diff --git a/src/index/indexer.cpp b/src/index/indexer.cpp
index 829ba167..18f249bd 100644
--- a/src/index/indexer.cpp
+++ b/src/index/indexer.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.21 2006-01-09 16:53:31 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.22 2006-01-17 09:31:05 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ DbIndexer::~DbIndexer() {
     db.close();
 }
 
-
+// Index each directory in the topdirs for a given db
 bool DbIndexer::indexDb(bool resetbefore, list<string> *topdirs)
 {
     if (!init(resetbefore))
@@ -63,17 +63,12 @@ bool DbIndexer::indexDb(bool resetbefore, list<string> *topdirs)
 
 	// Set up skipped patterns for this subtree. This probably should be
 	// done in the directory change code in processone() instead.
-	{
-	    walker.clearSkippedNames();
-	    string skipped; 
-	    if (config->getConfParam("skippedNames", skipped)) {
-		list<string> skpl;
-		stringToStrings(skipped, skpl);
-		list<string>::const_iterator it;
-		for (it = skpl.begin(); it != skpl.end(); it++) {
-		    walker.addSkippedName(*it);
-		}
-	    }
+	walker.clearSkippedNames();
+	string skipped; 
+	if (config->getConfParam("skippedNames", skipped)) {
+	    list<string> skpl;
+	    stringToStrings(skipped, skpl);
+	    walker.setSkippedNames(skpl);
 	}
 
 	// Walk the directory tree
diff --git a/src/utils/fstreewalk.cpp b/src/utils/fstreewalk.cpp
index c755d120..47ed036e 100644
--- a/src/utils/fstreewalk.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/fstreewalk.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: fstreewalk.cpp,v 1.6 2005-12-13 12:42:59 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: fstreewalk.cpp,v 1.7 2006-01-17 09:31:05 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 
 #ifndef TEST_FSTREEWALK
@@ -63,7 +63,11 @@ bool FsTreeWalker::addSkippedName(const string& pattern)
     data->skippedNames.push_back(pattern);
     return true;
 }
-
+bool FsTreeWalker::setSkippedNames(const list<string> &patterns)
+{
+    data->skippedNames = patterns;
+    return true;
+}
 void FsTreeWalker::clearSkippedNames()
 {
     data->skippedNames.clear();
@@ -195,13 +199,20 @@ class myCB : public FsTreeWalkerCB {
 
 int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
-    if (argc != 2) {
-	cerr << "Usage: fstreewalk <topdir>" << endl;
+    if (argc < 2) {
+	cerr << "Usage: fstreewalk <topdir> [ignpat [ignpat] ...]" << endl;
 	exit(1);
     }
+    argv++;argc--;
+    string topdir = *argv++;argc--;
+    list<string> ignpats;
+    while (argc > 0) {
+	ignpats.push_back(*argv++);argc--;
+    }
     FsTreeWalker walker;
+    walker.setSkippedNames(ignpats);
     myCB cb;
-    walker.walk(argv[1], cb);
+    walker.walk(topdir, cb);
     if (walker.getErrCnt() > 0)
 	cout << walker.getReason();
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/fstreewalk.h b/src/utils/fstreewalk.h
index 6244e768..35edc3f4 100644
--- a/src/utils/fstreewalk.h
+++ b/src/utils/fstreewalk.h
@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
 #ifndef _FSTREEWALK_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _FSTREEWALK_H_INCLUDED_
-/* @(#$Id: fstreewalk.h,v 1.3 2005-04-04 13:18:47 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
+/* @(#$Id: fstreewalk.h,v 1.4 2006-01-17 09:31:10 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
 
 #include <string>
+#include <list>
 
 #ifndef NO_NAMESPACES
 using std::string;
+using std::list;
 #endif
 
 class FsTreeWalkerCB;
 
+/**
+ * Class implementing a unix directory recursive walk.
+ *
+ * A user-defined function object is called for every file or
+ * directory. Patterns to be ignored can be set before starting the
+ * walk. Options control whether we follow symlinks and whether we recurse
+ * on subdirectories.
+ */
 class FsTreeWalker {
  public:
     enum CbFlag {FtwRegular, FtwDirEnter, FtwDirReturn};
@@ -19,16 +29,26 @@ class FsTreeWalker {
 
     FsTreeWalker(Options opts = FtwOptNone);
     ~FsTreeWalker();
-    Status walk(const std::string &dir, FsTreeWalkerCB& cb);
-    std::string getReason();
+    /** 
+     * Begin file system walk.
+     * @param dir is not checked against the ignored patterns (this is 
+     *     a feature and must not change.
+     * @param cb the function object that will be called back for every 
+     *    file-system object (called both at entry and exit for directories).
+     */
+    Status walk(const string &dir, FsTreeWalkerCB& cb);
+    /** Get explanation for error */
+    string getReason();
     int getErrCnt();
-    bool addSkippedName(const std::string &pattern); // Add a pattern
-						     // for directory
-						     // entries (file
-						     // or dir) to be
-						     // ignored (ie:
-						     // #* , *~)
-    void clearSkippedNames(); // Clear all patterns
+    /**
+     * Add a pattern to the list of things (file or dir) to be ignored
+     * (ie: #* , *~)
+     */
+    bool addSkippedName(const string &pattern); 
+    /** Set the ignored patterns list */
+    bool setSkippedNames(const list<string> &patlist);
+    /** Clear the ignored patterns list */
+    void clearSkippedNames();
 
  private:
     class Internal;