diff --git a/drivers/char/null.c b/drivers/char/null.c
index f24fc593..c1fc9e69 100644
--- a/drivers/char/null.c
+++ b/drivers/char/null.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ static ssize_t null_write(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return size;
 }
 
-static int null_open(vfs_node_t* node)
+static int null_open(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/stderr/stderr.c b/drivers/stderr/stderr.c
index 32a926e8..5ee63ec7 100644
--- a/drivers/stderr/stderr.c
+++ b/drivers/stderr/stderr.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static ssize_t stderr_write(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return size;
 }
 
-static int stderr_open(vfs_node_t* node)
+static int stderr_open(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/stdin/stdin.c b/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
index 9baecb3a..ab4d0c36 100644
--- a/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
+++ b/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static ssize_t stdin_write(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return size;
 }
 
-static int stdin_open(vfs_node_t* node)
+static int stdin_open(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/stdout/stdout.c b/drivers/stdout/stdout.c
index c68eb588..e0082934 100644
--- a/drivers/stdout/stdout.c
+++ b/drivers/stdout/stdout.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static ssize_t stdout_write(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return size;
 }
 
-static int stdout_open(vfs_node_t* node)
+static int stdout_open(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/fs/fs.c b/fs/fs.c
index 53488e97..9944f9a1 100644
--- a/fs/fs.c
+++ b/fs/fs.c
@@ -59,45 +59,48 @@ ssize_t write_fs(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-vfs_node_t* open_fs(const char* name, int flags)
+int open_fs(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
-	uint32_t i, j = 1;
-	vfs_node_t* ret = NULL; 
-	vfs_node_t* fnode = NULL;  /* file node */
-	vfs_node_t* node = NULL;
+	uint32_t ret = 0, i, j = 1;
+	vfs_node_t* file_node = NULL;  /* file node */
+	vfs_node_t* dir_node = NULL;
 	char fname[MAX_FNAME];
 
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!name, 0))
 		return ret;
 
 	if (name[0] == '/')
-		ret = fs_root;
+		file_node = fs_root;
 
-	while((name[j] != '\0') && ret) {
+	while((name[j] != '\0') && file_node) {
 		i = 0;
 		while((name[j] != '/') && (name[j] != '\0')) {
 			fname[i] = name[j];
 			i++; j++;
 		}
 		fname[i] = '\0';
-		node = fnode;
-		fnode = finddir_fs(fnode, fname);
+		dir_node = file_node; /* file must be a dictionary */
+		file_node = finddir_fs(dir_node, fname);
 		if (name[j] == '/') 
 			j++;
 	}
 
-	if(fnode) {
-		node = fnode;
-		name = NULL;
-		if(!(flags & O_TRUNC))
-			return fnode;
+	/* file exists */
+	if(file_node) {
+		spinlock_lock(&file_node->lock);
+		file->node = file_node;
+		// Has the file_node got an open callback?
+		if (file_node->open != 0)
+			ret = file->node->open(file, NULL);
+		spinlock_unlock(&file_node->lock);
+	} else { /* file doesn't exist */
+		spinlock_lock(&dir_node->lock);
+		file->node = dir_node;
+		// Has the dir_node got an open callback?
+		if (file_node->open != 0)
+			ret = file->node->open(file, fname);
+		spinlock_unlock(&file_node->lock);
 	}
-	
-	spinlock_lock(&node->lock);
-	// Has the node got an open callback?
-	if (node->open != 0)
-		ret = node->open(node);
-	spinlock_unlock(&node->lock);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/fs/initrd.c b/fs/initrd.c
index 0c49cac8..22915cb8 100644
--- a/fs/initrd.c
+++ b/fs/initrd.c
@@ -165,20 +165,46 @@ static ssize_t initrd_write(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size)
 	return size;
 }
 
-static int initrd_open(vfs_node_t* node)
+static int initrd_open(fildes_t* file, const char* name)
 {
+	if (file->node->type == FS_FILE) {
+		if ((file->flags & O_CREAT) && (file->flags & O_EXCL)) 
+			return -EINVAL;
+		
+		/* in the case of O_TRUNC kfree all the nodes */
+		if (file->flags & O_TRUNC) {
+			uint32_t i;
+			char* data = NULL;
+			block_list_t* blist = &file->node->block_list;
+			block_list_t* preblist = NULL;
+			do {
+				for(i=0; i<MAX_DATABLOCKS && !data; i++) {
+					if (blist->data[i]) {
+						kfree(blist->data[i], 
+							sizeof(data_block_t));	
+					}
+				}
+				preblist = blist;
+				blist = blist->next;
+				kfree(preblist, sizeof(block_list_t));
+			} while(blist);
+			/* reset the block_size */
+			file->node->block_size = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	if (file->node->type == FS_DIRECTORY) {
+		if (!(file->flags & O_CREAT)) 
+			return -EINVAL;
 
-	uint32_t i, j;
-	char* data = NULL;
-	block_list_t* blist = NULL;
+		uint32_t i, j;
 
