diff --git a/virtualizarr/manifests/store.py b/virtualizarr/manifests/store.py
index cfa8941cf..716a4929b 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/manifests/store.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/manifests/store.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 from zarr.core.common import BytesLike
 
 from virtualizarr.manifests.group import ManifestGroup
-from virtualizarr.vendor.zarr.core.metadata import dict_to_buffer
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from obstore.store import (
@@ -56,36 +55,6 @@ def get_store_prefix(url: str) -> str:
     return "" if scheme in {"", "file"} else f"{scheme}://{netloc}"
 
 
-def get_zarr_metadata(manifest_group: ManifestGroup, key: str) -> Buffer:
-    """
-    Generate the expected Zarr V3 metadata from a virtual dataset.
-
-    Group metadata is returned for all Datasets and Array metadata
-    is returned for all DataArrays.
-
-    Combines the ManifestArray metadata with the attrs from the DataArray
-    and adds `dimension_names` for all arrays if not already provided.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    manifest_group : ManifestGroup
-    key : str
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    Buffer
-    """
-    # If requesting the root metadata, return the standard group metadata with additional dataset specific attributes
-
-    if key == "zarr.json":
-        metadata = manifest_group.metadata.to_dict()
-        return dict_to_buffer(metadata, prototype=default_buffer_prototype())
-    else:
-        var, _ = key.split("/")
-        metadata = manifest_group.arrays[var].metadata.to_dict()
-        return dict_to_buffer(metadata, prototype=default_buffer_prototype())
-
-
 def parse_manifest_index(key: str, chunk_key_encoding: str = ".") -> tuple[int, ...]:
     """
     Splits `key` provided to a zarr store into the variable indicated
@@ -243,8 +212,19 @@ async def get(
         byte_range: ByteRequest | None = None,
     ) -> Buffer | None:
         # docstring inherited
-        if key.endswith("zarr.json"):
-            return get_zarr_metadata(self._group, key)
+
+        if key == "zarr.json":
+            # Return group metadata
+            return self._group.metadata.to_buffer_dict(
+                prototype=default_buffer_prototype()
+            )["zarr.json"]
+        elif key.endswith("zarr.json"):
+            # Return array metadata
+            # TODO: Handle nested groups
+            var, _ = key.split("/")
+            return self._group.arrays[var].metadata.to_buffer_dict(
+                prototype=default_buffer_prototype()
+            )["zarr.json"]
         var = key.split("/")[0]
         marr = self._group.arrays[var]
         manifest = marr.manifest
@@ -258,22 +238,26 @@ async def get(
             return None
         offset = manifest._offsets[chunk_indexes]
         length = manifest._lengths[chunk_indexes]
+
         # Get the configured object store instance that matches the path
         store = self._store_registry.get_store(path)
         if not store:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Could not find a store to use for {path} in the store registry"
             )
+
         # Truncate path to match Obstore expectations
         key = urlparse(path).path
         if hasattr(store, "prefix") and store.prefix:
             # strip the prefix from key
             key = key.removeprefix(str(store.prefix))
+
         # Transform the input byte range to account for the chunk location in the file
         chunk_end_exclusive = offset + length
         byte_range = _transform_byte_range(
             byte_range, chunk_start=offset, chunk_end_exclusive=chunk_end_exclusive
         )
+
         # Actually get the bytes
         try:
             bytes = await store.get_range_async(
diff --git a/virtualizarr/tests/test_parsers/test_fits.py b/virtualizarr/tests/test_parsers/test_fits.py
index 3b4d86b1b..f0eadbfcb 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/tests/test_parsers/test_fits.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/tests/test_parsers/test_fits.py
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
 
 @requires_kerchunk
 @requires_network
-@pytest.mark.xfail(
-    reason="Big endian not yet supported by zarr-python 3.0"
-)  # https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr-python/issues/2324
 def test_open_hubble_data():
     # data from https://registry.opendata.aws/hst/
     file_url = "s3://stpubdata/hst/public/f05i/f05i0201m/f05i0201m_a1f.fits"
@@ -28,4 +25,4 @@ def test_open_hubble_data():
         assert list(vds.variables) == ["PRIMARY"]
         var = vds["PRIMARY"].variable
         assert var.sizes == {"y": 17, "x": 589}
-        assert var.dtype == ">i4"
+        assert var.dtype == "int32"
diff --git a/virtualizarr/vendor/zarr/core/metadata.py b/virtualizarr/vendor/zarr/core/metadata.py
deleted file mode 100644
index bc53de847..000000000
--- a/virtualizarr/vendor/zarr/core/metadata.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-import json
-from typing import Any
-
-import numpy as np
-from zarr.core.buffer import Buffer, BufferPrototype
-from zarr.core.metadata.v3 import V3JsonEncoder
-
-
-def _replace_special_floats(obj: object) -> Any:
-    """Helper function to replace NaN/Inf/-Inf values with special strings
-
-    Note: this cannot be done in the V3JsonEncoder because Python's `json.dumps` optimistically
-    converts NaN/Inf values to special types outside of the encoding step.
-    """
-    if isinstance(obj, float):
-        if np.isnan(obj):
-            return "NaN"
-        elif np.isinf(obj):
-            return "Infinity" if obj > 0 else "-Infinity"
-    elif isinstance(obj, dict):
-        # Recursively replace in dictionaries
-        return {k: _replace_special_floats(v) for k, v in obj.items()}
-    elif isinstance(obj, list):
-        # Recursively replace in lists
-        return [_replace_special_floats(item) for item in obj]
-    return obj
-
-
-def dict_to_buffer(input: dict, prototype: BufferPrototype) -> Buffer:
-    # modified from ArrayV3Metadata.to_buffer_dict
-    d = _replace_special_floats(input)
-    return prototype.buffer.from_bytes(json.dumps(d, cls=V3JsonEncoder).encode())