diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 205708fc..26fd9023 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,50 +4,17 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
   "exports": {
-    ".": {
-      "import": "./dist/core/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/core/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./cache-buster": {
-      "import": "./dist/cache-buster/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/cache-buster/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./cli": {
-      "import": "./dist/cli/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/cli/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./ffmpeg": {
-      "import": "./dist/ffmpeg/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/ffmpeg/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./image": {
-      "import": "./dist/image/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/image/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./json": {
-      "import": "./dist/json/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/json/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./manifest": {
-      "import": "./dist/manifest/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/manifest/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./pixi": {
-      "import": "./dist/pixi/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/pixi/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./spine": {
-      "import": "./dist/spine/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/spine/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./texture-packer": {
-      "import": "./dist/texture-packer/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/texture-packer/index.d.ts"
-    },
-    "./webfont": {
-      "import": "./dist/webfont/index.js",
-      "types": "./dist/webfont/index.d.ts"
-    }
+    ".": "./dist/core/index.js",
+    "./cache-buster": "./dist/cache-buster/index.js",
+    "./cli": "./dist/cli/index.js",
+    "./ffmpeg": "./dist/ffmpeg/index.js",
+    "./image": "./dist/image/index.js",
+    "./json": "./dist/json/index.js",
+    "./manifest": "./dist/manifest/index.js",
+    "./pixi": "./dist/pixi/index.js",
+    "./spine": "./dist/spine/index.js",
+    "./texture-packer": "./dist/texture-packer/index.js",
+    "./webfont": "./dist/webfont/index.js"
   },
   "main": "dist/core/index.js",
   "module": "dist/core/index.js",
diff --git a/src/core/Asset.ts b/src/core/Asset.ts
index 8766a6e7..77e9f432 100644
--- a/src/core/Asset.ts
+++ b/src/core/Asset.ts
@@ -237,5 +237,17 @@ export class Asset
             this.transformChildren[i].releaseBuffers();
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Release all buffers from this asset and its children
+     */
+    releaseChildrenBuffers()
+    {
+        this.releaseBuffers();
+        for (let i = 0; i < this.children.length; i++)
+        {
+            this.children[i].releaseChildrenBuffers();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/AssetPack.ts b/src/core/AssetPack.ts
index 100603c3..89a54880 100644
--- a/src/core/AssetPack.ts
+++ b/src/core/AssetPack.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ export class AssetPack
                     // write back to the cache...
                     await (assetCache as AssetCache).write(root);
 
+                    // release the buffers from the cache
+                    root.releaseChildrenBuffers();
+
                     Logger.info('cache updated.');
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/core/pipes/PipeSystem.ts b/src/core/pipes/PipeSystem.ts
index 9961c55d..2e8e55f6 100644
--- a/src/core/pipes/PipeSystem.ts
+++ b/src/core/pipes/PipeSystem.ts
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ export class PipeSystem
     async transform(asset: Asset): Promise<void>
     {
         await this._transform(asset, 0);
-
-        // clean up any buffers still held for gc!
-        asset.releaseBuffers();
     }
 
     private async _transform(asset: Asset, pipeIndex = 0): Promise<void>
diff --git a/test/core/Assetpack.test.ts b/test/core/Assetpack.test.ts
index 7879611e..3fa84e3a 100644
--- a/test/core/Assetpack.test.ts
+++ b/test/core/Assetpack.test.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe('Core', () =>
         const assetpack = new AssetPack({
             entry: inputDir, cacheLocation: getCacheDir(pkg, testName),
             output: outputDir,
-            cache: false,
+            cache: true,
         });
 
         await assetpack.watch();
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ describe('Core', () =>
 
         expect(existsSync(join(outputDir, 'new-json-file.json'))).toBe(true);
         expect(existsSync(join(outputDir, 'json.json'))).toBe(true);
+        fs.writeJSONSync(join(inputDir, 'json.json'), { nice: 'test' });
 
         fs.removeSync(testFile);
 
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ describe('Core', () =>
 
         expect(existsSync(join(outputDir, 'new-json-file.json'))).toBe(false);
         expect(existsSync(join(outputDir, 'json.json'))).toBe(true);
+        expect(fs.readJSONSync(join(outputDir, 'json.json'))).toStrictEqual({ nice: 'test' });
     });
 
     it('should ignore specified files when watching', async () =>