diff --git a/src/fs.c b/src/fs.c
index 0219f3d..6e0a7a1 100644
--- a/src/fs.c
+++ b/src/fs.c
@@ -313,54 +313,43 @@ int fs_prohibit_write(void *d)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static struct fs_directory_record *fs_read_dir(unsigned int fs_inode_ptr)
-{
-	unsigned int inode_block_no = read_inode_ptr(fs_inode_ptr);
-	struct fs_inode dir_inode;
-	read_block(inode_block_no, &dir_inode);
-
-	if (dir_inode.size == 0) {
-		pr("directory is empty\n");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	struct fs_header fsh;
-	read_block(0, (void *) &fsh);
-
-	struct fs_directory_record *recs = malloc(fsh.max_inode_count * sizeof(struct fs_directory_record));
-	memset(recs, 0, fsh.max_inode_count * sizeof(struct fs_directory_record));
-
-	// read block portion from dir_inode
-	for (int i = 0; (i*DIRECTORY_RECORDS_PER_BLOCK < dir_inode.size) && (i < BLOCK_ADDRESSES_PER_INODE); i++) {
-		if (dir_inode.blocks[i]) {
-			read_block(dir_inode.blocks[i], &(recs[i*DIRECTORY_RECORDS_PER_BLOCK]));
-		}
-	}
-
-	// read block portions from inode extensions
-	// TODO
-
-	return recs;
-}
-
 static int fs_find_free_directory_record(unsigned int dir_inode_ptr)
 {
-	struct fs_directory_record *recs = fs_read_dir(dir_inode_ptr);
-	if (!recs) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	struct fs_header fsh;
 	read_block(0, (void *) &fsh);
 
-	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < fsh.max_inode_count; i++) {
-		if (!recs[i].inode_no) {
-			free(recs);
-			return i;
+	struct fs_inode dir;
+	read_block(read_inode_ptr(dir_inode_ptr), (void *) &dir);
+
+	int found_block_no = 0;
+
+	// search in base inode
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < BLOCK_ADDRESSES_PER_INODE; i++) {
+		struct fs_directory_record r[DIRECTORY_RECORDS_PER_BLOCK];
+
+		if (!dir.blocks[i]) {
+			if (found_block_no < fsh.max_inode_count)
+				return (found_block_no);
+			else
+				return -1;
+		}
+
+		read_block(dir.blocks[i], (void *) &r);
+
+		for (int j = 0; j < DIRECTORY_RECORDS_PER_BLOCK; j++, found_block_no++) {
+			if (r[j].inode_no)
+				continue;
+
+			if (found_block_no >= fsh.max_inode_count)
+				return -1;
+
+			return found_block_no;
 		}
 	}
 
-	free(recs);
+	// search in inode extensions
+	// TODO
+
 	return -1;
 }
 
@@ -494,6 +483,7 @@ static int fs_remove_fname_from_directory(unsigned int dir_inode_ptr, char *fnam
 
 			pr("Directory record for '%s' found in block=%d, record=%d, removing\n", fname, i, k);
 
+			unsigned int inode_ptr_cache = recs[k].inode_no;
 			unsigned int inode_location_cache = read_inode_ptr(recs[k].inode_no);
 
 			// decrement ref_count
@@ -511,7 +501,7 @@ static int fs_remove_fname_from_directory(unsigned int dir_inode_ptr, char *fnam
 				goto fs_remove_fname_from_directory_finish;
 
 			pr("ref_count=0, clearing inode_ptr\n");
-			write_inode_ptr(recs[k].inode_no, 0);
+			write_inode_ptr(inode_ptr_cache, 0);
 
 			// if no fd reference this inode, clean it up altogether
 			int i;
@@ -780,7 +770,7 @@ int fs_ln(void *d)
 	// list entries from inode extensions
 	// TODO
 
-	pr_err("no such file '%d'\n", existing_fname);
+	pr_err("no such file '%s'\n", existing_fname);
 	return 0;
 
 original_inode_ptr_found:
@@ -788,10 +778,10 @@ original_inode_ptr_found:
 
 	// register new filename with the same inode_ptr
 	if (fs_add_fname_to_directory(fs_cwd_inode_ptr, original_inode_ptr, new_fname) < 0) {
-		pr_err("failed to register filename in directory '%s'\n", fs_cwd_inode_ptr);
+		pr_err("failed to register filename in directory '%s'\n", fs_cwd);
 		return 0;
 	} else {
-		pr("Registered new filename in directory '%s'\n", fs_cwd_inode_ptr);
+		pr("Registered new filename in directory '%s'\n", fs_cwd);
 	}
 
 	// update ref_count in file inode