diff --git a/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h b/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
index c3a7a4449b..17ae991e9b 100644
--- a/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
+++ b/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ namespace BPrivate {
 namespace Storage {
 
 // For convenience:
-union LongDirEntry {
-	struct dirent dirent;
-	char _[sizeof(struct dirent) + B_PATH_NAME_LENGTH];
+struct LongDirEntry {
+	char _[sizeof(struct dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH + 1];
+	struct dirent* dirent() { return (struct dirent*)_; }
 };
 
 //! Returns whether the supplied path is absolute.
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ void to_lower(const char *str, std::string &result);
 
 /*! \brief Copies \c str into \c result, converting any uppercase alphabetics
 	to lowercase.
-	
+
 	\a str and \a result may point to the same string. \a result is
-	assumed to be as long as or longer than \a str. 
+	assumed to be as long as or longer than \a str.
 */
 void to_lower(const char *str, char *result);
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void to_lower(char *str);
 	\a result must be large enough to accomodate the addition of
 	escape sequences to \a str. \a str and \a result may *NOT* point to
 	the same string.
-	
+
 	Note that this function was designed for use with the registrar's
 	RecentEntries class, and may not create escapes exactly like you're
 	hoping.	Please double check the code for the function to see if this
diff --git a/src/build/libbe/storage/Directory.cpp b/src/build/libbe/storage/Directory.cpp
index 37e0f625cc..247788d07f 100644
--- a/src/build/libbe/storage/Directory.cpp
+++ b/src/build/libbe/storage/Directory.cpp
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ BDirectory::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 		return B_FILE_ERROR;
 
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	bool next = true;
 	while (next) {
 		if (GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) != 1)
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ BDirectory::CountEntries()
 		return error;
 	int32 count = 0;
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	while (error == B_OK) {
 		if (GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) != 1)
 			break;
diff --git a/src/build/libbe/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp b/src/build/libbe/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
index e8a566bbde..a13c4a96f8 100644
--- a/src/build/libbe/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
+++ b/src/build/libbe/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ status_t
 BMergedDirectory::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 {
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* dirEntry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* dirEntry = longEntry.dirent();
 	int32 result = GetNextDirents(dirEntry, sizeof(longEntry), 1);
 	if (result < 0)
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/build/libbe/storage/Node.cpp b/src/build/libbe/storage/Node.cpp
index 4c395c6b09..14815e5d0f 100644
--- a/src/build/libbe/storage/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/build/libbe/storage/Node.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ BNode::GetNextAttrName(char* buffer)
 		return B_FILE_ERROR;
 
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	ssize_t result = _kern_read_dir(fAttrFd, entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1);
 	if (result < 0)
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/build/libroot/fs_attr_untyped.cpp b/src/build/libroot/fs_attr_untyped.cpp
index eabb7cca1a..aa96cd041b 100644
--- a/src/build/libroot/fs_attr_untyped.cpp
+++ b/src/build/libroot/fs_attr_untyped.cpp
@@ -129,10 +129,10 @@ class AttributeDirectory;
 typedef map<DIR*, AttributeDirectory*> AttrDirMap;
 static AttrDirMap sAttributeDirectories;
 
-// LongDirent
-union LongDirent {
-	struct dirent dirent;
-	char _[sizeof(struct dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH];
+// LongDirEntry
+struct LongDirEntry {
+	char _[sizeof(struct dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH + 1];
+	struct dirent* dirent() { return (struct dirent*)_; }
 };
 
 // AttributeHeader
@@ -260,11 +260,11 @@ public:
 			}
 
 			// prepare the dirent
-			strcpy(fDirent.dirent.d_name, name);
-			fDirent.dirent.d_ino = 0;
+			strcpy(fDirent.dirent()->d_name, name);
+			fDirent.dirent()->d_ino = 0;
 // TODO: We need the node ID!
 
