diff --git a/drivers/virtio/fs.c b/drivers/virtio/fs.c
index 9437f31bdba..f1065fe96d7 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio/fs.c
+++ b/drivers/virtio/fs.c
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ int virtio_fs_readdir(struct udevice *dev, u64 nodeid, u64 fh, u64 offset,
 	in.size = size;
 	in.offset = offset;
 	ret = virtio_fs_xfer(dev, &inhdr, &in, sizeof(in), &outhdr, buf, size);
+	log_debug("fh %llx offset %llx\n", in.fh, in.offset);
 	log_debug("len %x error %x unique %llx\n", outhdr.len, outhdr.error,
 		  outhdr.unique);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/drivers/virtio/fs_dir.c b/drivers/virtio/fs_dir.c
index b346ded8a09..cfd9573250a 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio/fs_dir.c
+++ b/drivers/virtio/fs_dir.c
@@ -25,18 +25,14 @@ static int virtio_fs_dir_open(struct udevice *dev, struct fs_dir_stream *strm)
 	struct udevice *fs = dev_get_parent(dev);
 	int ret;
 
-	strm = malloc(sizeof(struct fs_dir_stream));
-	if (!strm)
-		return log_msg_ret("vso", -ENOMEM);
-
 	log_debug("opening inode %lld\n", dir_priv->inode);
 	ret = virtio_fs_opendir(fs, dir_priv->inode, &strm->fh);
+	log_debug("2 open ret %d strm %p fh %llx\n", ret, strm, strm->fh);
 	if (ret) {
 		log_err("Failed to open directory: %d\n", ret);
 		return ret;
 	}
 	strm->dev = dev;
-
 	strm->offset = 0;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -53,7 +49,8 @@ int virtio_fs_dir_read(struct udevice *dev, struct fs_dir_stream *strm,
 	char buf[0x200];
 	int ret, size;
 
-	log_debug("start %lld strm %p\n", dir_priv->inode, strm);
+	log_debug("start %lld strm %p fh %llx\n", dir_priv->inode, strm,
+		  strm->fh);
 	log_debug("offset %lld\n", strm->offset);
 	ret = virtio_fs_readdir(fs, dir_priv->inode, strm->fh, strm->offset,
 				buf, sizeof(buf), &size);
@@ -163,14 +160,12 @@ int virtio_fs_setup_dir(struct udevice *fsdev, const char *path,
 {
 	struct virtio_fs_dir_priv *dir_priv;
 	struct udevice *dir;
-	bool has_path;
 	u64 inode;
 	int ret;
 
 	log_debug("looking up path '%s'\n", path);
 	inode = FUSE_ROOT_ID;
-	has_path = path && strcmp("/", path);
-	if (has_path) {
+	if (*path) {
 		ret = virtio_fs_lookup(fsdev, path, &inode);
 		if (ret) {
 			log_err("Failed to lookup directory '%s': %d\n", path,
@@ -193,7 +188,7 @@ int virtio_fs_setup_dir(struct udevice *fsdev, const char *path,
 	return 0;
 
 no_add:
-	if (has_path)
+	if (*path)
 		ret = virtio_fs_forget(fsdev, inode);
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/virtio/fs_internal.h b/drivers/virtio/fs_internal.h
index 460a79d9854..c620e0f40e4 100644
--- a/drivers/virtio/fs_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/virtio/fs_internal.h
@@ -152,10 +152,10 @@ long virtio_fs_read(struct udevice *dev, u64 nodeid, u64 fh, u64 offset,
  * Looks up a path to find the corresponding inode in the virtio-fs filesystem,
  * then creates and probes a new 'directory' device to represent it.
  *
- * If the path is the root (NULL or "/"), it uses the root inode directly.
+ * If the path is the root (@path is ""), it uses the root inode directly.
  *
  * @fsdev: The virtio-fs filesystem device
- * @path: The path of the directory to set up (e.g., "/boot" or "/")
+ * @path: The path of the directory to set up (e.g., "/boot", or "" for root)
  * @devp: On success, returns a pointer to the newly created directory device
  * Return: 0 on success, -ve on error
  */
diff --git a/fs/dir-uclass.c b/fs/dir-uclass.c
index f2c3a7c3806..c5d7ef45d3b 100644
--- a/fs/dir-uclass.c
+++ b/fs/dir-uclass.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ int dir_add_probe(struct udevice *fsdev, struct driver *drv, const char *path,
 	str = strdup(dev_name);
 	if (!str)
 		goto no_dev_name;
-	dup_path = strdup(path && strcmp("/", path) ? path : "");
+	dup_path = strdup(path);
 	if (!str)
 		goto no_dev_path;
 
diff --git a/fs/fs-uclass.c b/fs/fs-uclass.c
index 96fb04a106c..a335391bd74 100644
--- a/fs/fs-uclass.c
+++ b/fs/fs-uclass.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <bootdev.h>
 #include <bootmeth.h>
+#include <dir.h>
 #include <dm.h>
 #include <fs.h>
 #include <dm/device-internal.h>
@@ -41,8 +42,35 @@ int fs_split_path(const char *fname, char **subdirp, const char **leafp)
 int fs_lookup_dir(struct udevice *dev, const char *path, struct udevice **dirp)
 {
 	struct fs_ops *ops = fs_get_ops(dev);
+	struct udevice *dir;
+	int ret;
 
