diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dd26fa0..d99bf71 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ PROGRAMS_PERL=beefind.pl
 HELPER_BEE_SHELL=bee-init bee-check bee-remove bee-install bee-list bee-query bee-download bee-update
 HELPER_BEE_C=bee-dep
 
-HELPER_SHELL=compat-filesfile2contentfile
+HELPER_SHELL=compat-filesfile2contentfile filelist2content content2filelist
 
 LIBRARY_SHELL=beelib.config.sh
 
diff --git a/src/beefind.sh.in b/src/beefind.sh.in
index 9854067..59faf09 100644
--- a/src/beefind.sh.in
+++ b/src/beefind.sh.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 #
-# beefind - scan directory and print files and metadata
+# beefind - scan directory and print files
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2009-2012
 #       Tobias Dreyer <dreyer@molgen.mpg.de>
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ BEE_VERSION="@BEE_VERSION@"
 
 : ${BEEVERSION:=${BEE_BINDIR}/beeversion}
 : ${BEESEP=${BEE_BINDIR}/beesep}
+: ${BEEGETOPT:=${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt}
 
 function usage() {
     cat <<-EOF
@@ -38,72 +39,25 @@ function usage() {
 	  by Tobias Dreyer and Marius Tolzmann <{dreyer,tolzmann}@molgen.mpg.de>
 	     Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics Berlin Dahlem
 
-	Usage: beefind [options] <files>
+	Usage: beefind [options] <directory>
 
 	Options:
-	    -c | --cutroot <path>     strip <path> from displayed files
-	    -e | --exclude <pattern>  ignore files matching <pattern>
-	    -s | --skiplist <file>    ignore files matching pattern described in <file>
+	    -c, --cutroot <path>         strip <path> from printed files
+	    -e, --exclude <pattern>      ignore files matching <pattern>
+	    -s, --exclude-list <file>    ignore files matching pattern described in <file>
 
-	    -o | --output <file>      output is redirected into <file> instead of <stdout>
-	    -d | --dump-files <file>  read <file> and just display files; <file> must contain
-	                              beefind output
+	    -o, --output <file>          output is redirected into <file> instead of <stdout>
 
-	    -h | --help               display this help
+	    -h, --help                   display this help
 
 	EOF
 }
 
-function dump_files() {
-    local infile=${1}
-
-    if [ ! -r "${infile}" ] ; then
-        print_warning "cannot read file '${infile}'"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    for line in $(cat ${infile}) ; do
-        eval $(${BEESEP} ${line})
-
-        echo ${file%//*}
-    done
-}
-
-function get_md5() {
-    local file=${1}
-
-    if [ -L "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='link'
-    elif [ -d "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='directory'
-    elif [ -f "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5=$(md5sum ${file})
-        md5=${md5%% *}
-        if [ "$?" != 0 -o -z "${md5}" ] ; then
-            print_warning "failed to create md5 sum for ${file}"
-            md5='#MD5ERROR#'
-        fi
-    elif [ -p "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='pipe'
-    elif [ -S "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='socket'
-    elif [ -b "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='block'
-    elif [ -c "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='char'
-    elif [ -S "${file}" ] ; then
-        md5='socket'
-    else
-        md5='#MD5UNKNOWN#'
-    fi
-
-    echo ${md5}
-}
-
-function bee_find() {
-    local options=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name beefind \
+function do_beefind() {
+    local options=$(${BEEGETOPT} --name beefind \
+                        --option cutroot/c \
                         --option exclude/e= \
-                        --option skiplist/s= \
+                        --option exclude-list/E= \
                         -- "${@}")
 
     if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
@@ -113,17 +67,22 @@ function bee_find() {
 
     eval set -- "${options}"
 