-			*_entry = &fDirent.dirent;
+			*_entry = fDirent.dirent();
 			return B_OK;
 		}
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ private:
 	int			fFileFD;
 	string		fPath;
 	DIR*		fFakeDir;
-	LongDirent	fDirent;
+	LongDirEntry fDirent;
 	char*		fListing;
 	int			fListingLength;
 	int			fListingIndex;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/Directory.cpp b/src/kits/storage/Directory.cpp
index 048f1cbf7c..9f093bd8ff 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/Directory.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/Directory.cpp
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ BDirectory::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 		return B_FILE_ERROR;
 
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	bool next = true;
 	while (next) {
 		if (GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) != 1)
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ BDirectory::CountEntries()
 		return error;
 	int32 count = 0;
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	while (error == B_OK) {
 		if (GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) != 1)
 			break;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp b/src/kits/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
index 5eb4f25d38..bcbd909a0b 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/MergedDirectory.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ status_t
 BMergedDirectory::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 {
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	int32 result = GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1);
 	if (result < 0)
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp b/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
index 08bd6d3786..92cea8389a 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ BNode::GetNextAttrName(char* buffer)
 		return B_FILE_ERROR;
 
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	ssize_t result = _kern_read_dir(fAttrFd, entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1);
 	if (result < 0)
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/Query.cpp b/src/kits/storage/Query.cpp
index 4719d1cf4b..9a93487105 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/Query.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/Query.cpp
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ BQuery::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 		error = B_FILE_ERROR;
 	if (error == B_OK) {
 		BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-		struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+		struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 		bool next = true;
 		while (error == B_OK && next) {
 			if (GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) != 1) {
diff --git a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryEntryList.cpp b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryEntryList.cpp
index 1b9c8bdcd9..d9f74853aa 100644
--- a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryEntryList.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryEntryList.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ status_t
 VirtualDirectoryEntryList::GetNextRef(entry_ref* ref)
 {
 	BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-	struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+	struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 	int32 result = GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1);
 	if (result < 0)
 		return result;
diff --git a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryPoseView.cpp b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryPoseView.cpp
index 0ffde695d9..252237cc12 100644
--- a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryPoseView.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryPoseView.cpp
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ VirtualDirectoryPoseView::_EntryCreated(const BMessage* message)
 			return true;
 
 		BPrivate::Storage::LongDirEntry longEntry;
-		struct dirent* entry = &longEntry.dirent;
+		struct dirent* entry = longEntry.dirent();
 		while (directory.GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(longEntry), 1) == 1) {
 			if (strcmp(entry->d_name, ".") != 0
 				&& strcmp(entry->d_name, "..") != 0) {
diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/vfs.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/vfs.cpp
index d0fc94b2fb..8dd8228993 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/vfs.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/vfs.cpp
@@ -42,10 +42,9 @@ using namespace boot;
 struct __DIR {
 	Directory*	directory;
 	void*		cookie;
-	union {
-		dirent		entry;
-		char		nameBuffer[sizeof(dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH - 1];
-	};
+
+	char		_direntBuffer[sizeof(dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH + 1];
+	dirent*		entry() { return (dirent*)_direntBuffer; }
 };
 
 
@@ -1260,33 +1259,33 @@ readdir(DIR* dir)
 
 	for (;;) {
 		status_t error = dir->directory->GetNextEntry(dir->cookie,
-			dir->entry.d_name, B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH);
+			dir->entry()->d_name, B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH);
 		if (error != B_OK) {
 			errno = error;
 			return NULL;
 		}
 
-		dir->entry.d_pdev = 0;
+		dir->entry()->d_pdev = 0;
 			// not supported
-		dir->entry.d_pino = dir->directory->Inode();
-		dir->entry.d_dev = dir->entry.d_pdev;
+		dir->entry()->d_pino = dir->directory->Inode();
+		dir->entry()->d_dev = dir->entry()->d_pdev;
 			// not supported
 
-		if (strcmp(dir->entry.d_name, ".") == 0
-				|| strcmp(dir->entry.d_name, "..") == 0) {
+		if (strcmp(dir->entry()->d_name, ".") == 0
+				|| strcmp(dir->entry()->d_name, "..") == 0) {
 			// Note: That's obviously not correct for "..", but we can't
 			// retrieve that information.
-			dir->entry.d_ino = dir->entry.d_pino;
+			dir->entry()->d_ino = dir->entry()->d_pino;
 		} else {
-			Node* node = dir->directory->Lookup(dir->entry.d_name, false);
+			Node* node = dir->directory->Lookup(dir->entry()->d_name, false);
 			if (node == NULL)
 				continue;
 
-			dir->entry.d_ino = node->Inode();
+			dir->entry()->d_ino = node->Inode();
 			node->Release();
 		}
 
-		return &dir->entry;
+		return dir->entry();
 	}
 }