diff --git a/chgrp.c b/chgrp.c
index 2adf60d..8cd4c60 100644
--- a/chgrp.c
+++ b/chgrp.c
@@ -8,14 +8,13 @@
 #include "fs.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-static struct stat st;
 static int   hflag = 0;
 static int   Rflag = 0;
 static gid_t gid = -1;
 static int   ret = 0;
 
 static void
-chgrp(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
+chgrp(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 {
 	char *chownf_name;
 	int (*chownf)(const char *, uid_t, gid_t);
@@ -28,10 +27,10 @@ chgrp(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 		chownf = chown;
 	}
 
-	if (chownf(path, st.st_uid, gid) < 0) {
+	if (st && chownf(path, st->st_uid, gid) < 0) {
 		weprintf("%s %s:", chownf_name, path);
 		ret = 1;
-	} else if (Rflag) {
+	} else if (Rflag && st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode)) {
 		recurse(path, NULL, r);
 	}
 }
@@ -76,14 +75,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 	gid = gr->gr_gid;
 
-	for (argc--, argv++; *argv; argc--, argv++) {
-		if (stat(*argv, &st) < 0) {
-			weprintf("stat %s:", *argv);
-			ret = 1;
-			continue;
-		}
-		chgrp(*argv, NULL, &r);
-	}
+	for (argc--, argv++; *argv; argc--, argv++)
+		recurse(*argv, NULL, &r);
 
 	return ret || recurse_status;
 }
diff --git a/chmod.c b/chmod.c
index 1cfa6b3..991a0b3 100644
--- a/chmod.c
+++ b/chmod.c
@@ -10,23 +10,17 @@ static mode_t mask    = 0;
 static int    ret     = 0;
 
 static void
-chmodr(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
+chmodr(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 {
-	struct stat st;
 	mode_t m;
 
-	if (stat(path, &st) < 0) {
-		weprintf("stat %s:", path);
-		ret = 1;
-		return;
-	}
-
-	m = parsemode(modestr, st.st_mode, mask);
+	m = parsemode(modestr, st ? st->st_mode : 0, mask);
 	if (chmod(path, m) < 0) {
 		weprintf("chmod %s:", path);
 		ret = 1;
-	} else if (Rflag)
+	} else if (Rflag && st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode)) {
 		recurse(path, NULL, r);
+	}
 }
 
 static void
@@ -82,7 +76,7 @@ done:
 		usage();
 
 	for (--argc, ++argv; *argv; argc--, argv++)
-		chmodr(*argv, NULL, &r);
+		recurse(*argv, NULL, &r);
 
 	return ret || recurse_status;
 }
diff --git a/chown.c b/chown.c
index bc2bb1f..5bc1e99 100644
--- a/chown.c
+++ b/chown.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ static gid_t gid = -1;
 static int   ret = 0;
 
 static void
-chownpwgr(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
+chownpwgr(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 {
 	char *chownf_name;
 	int (*chownf)(const char *, uid_t, gid_t);
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ chownpwgr(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 	if (chownf(path, uid, gid) < 0) {
 		weprintf("%s %s:", chownf_name, path);
 		ret = 1;
-	} else if (Rflag) {
+	} else if (Rflag && st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode)) {
 		recurse(path, NULL, r);
 	}
 }
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 	for (argc--, argv++; *argv; argc--, argv++)
-		chownpwgr(*argv, NULL, &r);
+		recurse(*argv, NULL, &r);
 
 	return ret || recurse_status;
 }
diff --git a/du.c b/du.c
index 6ecebc9..b20201a 100644
--- a/du.c
+++ b/du.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ static size_t blksize  = 512;
 static int aflag = 0;
 static int sflag = 0;
 static int hflag = 0;
-static int ret   = 0;
 
 static void
 printpath(size_t n, const char *path)
@@ -35,25 +34,16 @@ nblks(blkcnt_t blocks)
 }
 
 void
-du(const char *path, void *total, struct recursor *r)
+du(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *total, struct recursor *r)
 {
-	struct stat st;
 	size_t subtotal = 0;
 
-	if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
-		if (!(r->depth) || errno != ENOENT)
-			weprintf("stat %s:", path);
-		if (!(r->depth))
-			ret = 1;
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
+	if (st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode))
 		recurse(path, &subtotal, r);
-	*((size_t *)total) += subtotal + nblks(st.st_blocks);
+	*((size_t *)total) += subtotal + nblks(st ? st->st_blocks : 0);
 
-	if (!sflag && r->depth <= maxdepth && (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode) || aflag))
-		printpath(subtotal + nblks(st.st_blocks), path);
+	if (!sflag && r->depth <= maxdepth && r->depth && st && (S_ISDIR(st->st_mode) || aflag))
+		printpath(subtotal + nblks(st->st_blocks), path);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -109,16 +99,14 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		blksize = 1024;
 
 	if (!argc) {
-		du(".", &n, &r);
-		if (sflag && !ret)
-			printpath(nblks(n), ".");
+		recurse(".", &n, &r);
+		printpath(nblks(n), ".");
 	} else {
 		for (; *argv; argc--, argv++) {
-			du(argv[0], &n, &r);
-			if (sflag && !ret)
-				printpath(n, argv[0]);
+			recurse(*argv, &n, &r);
+			printpath(n, *argv);
 		}
 	}
 