+    declare    find_format="%p\n"
     declare -a OPT_EXCLUDE
-    declare -a OPT_SKIPLSIT
+    declare -a OPT_EXCLUDELIST
 
     while true ; do
         case "${1}" in
+            --cutroot)
+                find_format="/%P\n"
+                shift 1
+                ;;
             --exclude)
-                OPT_EXCLUDE=( ${OPT_EXCLUDE:+${OPT_EXCLUDE[@]}} "${2}" )
+                OPT_EXCLUDE=( "${OPT_EXCLUDE[@]}" "${2}" )
                 shift 2
                 ;;
-            --skiplist)
-                OPT_SKIPLIST=( ${OPT_SKIPLIST:+${OPT_SKIPLIST[@]}} "${2}" )
+            --exclude-list)
+                OPT_EXCLUDELIST=( "${OPT_EXCLUDELIST[@]}" "${2}" )
                 shift 2
                 ;;
             --)
@@ -133,88 +92,31 @@ function bee_find() {
         esac
     done
 
-    if [ -z "${1}" ] ; then
-        print_warning "no directory to scan specified"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    find ${1} -mindepth 1 | \
-        grep \
-            --extended-regexp \
-            --invert-match \
-            --file=<(if [ "${#OPT_SKIPLIST[@]}" -gt 0 ] ; then
-                         grep --invert-match --regexp="^ *$" ${OPT_SKIPLIST[@]}
-                     fi) \
-            --file=<(for p in ${OPT_EXCLUDE[@]} ; do
-                         echo ${p}
-                     done)
-}
-
-function do_beefind() {
-    local options=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name beefind \
-                        --option cutroot/c= \
-                        -- "${@}")
-
-    if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
+    if [ -z "${@}" ] ; then
         usage
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    eval set -- "${options}"
-
-    declare OPT_CUTROOT=
-
-    while true ; do
-        case "${1}" in
-            --cutroot)
-                OPT_CUTROOT="${2}"
-                shift 2
-                ;;
-            --)
-                shift
-                break
-                ;;
-        esac
-    done
-
-    for f in $(cat <(bee_find ${@})) ; do
-        md5=$(get_md5 ${f})
-
-        data=( $(stat -c "%05a %h %u %g %s %Y" ${f}) )
-        if [ "$?" != 0 -o -z "${data}" ] ; then
-            print_warning "can't stat ${f}"
-            exit 1
-        fi
-
-        echo -n "md5=${md5}:"
-        echo -n "omode=${data[0]}:"
-        echo -n "nlink=${data[1]}:"
-        echo -n "uid=${data[2]}:"
-        echo -n "gid=${data[3]}:"
-        echo -n "size=${data[4]}:"
-        echo -n "mtime=${data[5]}:"
-
-        filename=${f}
-        if [ -n "${OPT_CUTROOT}" ] ; then
-            filename=${f#${OPT_CUTROOT}}
-        fi
-        echo -n "file=${filename}"
-
-        if [ "${md5}" = "link" ] ; then
-            echo -n "//$(readlink ${f})"
-        fi
-
-        echo ""
-    done
+    dirs=( "${@}" )
+
+    grep \
+        --extended-regexp \
+        --invert-match \
+        --file=<(if [ "${#OPT_EXCLUDELIST[@]}" -gt 0 ] ; then
+                     grep --invert-match --regexp="^ *$" ${OPT_EXCLUDELIST[@]}
+                 fi) \
+        --file=<(for p in ${OPT_EXCLUDE[@]} ; do
+                     echo ${p}
+                 done) \
+        <(find ${dirs[@]} -mindepth 1 -xdev -printf ${find_format})
 }
 
 ###############################################################################
 ###############################################################################
 ###############################################################################
 
-options=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name beefind \
+options=$(${BEEGETOPT} --name beefind \
                  --option output/o= \
-                 --option dump-files/d= \
                  --option help/h \
                  -- "${@}")
 
@@ -226,7 +128,6 @@ fi
 eval set -- "${options}"
 
 declare OPT_OUTPUT=
-declare OPT_DUMPFILES=
 
 while true ; do
     case "${1}" in
@@ -234,10 +135,6 @@ while true ; do
             OPT_OUTPUT="${2}"
             shift 2
             ;;
-        --dump-files)
-            OPT_DUMPFILES="${2}"
-            shift 2
-            ;;
         --help)
             usage
             exit 0
@@ -256,14 +153,4 @@ if [ -n "${OPT_OUTPUT}" ] ; then
     fi
 fi
 
