diff --git a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/SecureJar.java b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/SecureJar.java
index 3b3b3f5..9432a2c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/SecureJar.java
+++ b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/SecureJar.java
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.UncheckedIOException;
 import java.lang.module.ModuleDescriptor;
+import java.lang.module.ModuleReader;
+import java.lang.module.ModuleReference;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -83,15 +85,45 @@ static SecureJar from(JarContents contents, JarMetadata metadata) {
      */
     Path getRootPath();
 
+    /**
+     * All the functions that are necessary to turn a {@link SecureJar} into a module.
+     */
     interface ModuleDataProvider {
+        /**
+         * {@return the name of the module}
+         */
         String name();
+
+        /**
+         * {@return the descriptor of the module}
+         */
         ModuleDescriptor descriptor();
+
+        /**
+         * @see ModuleReference#location()
+         */
+        @Nullable
         URI uri();
+
+        /**
+         * @see ModuleReader#find(String)
+         */
         Optional<URI> findFile(String name);
+
+        /**
+         * @see ModuleReader#open(String)
+         */
         Optional<InputStream> open(final String name);
 
+        /**
+         * {@return the manifest of the jar}
+         */
         Manifest getManifest();
 
+        /**
+         * {@return the signers if the class name can be verified, or {@code null} otherwise}
+         */
+        @Nullable
         CodeSigner[] verifyAndGetSigners(String cname, byte[] bytes);
     }
 
@@ -134,7 +166,11 @@ default Set<String> getPackages() {
      * @deprecated Obtain via the {@link ModuleDescriptor} of the jar if you really need this.
      */
     @Deprecated(forRemoval = true, since = "2.1.16")
-    List<Provider> getProviders();
+    default List<Provider> getProviders() {
+        return moduleDataProvider().descriptor().provides().stream()
+                .map(p -> new Provider(p.service(), p.providers()))
+                .toList();
+    }
 
     /**
      * @deprecated Use {@link JarContentsBuilder} and {@link #from(JarContents)} instead.
diff --git a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/VirtualJar.java b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/VirtualJar.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6fc84c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/VirtualJar.java
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+package cpw.mods.jarhandling;
+
+import cpw.mods.niofs.union.UnionFileSystem;
+import cpw.mods.niofs.union.UnionFileSystemProvider;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.lang.module.ModuleDescriptor;
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.spi.FileSystemProvider;
+import java.security.CodeSigner;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.jar.Attributes;
+import java.util.jar.Manifest;
+
+/**
+ * Implementation of {@link SecureJar} that does not actually contain any files,
+ * but still defines packages.
+ *
+ * <p>This can be used by frameworks that generate classes at runtime, in specific packages,
+ * and need to make a {@link SecureJar}-based module system implementation aware of these packages.
+ */
+public final class VirtualJar implements SecureJar {
+    /**
+     * Creates a new virtual jar.
+     *
+     * @param name          the name of the virtual jar; will be used as the module name
+     * @param referencePath a path to an existing directory or jar file, for debugging and display purposes
+     *                      (for example a path to the real jar of the caller)
+     * @param packages      the list of packages in this virtual jar
+     */
+    public VirtualJar(String name, Path referencePath, String... packages) {
+        if (!Files.exists(referencePath)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("VirtualJar reference path " + referencePath + " must exist");
+        }
+
+        this.moduleDescriptor = ModuleDescriptor.newAutomaticModule(name)
+                .packages(Set.of(packages))
+                .build();
+        // Create a dummy file system from the reference path, with a filter that always returns false
+        this.dummyFileSystem = UFSP.newFileSystem((path, basePath) -> false, referencePath);
+    }
+
+    // Implementation details below
+    private static final UnionFileSystemProvider UFSP = (UnionFileSystemProvider) FileSystemProvider.installedProviders()
+            .stream()
+            .filter(fsp->fsp.getScheme().equals("union"))
+            .findFirst()
+            .orElseThrow(()->new IllegalStateException("Couldn't find UnionFileSystemProvider"));
+
+    private final ModuleDescriptor moduleDescriptor;
+    private final ModuleDataProvider moduleData = new VirtualJarModuleDataProvider();
+    private final UnionFileSystem dummyFileSystem;
+    private final Manifest manifest = new Manifest();
+
+    @Override
+    public ModuleDataProvider moduleDataProvider() {
+        return moduleData;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Path getPrimaryPath() {
+        return dummyFileSystem.getPrimaryPath();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable CodeSigner[] getManifestSigners() {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Status verifyPath(Path path) {
+        return Status.NONE;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Status getFileStatus(String name) {
+        return Status.NONE;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable Attributes getTrustedManifestEntries(String name) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean hasSecurityData() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String name() {
+        return moduleDescriptor.name();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Path getPath(String first, String... rest) {
+        return dummyFileSystem.getPath(first, rest);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Path getRootPath() {
+        return dummyFileSystem.getRoot();
+    }
+
+    private class VirtualJarModuleDataProvider implements ModuleDataProvider {
+        @Override
+        public String name() {
+            return VirtualJar.this.name();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ModuleDescriptor descriptor() {
+            return moduleDescriptor;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        @Nullable
+        public URI uri() {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Optional<URI> findFile(String name) {
+            return Optional.empty();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Optional<InputStream> open(String name) {
+            return Optional.empty();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Manifest getManifest() {
+            return manifest;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        @Nullable
+        public CodeSigner[] verifyAndGetSigners(String cname, byte[] bytes) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/Jar.java b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/Jar.java
index ee9c3e2..f3827b8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/Jar.java
+++ b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/Jar.java
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ public Manifest getManifest() {
         }
 
         @Override
+        @Nullable
         public CodeSigner[] verifyAndGetSigners(final String cname, final byte[] bytes) {
             return jar.signingData.verifyAndGetSigners(jar.manifest, cname, bytes);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/JarSigningData.java b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/JarSigningData.java
index 1ba3d3a..ac5225a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/JarSigningData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/cpw/mods/jarhandling/impl/JarSigningData.java
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ private Optional<StatusData> getData(final String name) {
         return Optional.ofNullable(statusData.get(name));
     }
 
+    @Nullable
     synchronized CodeSigner[] verifyAndGetSigners(Manifest manifest, String name, byte[] bytes) {
         if (!hasSecurityData()) return null;
         if (statusData.containsKey(name)) return statusData.get(name).signers;