diff --git a/fs/coda/cnode.c b/fs/coda/cnode.c
index 8af67c9c..911cf30 100644
--- a/fs/coda/cnode.c
+++ b/fs/coda/cnode.c
@@ -88,24 +88,21 @@
    - link the two up if this is needed
    - fill in the attributes
 */
-int coda_cnode_make(struct inode **inode, struct CodaFid *fid, struct super_block *sb)
+struct inode *coda_cnode_make(struct CodaFid *fid, struct super_block *sb)
 {
         struct coda_vattr attr;
+	struct inode *inode;
         int error;
         
 	/* We get inode numbers from Venus -- see venus source */
 	error = venus_getattr(sb, fid, &attr);
-	if ( error ) {
-	    *inode = NULL;
-	    return error;
-	} 
+	if (error)
+		return ERR_PTR(error);
 
-	*inode = coda_iget(sb, fid, &attr);
-	if ( IS_ERR(*inode) ) {
+	inode = coda_iget(sb, fid, &attr);
+	if (IS_ERR(inode))
 		printk("coda_cnode_make: coda_iget failed\n");
-                return PTR_ERR(*inode);
-        }
-	return 0;
+	return inode;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h b/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
index 1c17446f..b24fdfd 100644
--- a/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
+++ b/fs/coda/coda_fs_i.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #define C_DYING       0x4   /* from venus (which died) */
 #define C_PURGE       0x8
 
-int coda_cnode_make(struct inode **, struct CodaFid *, struct super_block *);
+struct inode *coda_cnode_make(struct CodaFid *, struct super_block *);
 struct inode *coda_iget(struct super_block *sb, struct CodaFid *fid, struct coda_vattr *attr);
 struct inode *coda_cnode_makectl(struct super_block *sb);
 struct inode *coda_fid_to_inode(struct CodaFid *fid, struct super_block *sb);
diff --git a/fs/coda/dir.c b/fs/coda/dir.c
index df0f9c1..1775158 100644
--- a/fs/coda/dir.c
+++ b/fs/coda/dir.c
@@ -96,12 +96,11 @@
 /* access routines: lookup, readlink, permission */
 static struct dentry *coda_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *entry, struct nameidata *nd)
 {
-	struct inode *inode = NULL;
-	struct CodaFid resfid = { { 0, } };
-	int type = 0;
-	int error = 0;
+	struct super_block *sb = dir->i_sb;
 	const char *name = entry->d_name.name;
 	size_t length = entry->d_name.len;
+	struct inode *inode;
+	int type = 0;
 
 	if (length > CODA_MAXNAMLEN) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "name too long: lookup, %s (%*s)\n",
@@ -111,23 +110,21 @@
 
 	/* control object, create inode on the fly */
 	if (coda_isroot(dir) && coda_iscontrol(name, length)) {
-		inode = coda_cnode_makectl(dir->i_sb);
+		inode = coda_cnode_makectl(sb);
 		type = CODA_NOCACHE;
-		goto exit;
+	} else {
+		struct CodaFid fid = { { 0, } };
+		int error = venus_lookup(sb, coda_i2f(dir), name, length,
+				     &type, &fid);
+		inode = !error ? coda_cnode_make(&fid, sb) : ERR_PTR(error);
 	}
 
-	error = venus_lookup(dir->i_sb, coda_i2f(dir), name, length,
-			     &type, &resfid);
-	if (!error)
-		error = coda_cnode_make(&inode, &resfid, dir->i_sb);
-
-	if (error && error != -ENOENT)
-		return ERR_PTR(error);
-
-exit:
-	if (inode && !IS_ERR(inode) && (type & CODA_NOCACHE))
+	if (!IS_ERR(inode) && (type & CODA_NOCACHE))
 		coda_flag_inode(inode, C_VATTR | C_PURGE);
 
+	if (inode == ERR_PTR(-ENOENT))
+		inode = NULL;
+
 	return d_splice_alias(inode, entry);
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/coda/inode.c b/fs/coda/inode.c
index 1c08a8c..5e2e1b3 100644
--- a/fs/coda/inode.c
+++ b/fs/coda/inode.c
@@ -204,10 +204,12 @@
 	printk("coda_read_super: rootfid is %s\n", coda_f2s(&fid));
 	
 	/* make root inode */
-        error = coda_cnode_make(&root, &fid, sb);
-        if ( error || !root ) {
-	    printk("Failure of coda_cnode_make for root: error %d\n", error);
-	    goto error;
+        root = coda_cnode_make(&fid, sb);
+        if (IS_ERR(root)) {
+		error = PTR_ERR(root);
+		printk("Failure of coda_cnode_make for root: error %d\n", error);
+		root = NULL;
+		goto error;
 	} 
 
 	printk("coda_read_super: rootinode is %ld dev %s\n",