-	return ret || recurse_status;
+	return recurse_status;
 }
diff --git a/fs.h b/fs.h
index 853996d..91b130f 100644
--- a/fs.h
+++ b/fs.h
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 struct history {
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ struct history {
 };
 
 struct recursor {
-        void (*fn)(const char *, void *, struct recursor *);
+        void (*fn)(const char *, struct stat *st, void *, struct recursor *);
         struct history *hist;
         int depth;
         int follow;
@@ -36,4 +37,4 @@ extern int recurse_status;
 void recurse(const char *, void *, struct recursor *);
 
 int cp(const char *, const char *, int);
-void rm(const char *, void *, struct recursor *);
+void rm(const char *, struct stat *st, void *, struct recursor *);
diff --git a/libutil/recurse.c b/libutil/recurse.c
index c4e8043..c7f67d3 100644
--- a/libutil/recurse.c
+++ b/libutil/recurse.c
@@ -33,24 +33,23 @@ recurse(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 	}
 
 	if (statf(path, &st) < 0) {
-		if (errno != ENOENT) {
-			weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, path);
-			recurse_status = 1;
-		}
+		weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, path);
+		recurse_status = 1;
 		return;
 	}
-	if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
+	if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		(r->fn)(path, &st, data, r);
 		return;
+	}
 
 	new = emalloc(sizeof(struct history));
-
 	new->prev  = r->hist;
 	r->hist    = new;
 	new->dev   = st.st_dev;
 	new->ino   = st.st_ino;
 
 	for (h = new->prev; h; h = h->prev)
-		if (h->dev == st.st_dev && h->ino == st.st_ino)
+		if (h->ino == st.st_ino && h->dev == st.st_dev)
 			return;
 
 	if (!(dp = opendir(path))) {
@@ -70,17 +69,27 @@ recurse(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 		if (path[strlen(path) - 1] != '/')
 			estrlcat(subpath, "/", sizeof(subpath));
 		estrlcat(subpath, d->d_name, sizeof(subpath));
-		if ((r->flags & SAMEDEV) && statf(subpath, &dst) < 0) {
-			if (errno != ENOENT) {
-				weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, subpath);
-				recurse_status = 1;
-			}
-		} else if (!((r->flags & SAMEDEV) && dst.st_dev != st.st_dev)) {
+		if (statf(subpath, &dst) < 0) {
+			weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, subpath);
+			recurse_status = 1;
+		} else if ((r->flags & SAMEDEV) && dst.st_dev != st.st_dev) {
+			continue;
+		} else {
 			r->depth++;
-			(r->fn)(subpath, data, r);
+			(r->fn)(subpath, &dst, data, r);
 			r->depth--;
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!r->depth) {
+		(r->fn)(path, &st, data, r);
+
+		for (; r->hist; ) {
+			h = r->hist;
+			r->hist = r->hist->prev;
+			free(h);
+		}
+	}
+
 	closedir(dp);
 }
diff --git a/libutil/rm.c b/libutil/rm.c
index 01b3763..09bf3b9 100644
--- a/libutil/rm.c
+++ b/libutil/rm.c
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 /* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
@@ -10,9 +12,9 @@ int rm_rflag = 0;
 int rm_status = 0;
 
 void
-rm(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
+rm(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 {
-	if (rm_rflag)
+	if (rm_rflag && st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode))
 		recurse(path, NULL, r);
 	if (remove(path) < 0) {
 		if (!rm_fflag)
diff --git a/mv.c b/mv.c
index 148b4bc..404a310 100644
--- a/mv.c
+++ b/mv.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ mv(const char *s1, const char *s2, int depth)
 		cp_HLPflag = 'P';
 		rm_rflag = 1;
 		cp(s1, s2, depth);
-		rm(s1, NULL, &r);
+		rm(s1, NULL, NULL, &r);
 		return (mv_status = cp_status || rm_status);
 	}
 	mv_status = 1;
diff --git a/rm.c b/rm.c
index 17d75ed..e72abe8 100644
--- a/rm.c
+++ b/rm.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	for (; *argv; argc--, argv++)
-		rm(*argv, NULL, &r);
+		recurse(*argv, NULL, &r);
 
 	return rm_status || recurse_status;
 }
diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index b966b15..965f87e 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -235,10 +235,12 @@ print(char * fname, int l, char b[BLKSIZ])
 }
 
 static void
-c(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
+c(const char *path, struct stat *st, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 {
 	archive(path);
-	recurse(path, NULL, r);
+
+	if (st && S_ISDIR(st->st_mode))
+		recurse(path, NULL, r);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -318,7 +320,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			tarfile = stdout;
 		}
 		chdir(dir);
-		c(argv[0], NULL, &r);
+		recurse(argv[0], NULL, &r);
 		break;
 	case 't':
 	case 'x':