHIVE_FORMAT_TAR, fmt & ARCHIVE_FORMAT_BASE_MASK) << fmt::format(
+      "expected TAR ({:08x}), got {:08x}", ARCHIVE_FORMAT_TAR, fmt);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(ARCHIVE_OK, ::archive_read_free(ar)) << ::archive_error_string(ar);
+}
+
 TEST(dwarfsextract_test, patterns) {
   auto mkdt = mkdwarfs_tester::create_empty();
   mkdt.add_test_file_tree();
diff --git a/tools/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp b/tools/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
index b0eef3c7..2c0942b8 100644
--- a/tools/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
+++ b/tools/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int dwarfsextract_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol) {
 #endif
 
     reader::filesystem_v2_lite fs(lgr, *iol.os, fs_image, fsopts, perfmon);
-    utility::filesystem_extractor fsx(lgr, *iol.os);
+    utility::filesystem_extractor fsx(lgr, *iol.os, iol.file);
 
 #ifndef DWARFS_FILESYSTEM_EXTRACTOR_NO_OPEN_FORMAT
     if (format.name.empty()) {