diff --git a/bindings.c b/bindings.c
index c04993c..9b9f180 100644
--- a/bindings.c
+++ b/bindings.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ struct pidns_init_store {
 
 static struct pidns_init_store *pidns_hash_table[PIDNS_HASH_SIZE];
 static pthread_mutex_t pidns_store_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static pthread_mutex_t slurp_file_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 static void lock_mutex(pthread_mutex_t *l)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -330,28 +331,31 @@ static inline void drop_trailing_newlines(char *s)
 }
 
 #define BATCH_SIZE 50
-static void dorealloc(char **mem, size_t oldlen, size_t newlen)
+char * dorealloc(char *mem, size_t oldlen, size_t newlen)
 {
 	int newbatches = (newlen / BATCH_SIZE) + 1;
 	int oldbatches = (oldlen / BATCH_SIZE) + 1;
 
-	if (!*mem || newbatches > oldbatches) {
+	if (!mem || newbatches > oldbatches) {
 		char *tmp;
 		do {
-			tmp = realloc(*mem, newbatches * BATCH_SIZE);
+			tmp = realloc(mem, newbatches * BATCH_SIZE);
 		} while (!tmp);
-		*mem = tmp;
+		return tmp;
 	}
+	return mem;
 }
-static void append_line(char **contents, size_t *len, char *line, ssize_t linelen)
+char * append_line(char *contents, size_t *len, char *line, ssize_t linelen)
 {
+	char *tmp;
 	size_t newlen = *len + linelen;
-	dorealloc(contents, *len, newlen + 1);
-	memcpy(*contents + *len, line, linelen+1);
+	tmp = dorealloc(contents, *len, newlen + 1);
+	memcpy(tmp + *len, line, linelen+1);
 	*len = newlen;
+	return tmp;
 }
 
-static char *slurp_file(int fd)
+char *slurp_file(int fd)
 {
 	char *line = NULL;
 	char *contents = NULL;
@@ -363,7 +367,7 @@ static char *slurp_file(int fd)
 		return NULL;
 
 	while ((linelen = getline(&line, &len, f)) != -1) {
-		append_line(&contents, &fulllen, line, linelen);
+		contents = append_line(contents, &fulllen, line, linelen);
 	}
 	fclose(f);
 
@@ -870,15 +874,15 @@ void free_keys(struct cgfs_files **keys)
 	free(keys);
 }
 
-bool cgfs_get_value(const char *controller, const char *cgroup, const char *file, char **value)
+char * cgfs_get_value(const char *controller, const char *cgroup, const char *file)
 {
 	int ret, fd, cfd;
 	size_t len;
-	char *fnam, *tmpc;
+	char *fnam, *tmpc, *value;
 
 	tmpc = find_mounted_controller(controller, &cfd);
 	if (!tmpc)
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 
 	/* Make sure we pass a relative path to *at() family of functions.
 	 * . + /cgroup + / + file + \0
@@ -886,25 +890,25 @@ bool cgfs_get_value(const char *controller, const char *cgroup, const char *file
 	len = strlen(cgroup) + strlen(file) + 3;
 	fnam = malloc(len);
 	if (!fnam) {
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	ret = snprintf(fnam, len, "%s%s/%s", *cgroup == '/' ? "." : "", cgroup, file);
 	if (ret < 0 || (size_t)ret >= len) {
 		free(fnam);
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	fd = openat(cfd, fnam, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		free(fnam);
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	free(fnam);
-	store_lock();
-	*value = slurp_file(fd);
-	store_unlock();
-	return *value != NULL;
+	lock_mutex(&slurp_file_mutex);
+	value = slurp_file(fd);
+	unlock_mutex(&slurp_file_mutex);
+	return value;
 }
 
 struct cgfs_files *cgfs_get_key(const char *controller, const char *cgroup, const char *file)
@@ -2288,7 +2292,7 @@ bool do_read_pids(pid_t tpid, const char *contrl, const char *cg, const char *fi
 	struct ucred cred;
 	size_t sz = 0, asz = 0;
 
-	if (!cgfs_get_value(contrl, cg, file, &tmpdata))
+	if (!(tmpdata = cgfs_get_value(contrl, cg, file)))
 		return false;
 
 	/*
@@ -2401,8 +2405,10 @@ int cg_read(const char *path, char *buf, size_t size, off_t offset,
 			strcmp(f->file, "cgroup.procs") == 0)
 		// special case - we have to translate the pids
 		r = do_read_pids(fc->pid, f->controller, f->cgroup, f->file, &data);
-	else
-		r = cgfs_get_value(f->controller, f->cgroup, f->file, &data);
+	else {
+		data = cgfs_get_value(f->controller, f->cgroup, f->file);
+		r = !data;
+	}
 
 	if (!r) {
 		ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -3089,7 +3095,7 @@ static unsigned long get_memlimit(const char *cgroup, const char *file)
 	char *memlimit_str = NULL;
 	unsigned long memlimit = 0;
 