-	return ops->lookup_dir(dev, path, dirp);
+	if (!path || !strcmp("/", path))
+		path = "";
+
+	/* see if we already have this directory */
+	device_foreach_child(dir, dev) {
+		struct dir_uc_priv *priv;
+
+		if (!device_active(dir))
+			continue;
+
+		priv = dev_get_uclass_priv(dir);
+		log_debug("dir %s '%s' '%s'\n", dir->name, path, priv->path);
+		if (!strcmp(path, priv->path)) {
+			*dirp = dir;
+			log_debug("found: dev '%s'\n", dir->name);
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ret = ops->lookup_dir(dev, path, &dir);
+	if (ret)
+		return log_msg_ret("fld", ret);
+
+	*dirp = dir;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int fs_mount(struct udevice *dev)
diff --git a/fs/sandbox/sandboxfs.c b/fs/sandbox/sandboxfs.c
index adf852ee53d..5b8f4f50a8e 100644
--- a/fs/sandbox/sandboxfs.c
+++ b/fs/sandbox/sandboxfs.c
@@ -206,7 +206,8 @@ static int sandbox_dir_open(struct udevice *dev, struct fs_dir_stream *strm)
 	struct dir_uc_priv *dir_uc_priv = dev_get_uclass_priv(dev);
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = os_dirent_ls(dir_uc_priv->path, &priv->head);
+	ret = os_dirent_ls(*dir_uc_priv->path ? dir_uc_priv->path : ".",
+			   &priv->head);
 	if (ret) {
 		log_err("Failed to open directory: %d\n", ret);
 		return ret;
@@ -300,7 +301,8 @@ static int sandbox_dir_open_file(struct udevice *dir, const char *leaf,
 	struct udevice *dev;
 	off_t size;
 
-	snprintf(pathname, sizeof(pathname), "%s/%s", uc_priv->path, leaf);
+	snprintf(pathname, sizeof(pathname), "%s/%s",
+		 *uc_priv->path ? uc_priv->path: ".", leaf);
 	ftype = os_get_filetype(pathname);
 	if (ftype < 0)
 		return log_msg_ret("soF", ftype);
@@ -367,7 +369,7 @@ static int sandbox_fs_lookup_dir(struct udevice *dev, const char *path,
 	int ftype;
 	int ret;
 
-	ftype = os_get_filetype(path ?: "/");
+	ftype = os_get_filetype(*path ? path : "/");
 	if (ftype < 0)
 		return ftype;
 	if (ftype != OS_FILET_DIR)
diff --git a/include/dir.h b/include/dir.h
index f948843c6b3..c25fac4fcd3 100644
--- a/include/dir.h
+++ b/include/dir.h
@@ -117,10 +117,11 @@ int dir_close(struct udevice *dev, struct fs_dir_stream *strm);
 /**
  * dir_add_probe() - Add a new directory and probe it
  *
+ * This sets up the uclass-private data for the new directory
+ *
  * @fsdev: Filesystem containing the directory
  * @drv: Driver to use
- * @path Absolute path to directory (within the filesystem), or NULL/"/" for
- *	root
+ * @path Absolute path to directory (within the filesystem), or "" for root
  * @devp: Returns the new device, probed ready for use *
  */
 int dir_add_probe(struct udevice *fsdev, struct driver *drv, const char *path,
diff --git a/include/fs.h b/include/fs.h
index 5321d339b07..6696b9e26c7 100644
--- a/include/fs.h
+++ b/include/fs.h
@@ -58,8 +58,11 @@ struct fs_ops {
 	/**
 	 * lookup_dir() - Look up a directory on a filesystem
 	 *
+	 * This should not set up the uclass-private data; this is done by
+	 * fs_lookup_dir()
+	 *
 	 * @dev: Filesystem device
-	 * @path: Path to look up, empty or "/" for the root
+	 * @path: Path to look up, "" for the root
 	 * @dirp: Returns associated directory device, creating if necessary
 	 * Return 0 if OK, -ENOENT, other -ve on error
 	 */
@@ -89,8 +92,10 @@ int fs_unmount(struct udevice *dev);
 /**
  * fs_lookup_dir() - Look up a directory on a filesystem
  *
+ * If a new directory-device is created, its uclass data is set up also
+ *
  * @dev: Filesystem device
- * @path: Path to look up, empty or "/" for the root
+ * @path: Path to look up, "" or "/" for the root
  * @dirp: Returns associated directory device, creating if necessary
  * Return 0 if OK, -ENOENT, other -ve on error
  */
diff --git a/test/dm/fs.c b/test/dm/fs.c
index e94b7854184..31712617d09 100644
--- a/test/dm/fs.c
+++ b/test/dm/fs.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static int dm_test_fs_dir(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 	ut_assertok(fs_mount(fsdev));
 
 	ut_asserteq(-ENOENT, fs_lookup_dir(fsdev, "does-not-exit", &dir));
-	ut_assertok(fs_lookup_dir(fsdev, ".", &dir));
+	ut_assertok(fs_lookup_dir(fsdev, "", &dir));
 	ut_assertnonnull(dir);
 	ut_asserteq_str("fs.dir", dir->name);
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static int dm_test_fs_file(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 
 	ut_assertok(fs_mount(fsdev));
 
-	ut_assertok(fs_lookup_dir(fsdev, ".", &dir));
+	ut_assertok(fs_lookup_dir(fsdev, "", &dir));
 	ut_assertnonnull(dir);
 	ut_asserteq_str("fs.dir", dir->name);