diff --git a/elks/init/main.c b/elks/init/main.c
index c7d463c8e..8fbda79af 100644
--- a/elks/init/main.c
+++ b/elks/init/main.c
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ static struct dev_name_struct {
 	const char *name;
 	int num;
 } devices[] = {
-	/* root_dev_name needs first 5 in order*/
+	/* the 4 partitionable drives must be first */
 	{ "hda",     DEV_HDA },
 	{ "hdb",     DEV_HDB },
 	{ "hdc",     DEV_HDC },
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ static char * INITPROC root_dev_name(int dev)
 			if (i < 4) {
 				if (dev & 0x07) {
 					name[NAMEOFF+3] = '0' + (dev & 7);
-					name[NAMEOFF+4] = 0;
+					name[NAMEOFF+4] = '\0';
 				}
 			}
 			return name;
diff --git a/elkscmd/disk_utils/df.c b/elkscmd/disk_utils/df.c
index de0847b9b..15ae52eab 100644
--- a/elkscmd/disk_utils/df.c
+++ b/elkscmd/disk_utils/df.c
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ struct dnames {
 	char *name;
 	char *mpoint;
 };
-struct dnames *devname(char *);
-static char *dev_name(dev_t);
+struct dnames *device_path(char *);
 int df_fat(char *, int);
 
 int iflag= 0;	/* Focus on inodes instead of blocks. */
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   if (argc > 1)
 	device = argv[1];
 
-  dname = devname(device);
+  dname = device_path(device);
   if (!(blockdev = dname->name)) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "Can't find /dev/ device for %s\n", device);
 	exit(1);
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int i;
   	for (i = 0; i < NR_SUPER; i++) {
 		if (ustatfs(i, &statfs, UF_NOFREESPACE) >= 0) {
-			char *nm = dev_name(statfs.f_dev);
+			char *nm = devname(statfs.f_dev, S_IFBLK);
 			char *filler = "  ";		/* Text alignment */
 			if (Pflag) filler = "";
 			if (statfs.f_type > FST_MSDOS || (statfs.f_type == FST_MSDOS && (Pflag||iflag))) 
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ bit_t bit_count(unsigned blocks, bit_t bits, int fd)
  */
 
 /* return /dev/ device from dirname */
-struct dnames *devname(char *dirname)
+struct dnames *device_path(char *dirname)
 {
    static char dev[] = "/dev";
    struct stat st, dst;
@@ -322,44 +321,3 @@ struct dnames *devname(char *dirname)
    closedir(fp);
    return NULL;
 }
-
-/*
- * Convert a block device number to name.
- * From mount.c
- */
-static struct dev_name_struct {
-        char *name;
-        dev_t num;
-} devices[] = {
-        /* root_dev_name needs first 5 in order*/
-        { "hda",     0x0300 },
-        { "hdb",     0x0320 },
-        { "hdc",     0x0340 },
-        { "hdd",     0x0360 },
-        { "fd0",     0x0380 },
-        { "fd1",     0x03a0 },
-        { "ssd",     0x0200 },
-        { "rd",      0x0100 },
-        { NULL,           0 }
-};
-
-static char *dev_name(dev_t dev)
-{
-	int i;
-#define NAMEOFF 5
-	static char name[10] = "/dev/";
-
-	for (i=0; i<sizeof(devices)/sizeof(devices[0])-1; i++) {
-		if (devices[i].num == (dev & 0xfff0)) {
-			strcpy(&name[NAMEOFF], devices[i].name);
-			if (i < 4) {
-				if (dev & 0x07) {
-					name[NAMEOFF+3] = '0' + (dev & 7);
-					name[NAMEOFF+4] = 0;
-				}
-			}
-			return name;
-		}
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
diff --git a/elkscmd/sys_utils/makeboot.c b/elkscmd/sys_utils/makeboot.c
index 924371d0b..2694dcc2e 100644
--- a/elkscmd/sys_utils/makeboot.c
+++ b/elkscmd/sys_utils/makeboot.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ char *rootdevice;
 char *fsname[3] = { "Unknown", "Minix", "FAT" };
 
