diff --git a/cp.c b/cp.c
index 4bba1b5..ebc3566 100644
--- a/cp.c
+++ b/cp.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	ARGBEGIN {
 	case 'a':
-		cp_HLPflag = 'P';
+		cp_follow = 'P';
 		cp_aflag = cp_pflag = cp_rflag = 1;
 		break;
 	case 'f':
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	case 'H':
 	case 'L':
 	case 'P':
-		cp_HLPflag = ARGC();
+		cp_follow = ARGC();
 		break;
 	default:
 		usage();
diff --git a/fs.h b/fs.h
index 91b130f..e7590f8 100644
--- a/fs.h
+++ b/fs.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ extern int cp_fflag;
 extern int cp_pflag;
 extern int cp_rflag;
 extern int cp_vflag;
-extern int cp_HLPflag;
+extern int cp_follow;
 extern int cp_status;
 
 extern int rm_fflag;
diff --git a/libutil/cp.c b/libutil/cp.c
index c6ff48e..32e0dc6 100644
--- a/libutil/cp.c
+++ b/libutil/cp.c
@@ -15,136 +15,162 @@
 #include "../text.h"
 #include "../util.h"
 
-int cp_aflag = 0;
-int cp_fflag = 0;
-int cp_pflag = 0;
-int cp_rflag = 0;
-int cp_vflag = 0;
+int cp_aflag  = 0;
+int cp_fflag  = 0;
+int cp_pflag  = 0;
+int cp_rflag  = 0;
+int cp_vflag  = 0;
 int cp_status = 0;
-int cp_HLPflag = 'L';
+int cp_follow = 'L';
 
 int
 cp(const char *s1, const char *s2, int depth)
 {
+	DIR *dp;
 	FILE *f1, *f2;
-	char ns1[PATH_MAX], ns2[PATH_MAX];
 	struct dirent *d;
 	struct stat st;
 	struct utimbuf ut;
-	char buf[PATH_MAX];
-	DIR *dp;
-	int r;
+	ssize_t r;
+	int (*statf)(const char *, struct stat *);
+	char target[PATH_MAX], ns1[PATH_MAX], ns2[PATH_MAX], *statf_name;
+
+	if (cp_follow == 'P' || (cp_follow == 'H' && depth)) {
+		statf_name = "lstat";
+		statf = lstat;
+	} else {
+		statf_name = "stat";
+		statf = stat;
+	}
+
+	if (statf(s1, &st) < 0) {
+		weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, s1);
+		cp_status = 1;
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	if (cp_vflag)
-		printf("'%s' -> '%s'\n", s1, s2);
-
-	r = (cp_HLPflag == 'P' || (cp_HLPflag == 'H' && depth > 0)) ?
-	    lstat(s1, &st) : stat(s1, &st);
-	if (r < 0) {
-		weprintf("%s %s:", (cp_HLPflag == 'P' ||
-		         (cp_HLPflag == 'H' && depth > 0)) ? "lstat" : "stat", s1);
-		cp_status = 1;
-		return 0;
-	}
+		printf("%s -> %s\n", s1, s2);
 
 	if (S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
-		if (readlink(s1, buf, sizeof(buf) - 1) >= 0) {
-			if (cp_fflag)
-				unlink(s2);
-			if (symlink(buf, s2) != 0) {
-				weprintf("%s: can't create '%s'\n", argv0, s2);
+		if ((r = readlink(s1, target, sizeof(target) - 1)) >= 0) {
+			target[r] = '\0';
+			if (cp_fflag && unlink(s2) < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+				weprintf("unlink %s:", s2);
+				cp_status = 1;
+				return 0;
+			} else if (symlink(target, s2) < 0) {
+				weprintf("symlink %s -> %s:", s2, target);
 				cp_status = 1;
 				return 0;
 			}
 		}
-		goto preserve;
-	}
-
-	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
-		if (!cp_rflag)
-			eprintf("%s: is a directory\n", s1);
-
-		if (!(dp = opendir(s1)))
-			eprintf("opendir %s:", s1);
-
-		if (mkdir(s2, st.st_mode) < 0 && errno != EEXIST)
-			eprintf("mkdir %s:", s2);
+	} else if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		if (!cp_rflag) {
+			weprintf("%s is a directory\n", s1);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (!(dp = opendir(s1))) {
+			weprintf("opendir %s:", s1);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (mkdir(s2, st.st_mode) < 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
+			weprintf("mkdir %s:", s2);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
 
