diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/fs/KPath.h b/headers/private/kernel/fs/KPath.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f4febc6f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/fs/KPath.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// KPath.h
+//
+// A simple class wrapping a path. Has a fixed-sized buffer.
+
+#ifndef _K_PATH_H
+#define _K_PATH_H
+
+#include <KernelExport.h>
+
+namespace BPrivate {
+namespace DiskDevice {
+
+class KPath {
+public:
+	KPath(int32 bufferSize = B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH);
+	KPath(const char* path, int32 bufferSize = B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH);
+	KPath(const KPath& other);
+	~KPath();
+
+	status_t SetTo(const char *path, int32 bufferSize = B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH);
+
+	status_t InitCheck() const;
+
+	status_t SetPath(const char *path);
+	const char* Path() const;
+	int32 Length() const;
+
+	int32 BufferSize() const;
+	char *LockBuffer();
+	void UnlockBuffer();
+
+	status_t Append(const char *component);
+
+	KPath& operator=(const KPath& other);
+	KPath& operator=(const char* path);
+
+	bool operator==(const KPath& other) const;
+	bool operator==(const char* path) const;
+	bool operator!=(const KPath& other) const;
+	bool operator!=(const char* path) const;
+
+private:
+	char*	fBuffer;
+	int32	fBufferSize;
+	int32	fPathLength;
+	bool	fLocked;
+};
+
+} // namespace DiskDevice
+} // namespace BPrivate
+
+using BPrivate::DiskDevice::KPath;
+
+#endif _K_PATH_H
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/fs/KPath.cpp b/src/kernel/core/fs/KPath.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07b79f5c19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kernel/core/fs/KPath.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,233 @@
+// KPath.cpp
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <KPath.h>
+
+// debugging
+#define DBG(x)
+//#define DBG(x) x
+#define OUT dprintf
+
+// constructor
+KPath::KPath(int32 bufferSize)
+	: fBuffer(NULL),
+	  fBufferSize(0),
+	  fPathLength(0),
+	  fLocked(false)
+{
+	SetTo(NULL, bufferSize);
+}
+
+// constructor
+KPath::KPath(const char* path, int32 bufferSize)
+	: fBuffer(NULL),
+	  fBufferSize(0),
+	  fPathLength(0),
+	  fLocked(false)
+{
+	SetTo(path, bufferSize);
+}
+
+// copy constructor
+KPath::KPath(const KPath& other)
+	: fBuffer(NULL),
+	  fBufferSize(0),
+	  fPathLength(0),
+	  fLocked(false)
+{
+	*this = other;
+}
+
+// destructor
+KPath::~KPath()
+{
+	free(fBuffer);
+}
+
+// SetTo
+status_t
+KPath::SetTo(const char* path, int32 bufferSize)
+{
+	if (bufferSize <= 0)
+		bufferSize = B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH;
+	// free the previous buffer, if the buffer size differs
+	if (fBuffer && fBufferSize != bufferSize) {
+		free(fBuffer);
+		fBuffer = NULL;
+		fBufferSize = 0;
+	}
+	fPathLength = 0;
+	fLocked = false;
+	// allocate buffer
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		fBuffer = (char*)malloc(bufferSize);
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		return B_NO_MEMORY;
+	if (fBuffer) {
+		fBufferSize = bufferSize;
+		fBuffer[0] = '\0';
+	}
+	return SetPath(path);
+}
+
+// InitCheck
+status_t
+KPath::InitCheck() const
+{
+	return (fBuffer ? B_OK : B_NO_MEMORY);
+}
+
+// SetPath
+status_t
+KPath::SetPath(const char *path)
+{
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		return B_NO_INIT;
+	if (path) {
+		int32 len = strlen(path);
+		if (len >= fBufferSize)
+			return B_BUFFER_OVERFLOW;
+		memcpy(fBuffer, path, len + 1);
+		fPathLength = len;
+	} else {
+		fBuffer[0] = '\0';
+		fPathLength = 0;
+	}
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+// Path
+const char*
+KPath::Path() const
+{
+	return fBuffer;
+}
+
+// Length
+int32
+KPath::Length() const
+{
+	return fPathLength;
+}
+
+// BufferSize
+int32
+KPath::BufferSize() const
+{
+	return fBufferSize;
+}
+
+// LockBuffer
+char *
+KPath::LockBuffer()
+{
+	if (!fBuffer || fLocked)
+		return NULL;
+	fLocked = true;
+	return fBuffer;
+}
+
+// UnlockBuffer
+void
+KPath::UnlockBuffer()
+{
+	if (!fLocked) {
+		DBG(OUT("KPath::UnlockBuffer(): ERROR: Buffer not locked!\n"));
+		return;
+	}
+	fLocked = false;
+	fPathLength = strnlen(fBuffer, fBufferSize);
+	if (fPathLength == fBufferSize) {
+		DBG(OUT("KPath::UnlockBuffer(): WARNING: Unterminated buffer!\n"));
+		fPathLength--;
+		fBuffer[fPathLength] = '\0';
+	}
+}
+
+// Append
+status_t
+KPath::Append(const char *component)
+{
+	// check initialization and parameter
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		return B_NO_INIT;
+	if (!component)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+	// get componentn length
+	int32 componentLen = strlen(component);
+	if (componentLen < 1)
+		return B_OK;
+	// if our current path is empty, we just copy the supplied one
+	if (fPathLength == 0) {
+		if (componentLen >= fBufferSize)
+			return B_BUFFER_OVERFLOW;
+		memcpy(fBuffer, component, componentLen + 1);
+		fPathLength = componentLen;
+		return B_OK;
+	}
+	// compute the result path len
+	bool insertSlash = (fBuffer[fPathLength - 1] != '/'
+		&& component[0] != '/');
+	int32 resultPathLen = fPathLength + componentLen + (insertSlash ? 1 : 0);
+	if (resultPathLen >= fBufferSize)
+		return B_BUFFER_OVERFLOW;
+	// compose the result path
+	if (insertSlash)
+		fBuffer[fPathLength++] = '/';
+	memcpy(fBuffer + fPathLength, component, componentLen + 1);
+	fPathLength = resultPathLen;
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+// =
+KPath&
+KPath::operator=(const KPath& other)
+{
+	SetTo(other.fBuffer, other.fBufferSize);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+// =
+KPath&
+KPath::operator=(const char* path)
+{
+	SetTo(path);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+// ==
+bool
+KPath::operator==(const KPath& other) const
+{
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		return (!other.fBuffer);
+	return (other.fBuffer
+		&& fPathLength == other.fPathLength
+		&& strcmp(fBuffer, other.fBuffer) == 0);
+}
+
+// ==
+bool
+KPath::operator==(const char* path) const
+{
+	if (!fBuffer)
+		return (!path);
+	return (path && strcmp(fBuffer, path) == 0);
+}
+
+// !=
+bool
+KPath::operator!=(const KPath& other) const
+{
+	return !(*this == other);
+}
+
+// !=
+bool
+KPath::operator!=(const char* path) const
+{
+	return !(*this == path);
+}
+