diff --git a/src/common/beaglequeuecache.cpp b/src/common/beaglequeuecache.cpp
index 939368d1..99b165b5 100644
--- a/src/common/beaglequeuecache.cpp
+++ b/src/common/beaglequeuecache.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ BeagleQueueCache::BeagleQueueCache(RclConfig *cnf)
         ccdir = "webcache";
     ccdir = path_tildexpand(ccdir);
     // If not an absolute path, compute relative to config dir
-    if (ccdir.at(0) != '/')
+    if (!path_isabsolute(ccdir))
         ccdir = path_cat(cnf->getConfDir(), ccdir);
 
     int maxmbs = 40;
diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
index 50ede075..6636c389 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ RclConfig::RclConfig(const string *argcnf)
 
     // Compute our data dir name, typically /usr/local/share/recoll
     m_datadir = path_sharedatadir();
-    fprintf(stderr, "RclConfig::RclConfig:: datadir: [%s]\n", m_datadir.c_str());
     // We only do the automatic configuration creation thing for the default
     // config dir, not if it was specified through -c or RECOLL_CONFDIR
     bool autoconfdir = false;
@@ -172,7 +171,6 @@ RclConfig::RclConfig(const string *argcnf)
 	    m_confdir = path_cat(path_homedata(), path_defaultrecollconfsubdir());
 	}
     }
-    fprintf(stderr, "RclConfig::RclConfig:: confdir: [%s]\n", m_confdir.c_str());
 
     // Note: autoconfdir and isDefaultConfig() are normally the same. We just 
     // want to avoid the imperfect test in isDefaultConfig() if we actually know
diff --git a/src/common/rclinit.cpp b/src/common/rclinit.cpp
index 0184dda8..5d17c9b1 100644
--- a/src/common/rclinit.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rclinit.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ RclConfig *recollinit(RclInitFlags flags,
     if (!logfilename.empty()) {
 	logfilename = path_tildexpand(logfilename);
 	// If not an absolute path or , compute relative to config dir
-	if (logfilename.at(0) != '/' && 
+	if (!path_isabsolute(logfilename) && 
 	    !DebugLog::DebugLog::isspecialname(logfilename.c_str())) {
 	    logfilename = path_cat(config->getConfDir(), logfilename);
 	}
diff --git a/src/index/fsindexer.cpp b/src/index/fsindexer.cpp
index 43031fae..b6ad0513 100644
--- a/src/index/fsindexer.cpp
+++ b/src/index/fsindexer.cpp
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ static bool matchesSkipped(const vector<string>& tdl,
     string canonpath = path_canon(path);
     string mpath = canonpath;
     string topdir;
-    while (mpath.length() > 1) {
+    while (!path_isroot(mpath)) { // we assume root not in skipped paths.
         for (vector<string>::const_iterator it = tdl.begin();  
              it != tdl.end(); it++) {
             // the topdirs members are already canonized.
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ static bool matchesSkipped(const vector<string>& tdl,
         mpath = path_getfather(mpath);
         // getfather normally returns a path ending with /, canonic
         // paths don't (except for '/' itself).
-        if (!mpath.empty() && mpath[mpath.size()-1] == '/')
+        if (!path_isroot(mpath) && mpath[mpath.size()-1] == '/')
             mpath.erase(mpath.size()-1);
         // should not be necessary, but lets be prudent. If the
         // path did not shorten, something is seriously amiss
diff --git a/src/index/rclmonrcv.cpp b/src/index/rclmonrcv.cpp
index 1465fcac..1d616d75 100644
--- a/src/index/rclmonrcv.cpp
+++ b/src/index/rclmonrcv.cpp
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ bool RclFAM::getEvent(RclMonEvent& ev, int msecs)
     MONDEB(("RclFAM::getEvent: FAMNextEvent returned\n"));
     
     map<int,string>::const_iterator it;
-    if ((fe.filename[0] != '/') && 
+    if ((!path_isabsolute(fe.filename)) && 
 	(it = m_idtopath.find(fe.fr.reqnum)) != m_idtopath.end()) {
 	ev.m_path = path_cat(it->second, fe.filename);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_mbox.cpp b/src/internfile/mh_mbox.cpp
index b79c480d..d646cbef 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_mbox.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_mbox.cpp
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public:
                 m_dir = "mboxcache";
             m_dir = path_tildexpand(m_dir);
             // If not an absolute path, compute relative to config dir
-            if (m_dir.at(0) != '/')
+            if (!path_isabsolute(m_dir))
                 m_dir = path_cat(config->getConfDir(), m_dir);
             m_ok = true;
         }
diff --git a/src/rcldb/searchdatatox.cpp b/src/rcldb/searchdatatox.cpp
index 0da1d770..fefbf1bd 100644
--- a/src/rcldb/searchdatatox.cpp
+++ b/src/rcldb/searchdatatox.cpp
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ bool SearchDataClausePath::toNativeQuery(Rcl::Db &db, void *p)
 
     vector<Xapian::Query> orqueries;
 
