diff --git a/lib/activate/fs.c b/lib/activate/fs.c
index 3edfb48a2..f23d78499 100644
--- a/lib/activate/fs.c
+++ b/lib/activate/fs.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "toolcontext.h"
 #include "lvm-string.h"
+#include "lvm-file.h"
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -18,13 +19,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <libdevmapper.h>
-#include <dirent.h>
 
-/*
- * Lazy programmer: I'm just going to always try
- * and create/remove the vg directory, and not say
- * anything if it fails.
- */
 static int _mk_dir(struct volume_group *vg)
 {
 	char vg_path[PATH_MAX];
@@ -36,51 +31,16 @@ static int _mk_dir(struct volume_group *vg)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	log_very_verbose("Creating directory %s", vg_path);
-	mkdir(vg_path, 0555);
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
-static int _is_empty_dir(const char *dir)
-{
-	int i, count, r = 1;
-	struct dirent **dirent;
-	const char *name;
-
-	count = scandir(dir, &dirent, NULL, alphasort);
-	if (!count)
+	if (dir_exists(vg_path))
 		return 1;
 
-	if (count < 0) {
-		log_err("Couldn't scan directory '%s'.", dir);
+	log_very_verbose("Creating directory %s", vg_path);
+	if (mkdir(vg_path, 0555)) {
+		log_sys_error("mkdir", vg_path);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Scan the devices.
-	 */
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		name = dirent[i]->d_name;
-
-		/*
-		 * Ignore dot files.
-		 */
-		if (!strcmp(name, ".") || !strcmp(name, ".."))
-			continue;
-
-		r = 0;
-		break;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Free the directory entries.
-	 */
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
-		free(dirent[i]);
-	free(dirent);
-
-	return r;
+	return 1;
 }
 
 static int _rm_dir(struct volume_group *vg)
@@ -96,7 +56,7 @@ static int _rm_dir(struct volume_group *vg)
 
 	log_very_verbose("Removing directory %s", vg_path);
 
-	if (_is_empty_dir(vg_path))
+	if (is_empty_dir(vg_path))
 		rmdir(vg_path);
 
 	return 1;
diff --git a/lib/misc/lvm-file.c b/lib/misc/lvm-file.c
index f0ae9aad8..cbe446985 100644
--- a/lib/misc/lvm-file.c
+++ b/lib/misc/lvm-file.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/file.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 
 /*
  * Creates a temporary filename, and opens a descriptor to the
@@ -21,17 +22,16 @@
  * rename the file after successfully writing it.  Grab
  * NFS-supported exclusive fcntl discretionary lock.
  */
-int create_temp_name(const char *dir, char *buffer, size_t len,
-			     int *fd)
+int create_temp_name(const char *dir, char *buffer, size_t len, int *fd)
 {
 	int i, num;
 	pid_t pid;
 	char hostname[255];
 	struct flock lock = {
-		l_type: F_WRLCK,
-		l_whence: 0,
-		l_start: 0,
-		l_len: 0
+		l_type:F_WRLCK,
+		l_whence:0,
+		l_start:0,
+		l_len:0
 	};
 
 	num = rand();
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ int lvm_rename(const char *old, const char *new)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-
 int path_exists(const char *path)
 {
 	struct stat info;
@@ -129,7 +128,6 @@ int dir_exists(const char *path)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-
 /* FIXME: Make this create directories recursively */
 int create_dir(const char *dir)
 {
@@ -153,3 +151,23 @@ int create_dir(const char *dir)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int is_empty_dir(const char *dir)
+{
+	struct dirent *dirent;
+	DIR *d;
+
+	if (!(d = opendir(dir))) {
+		log_sys_error("opendir", dir);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	while ((dirent = readdir(d)))
+		if (strcmp(dirent->d_name, ".") && strcmp(dirent->d_name, ".."))
+			break;
+
+	if (closedir(d)) {
+		log_sys_error("closedir", dir);
+	}
+
+	return dirent ? 0 : 1;
+}
diff --git a/lib/misc/lvm-file.h b/lib/misc/lvm-file.h
index 3c3e9072c..c6915e032 100644
--- a/lib/misc/lvm-file.h
+++ b/lib/misc/lvm-file.h
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ int lvm_rename(const char *old, const char *new);
 int path_exists(const char *path);
 int dir_exists(const char *path);
 
+/*
+ * Return 1 if dir is empty
+ */
+int is_empty_dir(const char *dir);
+
 /*
  * Create directory (but not recursively) if necessary
  * Return 1 if directory exists on return, else 0