-if [ -n "${OPT_DUMPFILES}" ] ; then
-    if [ ! -r "${OPT_DUMPFILES}" ] ; then
-        print_warning "cannot read file '${OPT_DUMPFILES}'"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    dump_files ${OPT_DUMPFILES}
-    exit 0
-fi
-
 do_beefind ${@}
diff --git a/src/beesh.sh.in b/src/beesh.sh.in
index b453b2d..7548c52 100644
--- a/src/beesh.sh.in
+++ b/src/beesh.sh.in
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ VERSION=${BEE_VERSION}
 : ${BEE_LIBEXECDIR:=@LIBEXECDIR@}
 : ${BEE_BINDIR:=@BINDIR@}
 
+: ${BEEFIND:=${BEE_BINDIR}/beefind}
+
 # load libs
 . ${BEE_LIBEXECDIR}/bee/beelib.config.sh
 
@@ -433,21 +435,23 @@ function bee_crosscheck() {
 # $EXCLUDE is read from .bee file
 # $BEE_SKIPLIST is found in $BEEFAULTS
 function bee_pkg_pack() {
-    beefind.pl --exclude='^/FILES$' \
-               --excludelist=<(
+    ${BEEFIND} --exclude='^/CONTENT$' \
+               --exclude-list=<(
                    if [ -n "${BEE_SKIPLIST}" ] ; then
                        cat ${BEE_SKIPLIST}
                    fi
                    for pattern in "${EXCLUDE[@]}" "${BEE_AUTO_EXCLUDE[@]}" ; do
                       echo "${pattern}"
                    done ) \
-               --cutroot=${D} ${D} > ${D}/FILES 2>/dev/null
+               --cutroot \
+               ${D} | \
+                   ${BEE_LIBEXECDIR}/bee/filelist2content --root ${D} > ${D}/CONTENT
 
     DUMP=${BEE_TMP_TMPDIR}/bee.$$.dump
 
-    beefind.pl --dump ${D}/FILES | sed -e "s,^,${D}," - > ${DUMP}
+    ${BEE_LIBEXECDIR}/bee/content2filelist ${D}/CONTENT | sed -e "s,^,${D}," - > ${DUMP}
 
-    if [ ! -s "${D}/FILES" ]; then
+    if [ ! -s "${D}/CONTENT" ]; then
         print_error "ERROR: empty image directory"
         exit 1
     fi
@@ -480,11 +484,11 @@ function bee_pkg_pack() {
         --sparse \
         --absolute-names \
         --no-recursion \
-        --transform="s,^/FILES$,FILES," \
+        --transform="s,^/CONTENT$,CONTENT," \
         --transform="s,^/BUILD$,BUILD," \
         --transform="s,^/META$,META," \
         --transform="s,^/PATCHES,PATCHES," \
-        ${D}/{FILES,BUILD,META} \
+        ${D}/{CONTENT,BUILD,META} \
         ${bee_PATCHFILES:+${D}/PATCHES} \
         ${bee_PATCHFILES:+${D}/PATCHES/*}
 
diff --git a/src/content2filelist.sh.in b/src/content2filelist.sh.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c08c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content2filelist.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# content2filelist - extract files from content file
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2009-2012
+#       Tobias Dreyer <dreyer@molgen.mpg.de>
+#       Marius Tolzmann <tolzmann@molgen.mpg.de>
+#       and other bee developers
+#
+# This file is part of bee.
+#
+# bee is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+: ${BEESEP=@BINDIR@/beesep}
+
+while read line ; do
+    unset type
+    data=$(${BEESEP} ${line})
+
+    if [ "$?" -gt 0 ] ; then
+        echo >&2 "**ERROR** INVALID CONTENT: ${line}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    eval ${data}
+
+    if [ "$?" -gt 0 -o -z "${type}" ] ; then
+        echo >&2 "**ERROR** UNPARSABLE CONTENT: ${line}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    echo ${file%//*}
+done < <(cat ${@})
diff --git a/src/filelist2content.sh.in b/src/filelist2content.sh.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ab710a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filelist2content.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# filelist2content - create content file output to specified files
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2009-2012
+#       Tobias Dreyer <dreyer@molgen.mpg.de>
+#       Marius Tolzmann <tolzmann@molgen.mpg.de>
+#       and other bee developers
+#
+# This file is part of bee.
+#
+# bee is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+: ${BEE_GETOPT:=@BINDIR@/beegetopt}
+
+function get_format_string() {
+    local format_string
+
+    format_string="type=\"%F\""
+    format_string="${format_string} mode=%f"
+    format_string="${format_string} uid=%u"
+    format_string="${format_string} user=%U"
+    format_string="${format_string} gid=%g"
+    format_string="${format_string} group=%G"
+    format_string="${format_string} size=%s"
+    format_string="${format_string} mtime=%Y"
+    format_string="${format_string} nlink=%h"
+    format_string="${format_string} inode=%i"
+    format_string="${format_string} major=%t"
+    format_string="${format_string} minor=%T"
+    format_string="${format_string} device=%d"
+
+    echo ${format_string}
+}
+
+function get_type() {
+    local type=${1}
+
+    if [ "${type}" = "symbolic" ] ; then
+        type="symlink"
+    fi
+
+    echo ${type}
+}
+
+function do_f2c() {
+    local filelist=${1}
+    local root=${2}
+    declare -A hardlinks
+
+    if [ ! -r "${filelist}" ] ; then
+        print_error "internal error: failed to read filelist"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    while read filename ; do
+        data=$(stat --format "$(get_format_string)" ${root}${filename})
+
+        if [ "$?" -gt 0 ] ; then
+            echo >&2 "**ERROR** stat failed"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        eval ${data}
+        file=${filename}
+
+        if [ "$?" -gt 0 ] ; then
+            echo >&2 "**ERROR** eval failed"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        type=$(get_type ${type})
+
+        if [ ${nlink} -gt 1 ] ; then
+            key="${inode}-${device}"
+            if [ -z "${hardlinks[${key}]}" ] ; then
+                hardlinks[${key}]=${filename}
+            else
+                type=hardlink
+                file="${file}//${hardlinks[${key}]}"
+            fi
+        fi
+
+        echo -n "type=${type}"
+
+        printf ":mode=0%o" "0x${mode}"
+        printf ":access=0%o" $(( 0x${mode} & 07777 ))
+
+        echo -n ":uid=${uid}"
+        echo -n ":user=${user}"
+        echo -n ":gid=${gid}"
+        echo -n ":group=${group}"
+        echo -n ":size=${size}"
+        echo -n ":mtime=${mtime}"
+        echo -n ":nlink=${nlink}"
+
+        if [ "${type}" = "regular" -o "${type}" = "hardlink" ] ; then
+            md5=$(md5sum ${root}${filename})
+
+            if [ "$?" -gt 0 ] ; then
+                echo >&2 "**ERROR** md5sum failed"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+
+            echo -n ":md5=${md5%% *}"        
+        elif [ "${type}" = "symlink" ] ; then
+            file="${file}//$(readlink ${file})"
+        elif [ "${type}" = "block" -o "${type}" = "char" ] ; then
+            echo -n ":major=${major}"
+            echo -n ":minor=${minor}"
+        fi
+
+        echo -n ":file=${file}"
+        echo ""
+
+    done < "${filelist}"
+}
+
+###############################################################################
+###############################################################################
+###############################################################################
+
+options=$(${BEE_GETOPT} --name filelist2content \
+                 --option root/r= \
+                 -- "${@}")
+
+if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
+    echo >&2 "**ERROR** beegetopt failed"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+eval set -- "${options}"
+
+declare OPT_ROOT=
+
+while true ; do
+    case "${1}" in
+        --root)
+            OPT_ROOT="${2}"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --)
+            shift
+            break
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+do_f2c <(cat ${@}) "${OPT_ROOT}"