 /* return /dev name of device*/
-char *devname(dev_t dev)
+char *dev_name(dev_t dev)
 {
 	DIR *dp;
 	struct dirent *d;
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ int main(int ac, char **av)
 	}
 
 	rootdev = sbuf.st_dev;
-	rootdevice = devname(rootdev);
+	rootdevice = dev_name(rootdev);
 
 	if (opt_writebb == 1) {
 		get_bootblock(bootfile);
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ int main(int ac, char **av)
 	if (opt_writembr) {
 		int ffd;
 
-		char *rawtargetdevice = devname(targetdev & ~BIOS_MINOR_MASK);
+		char *rawtargetdevice = dev_name(targetdev & ~BIOS_MINOR_MASK);
 		if (!rawtargetdevice)
 			fatalmsg("Can't find raw target device\n");
 		ffd = open(rawtargetdevice, O_RDWR);
diff --git a/elkscmd/sys_utils/mount.c b/elkscmd/sys_utils/mount.c
index 742ef65f9..4df212e2f 100644
--- a/elkscmd/sys_utils/mount.c
+++ b/elkscmd/sys_utils/mount.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/mount.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <linuxmt/fs.h>
 #include <linuxmt/limits.h>
 
@@ -22,47 +23,6 @@ static char *fs_typename[] = {
 	0, "minix", "msdos", "romfs"
 };
 
-static struct dev_name_struct {
-        char *name;
-        dev_t num;
-} devices[] = {
-        /* root_dev_name needs first 5 in order*/
-        { "hda",     0x0300 },
-        { "hdb",     0x0320 },
-        { "hdc",     0x0340 },
-        { "hdd",     0x0360 },
-        { "fd0",     0x0380 },
-        { "fd1",     0x03a0 },
-        { "ssd",     0x0200 },
-        { "rd0",     0x0100 },
-        { "rd1",     0x0101 },
-        { NULL,           0 }
-};
-
-/*
- * Convert a block device number to name.
- */
-static char *dev_name(dev_t dev)
-{
-        int i;
-#define NAMEOFF 5
-        static char name[10] = "/dev/";
-
-        for (i=0; i<sizeof(devices)/sizeof(devices[0])-1; i++) {
-                if (devices[i].num == (dev & 0xfff0)) {
-                        strcpy(&name[NAMEOFF], devices[i].name);
-                        if (i < 4) {
-                                if (dev & 0x07) {
-                                        name[NAMEOFF+3] = '0' + (dev & 7);
-                                        name[NAMEOFF+4] = 0;
-                                }
-                        }
-                        return name;
-                }
-        }
-        return NULL;
-}
-
 static int show_mount(dev_t dev)
 {
 	struct statfs statfs;
@@ -72,11 +32,11 @@ static int show_mount(dev_t dev)
 
 	if (statfs.f_type < FST_MSDOS) 
 		printf("%-9s (%5s) blocks %6lu free %6lu mount %s\n",
-		dev_name(statfs.f_dev), fs_typename[statfs.f_type], statfs.f_blocks,
+		devname(statfs.f_dev, S_IFBLK), fs_typename[statfs.f_type], statfs.f_blocks,
 		statfs.f_bfree, statfs.f_mntonname);
 	else
 		printf("%-9s (%5s)                           mount %s\n",
-		dev_name(statfs.f_dev), fs_typename[statfs.f_type], statfs.f_mntonname);
+		devname(statfs.f_dev, S_IFBLK), fs_typename[statfs.f_type], statfs.f_mntonname);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/elkscmd/sys_utils/ps.c b/elkscmd/sys_utils/ps.c
index c03a37303..07a607b74 100644
--- a/elkscmd/sys_utils/ps.c
+++ b/elkscmd/sys_utils/ps.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ void process_name(int fd, unsigned int off, unsigned int seg)
 }
 
