diff --git a/src/bind_storage.c b/src/bind_storage.c
index ca83f199a..aaeb84128 100644
--- a/src/bind_storage.c
+++ b/src/bind_storage.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ without prior permission by the authors of Eressea.
 static int tolua_storage_create(lua_State * L)
 {
     const char *filename = tolua_tostring(L, 1, 0);
-    const char *type = tolua_tostring(L, 2, "rb");
+    const char *type = tolua_tostring(L, 2, "r");
     gamedata *data;
 
     data = gamedata_open(filename, type);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 6cc31c3b0..08b7f53c9 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -708,6 +708,20 @@ void set_reportpath(const char *path)
     g_reportdir = path;
 }
 
+int create_directories(void) {
+    int err;
+    err = _mkdir(datapath());
+    if (err) {
+        if (errno == EEXIST) errno = 0;
+        else return err;
+    }
+    err = _mkdir(reportpath());
+    if (err && errno == EEXIST) {
+        errno = 0;
+    }
+    return err;
+}
+
 double get_param_flt(const struct param *p, const char *key, double def)
 {
     const char *str = get_param(p, key);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index 30aa25549..dda7873aa 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ struct param;
     const char *reportpath(void);
     void set_reportpath(const char *);
 
+    int create_directories(void);
+
     void kernel_init(void);
     void kernel_done(void);
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/group.test.c b/src/kernel/group.test.c
index 46d794d2d..35b25aad5 100644
--- a/src/kernel/group.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/group.test.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ static void test_group_readwrite(CuTest * tc)
     FILE *F;
     stream strm;
 
-    F = fopen("test.dat", "wb");
+    F = fopen("test.dat", "w");
     fstream_init(&strm, F);
     binstore_init(&store, &strm);
     test_cleanup();
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ static void test_group_readwrite(CuTest * tc)
     binstore_done(&store);
     fstream_done(&strm);
 
-    F = fopen("test.dat", "rb");
+    F = fopen("test.dat", "r");
     fstream_init(&strm, F);
     binstore_init(&store, &strm);
     f->groups = 0;
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index 2d37c6822..25ae2d858 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ int readorders(const char *filename)
     int nfactions = 0;
     struct faction *f = NULL;
 
-    F = fopen(filename, "rb");
+    F = fopen(filename, "r");
     if (!F) {
         perror(filename);
         return -1;
@@ -1407,7 +1407,7 @@ int readgame(const char *filename, bool backup)
         create_backup(path);
     }
 
-    F = fopen(path, "rb");
+    F = fopen(path, "r");
     if (!F) {
         perror(path);
         return -1;
@@ -1747,21 +1747,16 @@ int writegame(const char *filename)
     stream strm;
     FILE *F;
 
-    sprintf(path, "%s/%s", datapath(), filename);
+    create_directories();
+    join_path(datapath(), filename, path, sizeof(path));
 #ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
     /* make sure we don't overwrite an existing file (hard links) */
     unlink(path);
 #endif
-    F = fopen(path, "wb");
+    F = fopen(path, "w");
     if (!F) {
-        /* we might be missing the directory, let's try creating it */
-        int err = _mkdir(datapath());
-        if (err) return err;
-        F = fopen(path, "wb");
-        if (!F) {
-            perror(path);
-            return -1;
-        }
+        perror(path);
+        return -1;
     }
 
     gdata.store = &store;
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.test.c b/src/kernel/save.test.c
index 1492750ab..e7f85ad7e 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.test.c
@@ -34,15 +34,15 @@ static void test_readwrite_unit(CuTest * tc)
     int fno;
     /* FIXME: at some point during this test, errno is set to 17 (File exists), why? */
 
+    create_directories();
     test_cleanup();
     r = test_create_region(0, 0, 0);
     f = test_create_faction(0);
     fno = f->no;
     u = test_create_unit(f, r);
-    _mkdir(datapath());
     join_path(datapath(), filename, path, sizeof(path));
 
-    data = gamedata_open(path, "wb");
+    data = gamedata_open(path, "w");
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, data); // TODO: intermittent test
     write_unit(data, u);
     gamedata_close(data);
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static void test_readwrite_unit(CuTest * tc)
     free_gamedata();
     f = test_create_faction(0);
     renumber_faction(f, fno);
-    data = gamedata_open(path, "rb");
+    data = gamedata_open(path, "r");
     u = read_unit(data);
     gamedata_close(data);
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index efcbc6203..305d4a901 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static int parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int *exitcode)
     }
 
     if (log_stderr) {
-        log_to_file(log_stderr, stderr);
+        log_to_file(log_stderr | LOG_FLUSH | LOG_BRIEF, stderr);
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/reports.c b/src/reports.c
index 99b9f755c..b33f5f1cb 100644
--- a/src/reports.c
+++ b/src/reports.c
@@ -1540,16 +1540,6 @@ static void prepare_report(struct report_context *ctx, faction *f)
     ctx->last = lastregion(f);
 }
 
-static void mkreportdir(const char *rpath) {
-    if (_mkdir(rpath) != 0) {
-        if (_access(rpath, 0) < 0) {
-            log_error("could not create reports directory %s: %s", rpath, strerror(errno));
-            abort();
-        }
-    }
-    errno = 0;
-}
-
 int write_reports(faction * f, time_t ltime)
 {
     unsigned int backup = 1, maxbackup = 128 * 1000;
@@ -1557,14 +1547,12 @@ int write_reports(faction * f, time_t ltime)
     struct report_context ctx;
     const char *encoding = "UTF-8";
     report_type *rtype;
-    const char *path = reportpath();
 
     if (noreports) {
         return false;
     }
     prepare_report(&ctx, f);
     get_addresses(&ctx);
-    mkreportdir(path); // FIXME: too many mkdir calls! init_reports is enough
     log_debug("Reports for %s:", factionname(f));
     for (rtype = report_types; rtype != NULL; rtype = rtype->next) {
         if (f->options & rtype->flag) {
@@ -1635,14 +1623,8 @@ static void check_messages_exist(void) {
 int init_reports(void)
 {
     check_messages_exist();
-
+    create_directories();
     prepare_reports();
-    {
-        if (_access(reportpath(), 0) != 0) {
-            return 0;
-        }
-    }
-    mkreportdir(reportpath());
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1659,8 +1641,7 @@ int reports(void)
     report_donations();
     remove_empty_units();
 
-    mkreportdir(rpath); // FIXME: init_reports already does this?
-    sprintf(path, "%s/reports.txt", rpath);
+    join_path(rpath, "reports.txt", path, sizeof(path));
     mailit = fopen(path, "w");
     if (mailit == NULL) {
         log_error("%s could not be opened!\n", path);
diff --git a/storage b/storage
index 89f3c1b01..18cc3bb8f 160000
--- a/storage
+++ b/storage
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 89f3c1b01e41f2675fcbfd51fd8494894dc22d44
+Subproject commit 18cc3bb8f8906237915eb31c9899f95340318087