-	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(node->type != FS_DIRECTORY, 0)) {
+		block_list_t* blist = NULL;
 		/* CREATE FILE */
 		vfs_node_t* new_node = kmalloc(sizeof(vfs_node_t));
 		if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!new_node, 0))
-			return 0;
+			return -EINVAL;
 		
-		blist = &node->block_list;
+		blist = &file->node->block_list;
 		dir_block_t* dir_block;
 		dirent_t* dirent;
 		
@@ -198,8 +224,8 @@ static int initrd_open(vfs_node_t* node)
 						dirent = &dir_block->entries[j];
 						if (!dirent->vfs_node) {
 							dirent->vfs_node = new_node;
-							//strncpy(dirent->name, (char*) name, MAX_FNAME);
-							goto exit_for; /* there might be a better Solution *********************************/
+							strncpy(dirent->name, (char*) name, MAX_FNAME);
+							goto exit_create_file; /* there might be a better Solution *********************************/
 						}
  					}
 				}
@@ -213,30 +239,11 @@ static int initrd_open(vfs_node_t* node)
 
 			blist = blist->next;
 		} while(blist);
-exit_for:
-		node = new_node;
-	}
-	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(node->type != FS_FILE, 0)) {
-		/* in the case of O_TRUNC */
-		block_list_t* blist = &node->block_list;
-		block_list_t* preblist = NULL;
-		do {
-			for(i=0; i<MAX_DATABLOCKS && !data; i++) {
-				if (blist->data[i]) {
-					kfree(blist->data[i], sizeof(data_block_t));	
-				}
-			}
-			preblist = blist;
-			blist = blist->next;
-			kfree(preblist, sizeof(block_list_t));
-		} while(blist);
-	}
 
-	/* init new file */
-	node->block_size = 0;
-	//&node->block_list = NULL;
-
-	//return node;
+exit_create_file:
+		file->node = new_node;
+		file->node->block_size = 0;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/metalsvm/fs.h b/include/metalsvm/fs.h
index 1584477f..03495bda 100644
--- a/include/metalsvm/fs.h
+++ b/include/metalsvm/fs.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ typedef ssize_t (*read_type_t) (struct fildes *, uint8_t*, size_t);
 /** @brief Write function pointer */
 typedef ssize_t (*write_type_t) (struct fildes *, uint8_t*, size_t);
 /** @brief Open function pointer */
-typedef int (*open_type_t) (struct vfs_node *);
+typedef int (*open_type_t) (struct fildes *, const char *name);
 /** @brief Close function pointer */
 typedef int (*close_type_t) (struct vfs_node *);
 /** @brief Read directory function pointer */
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ ssize_t read_fs(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size);
 ssize_t write_fs(fildes_t* file, uint8_t* buffer, size_t size);
 
 /** @brief Yet to be documented */
-vfs_node_t* open_fs(const char* name, int flags);
+int open_fs(fildes_t* file, const char* fname);
 /** @brief Yet to be documented */
 int close_fs(vfs_node_t * node);
 
diff --git a/kernel/syscall.c b/kernel/syscall.c
index 7c0ce5b5..ff2ff601 100644
--- a/kernel/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/syscall.c
@@ -33,26 +33,25 @@ static int sys_write(int fd, const char *buf, size_t len)
 		(uint8_t*)buf, len);
 }
 
-static int sys_open(const char* fname, int flags, int mode)
+static int sys_open(const char* name, int flags, int mode)
 {
-	int fd;
+	int fd, check;
 	fildes_t* file = NULL;
-	if (!findnode_fs((char*) fname)) {
-		if (flags & O_CREAT) {
-			//create file, not implemented yet
-		}
-		return -EINVAL;
-	} else {
-		if ((flags & O_CREAT) && (flags & O_EXCL));
-			return -EINVAL;
-	}
 
 	for (fd = 3; fd < NR_OPEN; fd++) {
 		if (per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node == NULL) {
 			file = &(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd]);
-			file->node = findnode_fs((char*) fname);
 			file->mode = mode;
 			file->flags = flags;
+			check = open_fs(file, (char*) name);
+			if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(check != -EINVAL, 0)) {
+				/* file doesn't exist! */
+				file->node = NULL;
+				file->offset = 0;
+				file->mode = 0;
+				file->flags = 0;
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
 		} 
  	}
 	if (fd >= NR_OPEN) {
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ static int sys_open(const char* fname, int flags, int mode)
 	}   
 	
 	return fd;
-
 }
 
 static int sys_close(int fd)
@@ -163,10 +161,10 @@ int syscall_handler(uint32_t sys_nr, ...)
 			break;
 		}
 	case __NR_open: {
-			const char* fname = va_arg(vl, const char*);
+			const char* name = va_arg(vl, const char*);
 			int flags = va_arg(vl, int);
 			int mode = va_arg(vl, int);
-			ret = sys_open(fname, flags, mode);
+			ret = sys_open(name, flags, mode);
 			break;
 		}
 	case __NR_close: {