 		while ((d = readdir(dp))) {
-			if (strcmp(d->d_name, ".") && strcmp(d->d_name, "..")) {
-				r = snprintf(ns1, sizeof(ns1), "%s/%s", s1, d->d_name);
-				if (r >= sizeof(ns1) || r < 0) {
-					eprintf("%s/%s: filename too long\n",
-						s1, d->d_name);
-				}
-				r = snprintf(ns2, sizeof(ns2), "%s/%s", s2, d->d_name);
-				if (r >= sizeof(ns2) || r < 0) {
-					eprintf("%s/%s: filename too long\n",
-						s2, d->d_name);
-				}
-				fnck(ns1, ns2, cp, depth + 1);
-			}
+			if (!strcmp(d->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(d->d_name, ".."))
+				continue;
+
+			estrlcpy(ns1, s1, sizeof(ns1));
+			if(s1[strlen(s1) - 1] != '/')
+				estrlcat(ns1, "/", sizeof(ns1));
+			estrlcat(ns1, d->d_name, sizeof(ns1));
+
+			estrlcpy(ns2, s2, sizeof(ns2));
+			if(s2[strlen(s2) - 1] != '/')
+				estrlcat(ns2, "/", sizeof(ns2));
+			estrlcat(ns2, d->d_name, sizeof(ns2));
+
+			fnck(ns1, ns2, cp, depth + 1);
 		}
+
 		closedir(dp);
-		goto preserve;
-	}
-
-	if (cp_aflag) {
-		if (S_ISBLK(st.st_mode) || S_ISCHR(st.st_mode) ||
-		    S_ISSOCK(st.st_mode) || S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode)) {
-			unlink(s2);
-			if (mknod(s2, st.st_mode, st.st_rdev) < 0) {
-				weprintf("%s: can't create '%s':", argv0, s2);
-				cp_status = 1;
-				return 0;
-			}
-			goto preserve;
+	} else if (cp_aflag && (S_ISBLK(st.st_mode) || S_ISCHR(st.st_mode) ||
+	           S_ISSOCK(st.st_mode) || S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode))) {
+		if (cp_fflag && unlink(s2) < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+			weprintf("unlink %s:", s2);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		} else if (mknod(s2, st.st_mode, st.st_rdev) < 0) {
+			weprintf("mknod %s:", s2);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
 		}
-	}
-
-	if (!(f1 = fopen(s1, "r"))) {
-		weprintf("fopen %s:", s1);
-		cp_status = 1;
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!(f2 = fopen(s2, "w"))) {
-		if (cp_fflag) {
-			unlink(s2);
-			if (!(f2 = fopen(s2, "w"))) {
+	} else {
+		if (!(f1 = fopen(s1, "r"))) {
+			weprintf("fopen %s:", s1);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (!(f2 = fopen(s2, "w"))) {
+			if (cp_fflag) {
+				if (unlink(s2) < 0 && errno != ENOENT) {
+					weprintf("unlink %s:", s2);
+					cp_status = 1;
+					return 0;
+				} else if (!(f2 = fopen(s2, "w"))) {
+					weprintf("fopen %s:", s2);
+					cp_status = 1;
+					return 0;
+				}
+			} else {
 				weprintf("fopen %s:", s2);
 				cp_status = 1;
 				return 0;
 			}
-		} else {
-			weprintf("fopen %s:", s2);
+		}
+		concat(f1, s1, f2, s2);
+
+		/* preserve permissions by default */
+		fchmod(fileno(f2), st.st_mode);
+
+		if (fclose(f2) == EOF) {
+			weprintf("fclose %s:", s2);
+			cp_status = 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if (fclose(f1) == EOF) {
+			weprintf("fclose %s:", s1);
 			cp_status = 1;
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	concat(f1, s1, f2, s2);
-	/* preserve permissions by default */
-	fchmod(fileno(f2), st.st_mode);
-	fclose(f2);
-	fclose(f1);
 
-preserve:
 	if (cp_aflag || cp_pflag) {
-		if (!(S_ISLNK(st.st_mode))) {
-			/* timestamp */
+		/* timestamp and owner*/
+		if (!S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
 			ut.actime = st.st_atime;
 			ut.modtime = st.st_mtime;
 			utime(s2, &ut);
-		}
-		/* preserve owner ? */
-		if (S_ISLNK(st.st_mode))
-			r = lchown(s2, st.st_uid, st.st_gid);
-		else
-			r = chown(s2, st.st_uid, st.st_gid);
-		if (r < 0) {
-			weprintf("cp: can't preserve ownership of '%s':", s2);
-			cp_status = 1;
+
+			if (chown(s2, st.st_uid, st.st_gid) < 0) {
+				weprintf("chown %s:", s2);
+				cp_status = 1;
+				return 0;
+			}
+		} else {
+			if (lchown(s2, st.st_uid, st.st_gid) < 0) {
+				weprintf("lchown %s:", s2);
+				cp_status = 1;
+				return 0;
+			}
 		}
 	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/mv.c b/mv.c
index 404a310..9d5b77a 100644
--- a/mv.c
+++ b/mv.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ mv(const char *s1, const char *s2, int depth)
 		return (mv_status = 0);
 	if (errno == EXDEV) {
 		cp_aflag = cp_rflag = cp_pflag = 1;
-		cp_HLPflag = 'P';
+		cp_follow = 'P';
 		rm_rflag = 1;
 		cp(s1, s2, depth);
 		rm(s1, NULL, NULL, &r);