 
-char *devname(unsigned int minor)
+char *dev_name(unsigned int minor)
 {
 	struct dirent *d;
 	dev_t ttydev = MKDEV(TTY_MAJOR, minor);
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ char *tty_name(int fd, unsigned int off, unsigned int seg)
 
 	if (read(fd, &tty, sizeof(tty)) != sizeof(tty)) return "?";
 
-	return devname(tty.minor);
+	return dev_name(tty.minor);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
diff --git a/libc/include/stdlib.h b/libc/include/stdlib.h
index 72a739e07..e76f34006 100644
--- a/libc/include/stdlib.h
+++ b/libc/include/stdlib.h
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-/* stdlib.h  <ndf@linux.mit.edu> */
-#include <features.h>
-#include <sys/types.h>
-
 #ifndef __STDLIB_H
 #define __STDLIB_H
 
+/* stdlib.h  <ndf@linux.mit.edu> */
+#include <features.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 #include <malloc.h>
 
 /* Don't overwrite user definitions of NULL */
@@ -59,6 +58,7 @@ void exit (int status);
 int system(const char *command);
 void qsort(void *base, size_t nel, size_t width,
 	int (*compar)(/*const void *, const void * */));
+char *devname(dev_t dev, mode_t type);
 
 #ifndef __STRICT_ANSI__
 void breakpoint();
diff --git a/libc/misc/Makefile b/libc/misc/Makefile
index 5f6f793f9..5b2178862 100644
--- a/libc/misc/Makefile
+++ b/libc/misc/Makefile
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ OBJS = \
 	atol.o \
 	basename.o \
 	crypt.o \
+	devname.o \
 	dirname.o \
 	dtostr.o \
 	ecvt.o \
diff --git a/libc/misc/devname.c b/libc/misc/devname.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a2ffe7fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libc/misc/devname.c
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include __SYSINC__(devnum.h)
+
+/*
+ * Convert a block or character device number to name.
+ *
+ * This version uses known device numbers to avoid disk reads
+ * for floppy systems.
+ */
+
+#define ARRAYLEN(a)     (sizeof(a)/sizeof(a[0]))
+
+static struct dev_name_struct {
+    char *name;
+    mode_t type;
+    dev_t num;
+} devices[] = {
+    /* the 4 partitionable drives must be first */
+    { "hda",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_HDA             },
+    { "hdb",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_HDB             },
+    { "hdc",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_HDC             },
+    { "hdd",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_HDD             },
+    { "fd0",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_FD0             },
+    { "fd1",     S_IFBLK,   DEV_FD1             },
+    { "ssd",     S_IFBLK,   MKDEV(SSD_MAJOR, 0) },
+    { "rd0",     S_IFBLK,   MKDEV(RAM_MAJOR, 0) },
+    { "ttyS0",   S_IFCHR,   DEV_TTYS0           },
+    { "ttyS1",   S_IFCHR,   DEV_TTYS1           },
+    { "tty1",    S_IFCHR,   DEV_TTY1            },
+    { "tty2",    S_IFCHR,   DEV_TTY2            },
+    { "tty3",    S_IFCHR,   DEV_TTY3            },
+};
+
+static char name[NAME_MAX+6] = "/dev/";
+
+static char *__fast_devname(dev_t dev, mode_t type)
+{
+    int i;
+    unsigned mask;
+#define NAMEOFF 5
+
+    for (i = 0; i < ARRAYLEN(devices); i++) {
+        mask = (i <= 4)? 0xfff8: 0xffff;
+        if (devices[i].type == type && devices[i].num == (dev & mask)) {
+            strcpy(&name[NAMEOFF], devices[i].name);
+            if (i < 4) {
+                if (dev & 0x07) {
+                    name[NAMEOFF+3] = '0' + (dev & 7);
+                    name[NAMEOFF+4] = '\0';
+                }
+            }
+            return name;
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+char *devname(dev_t dev, mode_t type)
+{
+    char *s;
+
+    if ((s = __fast_devname(dev, type)) != NULL)
+        return s;
+    return "??";
+}