diff --git a/src/kits/storage/Path.cpp b/src/kits/storage/Path.cpp
index 194b70b7eb..85f2d5b6fa 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/Path.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/Path.cpp
@@ -431,18 +431,18 @@ BPath::Flatten(void* buffer, ssize_t size) const
 		return flattenedSize;
 	if (size < flattenedSize)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
-	status_t status = InitCheck();
-	if (status != B_OK)
-		return status;
 
 	// convert the path to an entry_ref
 	BEntry entry;
 	entry_ref ref;
-	status = entry.SetTo(Path());
-	if (status == B_OK)
-		status = entry.GetRef(&ref);
-	if (status != B_OK)
-		return status;
+
+	if (Path() != NULL) {
+		status_t status = entry.SetTo(Path());
+		if (status == B_OK)
+			status = entry.GetRef(&ref);
+		if (status != B_OK)
+			return status;
+	}
 
 	// store the entry_ref in the buffer
 	flattened_entry_ref& fref = *(flattened_entry_ref*)buffer;
diff --git a/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.cpp b/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.cpp
index e4df8a1ce6..446048fba5 100644
--- a/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.cpp
@@ -1352,8 +1352,8 @@ PathTest::FlattenableTest()
 		// flatten the path
 		struct flattened_ref { dev_t device; ino_t directory; char name[1]; };
 		size = path.FlattenedSize();
-		ssize_t expectedSize	// hehe, that's hacky ;-)
-			= (ssize_t)((flattened_ref*)NULL)->name + strlen(ref.name) + 1;
+		ssize_t expectedSize
+			= sizeof(dev_t) + sizeof(ino_t) + strlen(ref.name) + 1;
 		CPPUNIT_ASSERT( size ==  expectedSize);
 		CPPUNIT_ASSERT( path.Flatten(buffer, sizeof(buffer)) == B_OK );
 		// check the flattened data
diff --git a/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.h b/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.h
index 78a2a25819..8518e58a8a 100644
--- a/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.h
+++ b/src/tests/kits/storage/PathTest.h
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 #include <StorageDefs.h>
 #include <SupportDefs.h>
 
-class CppUnit::Test;
-
 class PathTest : public BasicTest
 {
 public: