diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.h b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.h
index d203596727..edd7f4a119 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.h
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ private:
 	status_t _AddFileSystem(const char *name);
 	status_t _AddDiskSystem(KDiskSystem *diskSystem);
 
+	bool _AddDevice(KDiskDevice *device);
+	bool _RemoveDevice(KDiskDevice *device);
+
 	status_t _Scan(const char *path);
 	status_t _ScanPartition(KPartition *partition);
 
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.h b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.h
index f58af9fc1f..39b7d05124 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.h
@@ -111,11 +111,15 @@ protected:
 
 	status_t SetPrettyName(const char *name);
 
+	static int32 _NextID();
+
 private:
 	disk_system_id	fID;
 	char			*fName;
 	char			*fPrettyName;
 	int32			fLoadCounter;
+
+	static int32	fNextID;
 };
 
 } // namespace DiskDevice
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.h b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.h
index 51020db3eb..2f798e6046 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.h
@@ -78,9 +78,8 @@ partition_data *get_child_partition(partition_id partitionID, int32 index);
 // partition write access
 // (write lock required)
 partition_data *create_child_partition(partition_id partitionID, int32 index,
-									   partition_id *childID);
-	// childID is used for the return value, but is also an optional input
-	// parameter -- -1 to be ignored
+									   partition_id childID);
+	// childID is an optional input parameter -- -1 to be ignored
 bool delete_partition(partition_id partitionID);
 void partition_modified(partition_id partitionID);
 	// tells the disk device manager, that the parition has been modified
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
index 8fe80b4404..8996f7278b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ KDiskDevice::KDiskDevice(partition_id id)
 	  fShadowOwner(-1)
 {
 	Unset();
+	fDevice = this;
 }
 
 // destructor
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.cpp
index 4901b78613..34bea4f366 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDeviceManager.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 #include "KPartition.h"
 #include "KPartitioningSystem.h"
 
+// debugging
+//#define DBG(x)
+#define DBG(x) x
+#define OUT printf
+
 // TODO: Remove when not longer needed.
 using BPrivate::DiskDevice::KDiskDeviceJob;
 using BPrivate::DiskDevice::KDiskDeviceJobQueue;
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::KDiskDeviceManager()
 		for (size_t bufferSize = sizeof(moduleName);
 			 read_next_module_name(list, moduleName, &bufferSize) == B_OK;
 			 bufferSize = sizeof(moduleName)) {
+DBG(OUT("partitioning system: %s\n", moduleName));
 			_AddPartitioningSystem(moduleName);
 		}
 		close_module_list(list);
@@ -47,6 +53,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::KDiskDeviceManager()
 		for (size_t bufferSize = sizeof(moduleName);
 			 read_next_module_name(list, moduleName, &bufferSize) == B_OK;
 			 bufferSize = sizeof(moduleName)) {
+DBG(OUT("file system: %s\n", moduleName));
 			_AddFileSystem(moduleName);
 		}
 		close_module_list(list);
@@ -403,10 +410,12 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::InitialDeviceScan()
 		while (KDiskDevice *device = RegisterNextDevice(&cookie)) {
 			if (device->WriteLock()) {
 				// scan the device
-				error = _ScanPartition(device);
-				if (error != B_OK) {
-					// ...
-					error = B_OK;
+				if (device->HasMedia()) {
+					error = _ScanPartition(device);
+					if (error != B_OK) {
+						// ...
+						error = B_OK;
+					}
 				}
 				device->WriteUnlock();
 			}
@@ -441,7 +450,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_AddFileSystem(const char *name)
 		return B_NO_MEMORY;
 	return _AddDiskSystem(diskSystem);
 */
-	return B_ERROR;
+return B_ERROR;
 }
 
 // _AddDiskSystem
@@ -450,14 +459,37 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_AddDiskSystem(KDiskSystem *diskSystem)
 {
 	if (!diskSystem)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+DBG(OUT("KDiskDeviceManager::_AddDiskSystem(%s)\n", diskSystem->Name()));
 	status_t error = diskSystem->Init();
+if (error != B_OK)
+DBG(OUT("  initialization failed: %s\n", strerror(error)));
 	if (error == B_OK && !fDiskSystems.AddItem(diskSystem))
 		error = B_NO_MEMORY;
 	if (error != B_OK)
 		delete diskSystem;
+DBG(OUT("KDiskDeviceManager::_AddDiskSystem() done: %s\n", strerror(error)));
 	return error;
 }
 
