diff --git a/src/main/scala-2.12/PluginCompat.scala b/src/main/scala-2.12/PluginCompat.scala
index d4476cc..b649714 100644
--- a/src/main/scala-2.12/PluginCompat.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala-2.12/PluginCompat.scala
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import sbt.util.Tracked.{ inputChanged, lastOutput }
 import xsbti.FileConverter
 
 private[sbtassembly] object PluginCompat {
+  type FileRef = java.io.File
   type Out = java.io.File
   type MainClass = sbt.Package.MainClass
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala-3/PluginCompat.scala b/src/main/scala-3/PluginCompat.scala
index 8027bc6..a1dbe24 100644
--- a/src/main/scala-3/PluginCompat.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala-3/PluginCompat.scala
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import java.nio.file.{ Path => NioPath }
 import java.util.jar.{ Manifest => JManifest }
 import sbt.*
 import sbt.librarymanagement.ModuleID
-import xsbti.{ FileConverter, HashedVirtualFileRef }
+import xsbti.{ FileConverter, HashedVirtualFileRef, VirtualFile }
 
 object PluginCompat:
-  type Out = HashedVirtualFileRef
+  type FileRef = HashedVirtualFileRef
+  type Out = VirtualFile
   type JarManifest = PackageOption.JarManifest
   type MainClass = PackageOption.MainClass
   type ManifestAttributes = PackageOption.ManifestAttributes
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ object PluginCompat:
     conv.toPath(a.data)
   inline def toFile(a: Attributed[HashedVirtualFileRef])(implicit conv: FileConverter): File =
     toNioPath(a).toFile()
-  def toOutput(x: File)(implicit conv: FileConverter): HashedVirtualFileRef =
+  def toOutput(x: File)(implicit conv: FileConverter): VirtualFile =
     conv.toVirtualFile(x.toPath())
   def toNioPaths(cp: Seq[Attributed[HashedVirtualFileRef]])(implicit conv: FileConverter): Vector[NioPath] =
     cp.map(toNioPath).toVector
diff --git a/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/Assembly.scala b/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/Assembly.scala
index a92820f..0051aab 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/Assembly.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/Assembly.scala
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ object Assembly {
     val jarName: String = s"$name${if (version.nonEmpty) "-" else ""}$version.jar"
   }
 
-  def assemblyTask(key: TaskKey[PluginCompat.Out]): Initialize[Task[PluginCompat.Out]] = Def.task {
+  def assemblyTask(key: TaskKey[PluginCompat.FileRef]): Initialize[Task[PluginCompat.Out]] = Def.task {
     val t = (key / test).value
     val s = (key / streams).value
     val conv = fileConverter.value
diff --git a/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/AssemblyKeys.scala b/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/AssemblyKeys.scala
index 3396915..ab84bea 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/AssemblyKeys.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/sbtassembly/AssemblyKeys.scala
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import sbt.Keys.*
 import sbt.*
 
 trait AssemblyKeys {
-  lazy val assembly                  = taskKey[PluginCompat.Out]("Builds a deployable über JAR")
+  lazy val assembly                  = taskKey[PluginCompat.FileRef]("Builds a deployable über JAR")
   lazy val assembleArtifact          = settingKey[Boolean]("Enables (true) or disables (false) assembling an artifact")
   lazy val assemblyOption            = taskKey[AssemblyOption]("Configuration for making a deployable über JAR")
-  lazy val assemblyPackageScala      = taskKey[PluginCompat.Out]("Produces the Scala artifact")
-  lazy val assemblyPackageDependency = taskKey[PluginCompat.Out]("Produces the dependency artifact")
+  lazy val assemblyPackageScala      = taskKey[PluginCompat.FileRef]("Produces the Scala artifact")
+  lazy val assemblyPackageDependency = taskKey[PluginCompat.FileRef]("Produces the dependency artifact")
   lazy val assemblyJarName           = taskKey[String]("name of the über jar")
   lazy val assemblyDefaultJarName    = taskKey[String]("default name of the über jar")
   lazy val assemblyOutputPath        = taskKey[File]("output path of the über jar")