-	if (cgfs_get_value("memory", cgroup, file, &memlimit_str))
+	if ((memlimit_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cgroup, file)))
 		memlimit = strtoul(memlimit_str, NULL, 10);
 
 	free(memlimit_str);
@@ -3099,8 +3105,7 @@ static unsigned long get_memlimit(const char *cgroup, const char *file)
 
 static unsigned long get_min_memlimit(const char *cgroup, const char *file)
 {
-	char copy[MAXPATHLEN];
-	strcpy(copy, cgroup);
+	char *copy = strdupa(cgroup);
 	unsigned long memlimit = 0, retlimit;
 
 	retlimit = get_memlimit(copy, file);
@@ -3109,7 +3114,7 @@ static unsigned long get_min_memlimit(const char *cgroup, const char *file)
 	}
 
 	while (strcmp(copy, "/") != 0) {
-		dirname(copy);
+		copy = dirname(copy);
 		memlimit = get_memlimit(copy, file);
 		if (memlimit != 0 && memlimit < retlimit)
 			retlimit = memlimit;
@@ -3157,14 +3162,14 @@ static int proc_meminfo_read(char *buf, size_t size, off_t offset,
 	memlimit = get_min_memlimit(cg, "memory.limit_in_bytes");
 	if (memlimit == 0)
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.usage_in_bytes", &memusage_str))
+	if (!(memusage_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.usage_in_bytes")))
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.stat", &memstat_str))
+	if (!(memstat_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.stat")))
 		goto err;
 
 	// Following values are allowed to fail, because swapaccount might be turned
 	// off for current kernel
-	if (cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.memsw.usage_in_bytes", &memswusage_str))
+	if (memswusage_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.memsw.usage_in_bytes"))
 	{
 		memswlimit = get_min_memlimit(cg, "memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes");
 		memswusage = strtoul(memswusage_str, NULL, 10);
@@ -3310,7 +3315,7 @@ static char *get_cpuset(const char *cg)
 {
 	char *answer = NULL;
 
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("cpuset", cg, "cpuset.cpus", &answer))
+	if (!(answer = cgfs_get_value("cpuset", cg, "cpuset.cpus")))
 		return NULL;
 	return answer;
 }
@@ -3835,7 +3840,7 @@ static unsigned long get_reaper_busy(pid_t task)
 	if (!cgroup)
 		goto out;
 	prune_init_slice(cgroup);
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("cpuacct", cgroup, "cpuacct.usage", &usage_str))
+	if (!(usage_str = cgfs_get_value("cpuacct", cgroup, "cpuacct.usage")))
 		goto out;
 	usage = strtoul(usage_str, NULL, 10);
 	usage /= 1000000000;
@@ -4077,15 +4082,15 @@ static int proc_diskstats_read(char *buf, size_t size, off_t offset,
 		return read_file("/proc/diskstats", buf, size, d);
 	prune_init_slice(cg);
 
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_serviced_recursive", &io_serviced_str))
+	if (!(io_serviced_str = cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_serviced_recursive")))
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_merged_recursive", &io_merged_str))
+	if (!(io_merged_str = cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_merged_recursive")))
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_service_bytes_recursive", &io_service_bytes_str))
+	if (!(io_service_bytes_str = cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_service_bytes_recursive")))
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_wait_time_recursive", &io_wait_time_str))
+	if (!(io_wait_time_str = cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_wait_time_recursive")))
 		goto err;
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_service_time_recursive", &io_service_time_str))
+	if (!(io_service_time_str = cgfs_get_value("blkio", cg, "blkio.io_service_time_recursive")))
 		goto err;
 
 
@@ -4213,12 +4218,12 @@ static int proc_swaps_read(char *buf, size_t size, off_t offset,
 	if (memlimit == 0)
 		goto err;
 
-	if (!cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.usage_in_bytes", &memusage_str))
+	if (!(memusage_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.usage_in_bytes")))
 		goto err;
 
 	memusage = strtoul(memusage_str, NULL, 10);
 
-	if (cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.memsw.usage_in_bytes", &memswusage_str)) {
+	if (memswusage_str = cgfs_get_value("memory", cg, "memory.memsw.usage_in_bytes")) {
 
 		memswlimit = get_min_memlimit(cg, "memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes");
 		memswusage = strtoul(memswusage_str, NULL, 10);
@@ -4403,6 +4408,9 @@ int proc_read(const char *path, char *buf, size_t size, off_t offset,
 {
 	struct file_info *f = (struct file_info *) fi->fh;
 
+	if (!f->buf)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	switch (f->type) {
 	case LXC_TYPE_PROC_MEMINFO:
 		return proc_meminfo_read(buf, size, offset, fi);