-    if (m_text[0] == '/')
+    if (path_isabsolute(m_text))
 	orqueries.push_back(Xapian::Query(wrap_prefix(pathelt_prefix)));
     else
         m_text = path_tildexpand(m_text);
diff --git a/src/utils/conftree.cpp b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
index dcde3a5e..97956d87 100644
--- a/src/utils/conftree.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/conftree.cpp
@@ -574,8 +574,8 @@ bool ConfSimple::hasNameAnywhere(const string& nm) const
 int ConfTree::get(const std::string &name, string &value, const string &sk)
     const
 {
-    if (sk.empty() || sk[0] != '/') {
-	//	LOGDEB((stderr, "ConfTree::get: looking in global space\n"));
+    if (sk.empty() || !path_isabsolute(sk) ) {
+        // LOGDEB((stderr, "ConfTree::get: looking in global space for sk [%s]\n", sk.c_str()));
 	return ConfSimple::get(name, value, sk);
     }
 
@@ -588,15 +588,21 @@ int ConfTree::get(const std::string &name, string &value, const string &sk)
 
     // Look in subkey and up its parents until root ('')
     for (;;) {
-	//	LOGDEB((stderr,"ConfTree::get: looking for '%s' in '%s'\n",
-	//		name.c_str(), msk.c_str()));
+	LOGDEB((stderr,"ConfTree::get: looking for '%s' in '%s'\n",
+                name.c_str(), msk.c_str()));
 	if (ConfSimple::get(name, value, msk))
 	    return 1;
 	string::size_type pos = msk.rfind("/");
 	if (pos != string::npos) {
 	    msk.replace(pos, string::npos, string());
-	} else
+	} else {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+            if (msk.size() == 2 && isalpha(msk[0]) && msk[1] == ':')
+                msk.clear();
+            else
+#endif
 	    break;
+        }
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/debuglog.cpp b/src/utils/debuglog.cpp
index eb9c4ae2..da29ab6c 100644
--- a/src/utils/debuglog.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/debuglog.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class DLFWImpl {
 	} else {
 	    fp = fopen(filename, (truncate) ? "w" : "a");
 	    if (fp) {
-		setvbuf(fp, 0, _IOLBF, 0);
+		setvbuf(fp, 0, _IOLBF, BUFSIZ);
 #ifdef O_APPEND
 		{
 		    int flgs = 0;
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@ class DLFWImpl {
 		    fcntl(fileno(fp), F_SETFL, flgs|O_APPEND);
 		}
 #endif
-	    }
+	    } else {
+                fprintf(stderr, "Debuglog: could not open [%s] errno %d\n",
+                        filename, errno);
+            }
 	}
 	return;
     }
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.cpp b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
index 493723d9..93b7eeff 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
@@ -380,10 +380,11 @@ string path_getfather(const string &s) {
     if (father.empty())
 	return "./";
 
+    if (path_isroot(father))
+        return father;
+    
     if (father[father.length() - 1] == '/') {
-	// Input ends with /. Strip it, handle special case for root
-	if (father.length() == 1)
-	    return father;
+	// Input ends with /. Strip it, root special case was tested above
 	father.erase(father.length()-1);
     }
 
@@ -514,6 +515,17 @@ string path_tildexpand(const string &s)
     return o;
 }
 
+bool path_isroot(const string& path)
+{
+    if (path.size() == 1 && path[0] == '/')
+        return true;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    if (path.size == 3 && isalpha(path[0]) && path[1] == ':' && path[2] == '/')
+        return true;
+#endif
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool path_isabsolute(const string &path)
 {
     if (!path.empty() && (path[0] == '/'
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.h b/src/utils/pathut.h
index d4ebc15c..4fd6f1a6 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.h
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.h
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ extern const std::string& path_sharedatadir();
 /// Test if path is absolute
 extern bool path_isabsolute(const std::string& s);
 
+/// Test if path is root (x:/). root is defined by root/.. == root
+extern bool path_isroot(const std::string& p);
+
 /// Temporary file class
 class TempFileInternal {
 public:
diff --git a/src/utils/readfile.cpp b/src/utils/readfile.cpp
index a018ac9c..ce0721f6 100644
--- a/src/utils/readfile.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/readfile.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ const int RDBUFSZ = 8192;
 bool file_scan(const string &fn, FileScanDo* doer, off_t startoffs, 
                size_t cnttoread, string *reason)
 {
+    if (startoffs < 0) {
+        *reason += " file_scan: negative startoffs not allowed";
+        return false;
+    }
+    
     bool ret = false;
     bool noclosing = true;
     int fd = 0;