+// _AddDevice
+bool
+KDiskDeviceManager::_AddDevice(KDiskDevice *device)
+{
+	if (!device || !PartitionAdded(device))
+		return false;
+	if (fDevices.AddItem(device))
+		return true;
+	PartitionRemoved(device);
+	return false;
+}
+
+// _RemoveDevice
+bool
+KDiskDeviceManager::_RemoveDevice(KDiskDevice *device)
+{
+	return (device && PartitionRemoved(device) && fDevices.RemoveItem(device));
+}
+
 // _Scan
 status_t
 KDiskDeviceManager::_Scan(const char *path)
@@ -489,6 +521,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_Scan(const char *path)
 		int32 leafLen = strlen("/raw");
 		if (len <= leafLen || strcmp(path + len - leafLen, "/raw"))
 			return B_ERROR;
+DBG(OUT("  found device: %s\n", path));
 		// create a KDiskDevice for it
 		KDiskDevice *device = new(nothrow) KDiskDevice;
 		if (!device)
@@ -496,7 +529,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_Scan(const char *path)
 		// init the KDiskDevice
 		status_t error = device->SetTo(path);
 		// add the device
-		if (error == B_OK && !fDevices.AddItem(device))
+		if (error == B_OK && !_AddDevice(device))
 			error = B_NO_MEMORY;
 		// cleanup on error
 		if (error != B_OK)
@@ -512,14 +545,19 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_ScanPartition(KPartition *partition)
 	// the partition's device must be write-locked
 	if (!partition)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+char partitionPath[B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH];
+partition->GetPath(partitionPath);
+DBG(OUT("KDiskDeviceManager::_ScanPartition(%s)\n", partitionPath));
 	// find the disk system that returns the best priority for this partition
 	float bestPriority = -1;
 	KDiskSystem *bestDiskSystem = NULL;
 	void *bestCookie = NULL;
-	int32 itCookie;
+	int32 itCookie = 0;
 	while (KDiskSystem *diskSystem = LoadNextDiskSystem(&itCookie)) {
+DBG(OUT("  trying: %s\n", diskSystem->Name()));
 		void *cookie = NULL;
 		float priority = diskSystem->Identify(partition, &cookie);
+DBG(OUT("  returned: %f\n", priority));
 		if (priority >= 0 && priority > bestPriority) {
 			// new best disk system
 			if (bestDiskSystem) {
@@ -539,8 +577,11 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_ScanPartition(KPartition *partition)
 	// now, if we have found a disk system, let it scan the partition
 	status_t error = B_OK;
 	if (bestDiskSystem) {
+DBG(OUT("  scanning with: %s\n", bestDiskSystem->Name()));
 		error = bestDiskSystem->Scan(partition, bestCookie);
 		if (error == B_OK) {
+// TODO: Maybe better move setting the partition's and children's disk system
+// in K{File,Partitioning}System::Scan()?
 			partition->SetDiskSystem(bestDiskSystem);
 			for (int32 i = 0; KPartition *child = partition->ChildAt(i); i++) {
 				child->SetParentDiskSystem(bestDiskSystem);
@@ -548,6 +589,7 @@ KDiskDeviceManager::_ScanPartition(KPartition *partition)
 			}
 		} else {
 			// TODO: Handle the error.
+DBG(OUT("  scanning failed: %s\n", strerror(error)));
 		}
 		// now we can safely unload the disk system -- it has been loaded by
 		// the partition(s) and thus will not really be unloaded
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.cpp
index 2ddaeb8908..a26bde442b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskSystem.cpp
@@ -8,11 +8,12 @@
 
 // constructor
 KDiskSystem::KDiskSystem(const char *name)
-	: fID(-1),
+	: fID(_NextID()),
 	  fName(NULL),
 	  fPrettyName(NULL),
 	  fLoadCounter(0)
 {
+	set_string(fName, name);
 }
 
 // destructor
@@ -25,8 +26,7 @@ KDiskSystem::~KDiskSystem()
 status_t
 KDiskSystem::Init()
 {
-	// to be implemented by derived classes
-	return B_OK;
+	return (fName ? B_OK : B_NO_MEMORY);
 }
 
 // SetID
@@ -411,3 +411,14 @@ KDiskSystem::SetPrettyName(const char *name)
 	return set_string(fPrettyName, name);
 }
 
+// _NextID
+int32
+KDiskSystem::_NextID()
+{
+	return atomic_add(&fNextID, 1);
+}
+
+
+// fNextID
+int32 KDiskSystem::fNextID = 0;
+
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
index b325c26ca2..eaebbc2eff 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 
 // constructor
 KPartitioningSystem::KPartitioningSystem(const char *name)
-	: KDiskSystem(name)
+	: KDiskSystem(name),
+	  fModule(NULL)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.cpp
index 4382bcd3cd..0b72e8c664 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/disk_device_manager.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 // disk_device_manager.cpp
 
+#include <stdio.h>
+
 #include "disk_device_manager.h"
 #include "KDiskDevice.h"
 #include "KDiskDeviceManager.h"
 #include "KPartition.h"
 
+// debugging
+//#define DBG(x)
+#define DBG(x) x
+#define OUT printf
+
 // write_lock_disk_device
 disk_device_data *
 write_lock_disk_device(partition_id partitionID)
@@ -125,14 +132,18 @@ get_child_partition(partition_id partitionID, int32 index)
 // create_child_partition
 partition_data *
 create_child_partition(partition_id partitionID, int32 index,
-					   partition_id *childID)
+					   partition_id childID)
 {
 	KDiskDeviceManager *manager = KDiskDeviceManager::Default();
 	if (KPartition *partition = manager->FindPartition(partitionID)) {
 		KPartition *child = NULL;
-		if (partition->CreateChild(*childID, index, &child) == B_OK)
+		if (partition->CreateChild(childID, index, &child) == B_OK)
 			return child->PartitionData();
+else
+DBG(OUT("  creating child (%ld, %ld) failed\n", partitionID, index));
 	}
+else
+DBG(OUT("  partition %ld not found\n", partitionID));
 	return NULL;
 }