diff --git a/headers/os/drivers/fs_interface.h b/headers/os/drivers/fs_interface.h
index 421972567a..6912b41b83 100644
--- a/headers/os/drivers/fs_interface.h
+++ b/headers/os/drivers/fs_interface.h
@@ -245,10 +245,8 @@ typedef struct file_system_module_info {
 				const char *name, disk_job_id job);
 	status_t (*set_content_parameters)(int fd, partition_id partition,
 				const char *parameters, disk_job_id job);
-	status_t (*initialize)(const char *partition, const char *name,
+	status_t (*initialize)(int fd, partition_id partition, const char *name,
 				const char *parameters, disk_job_id job);
-		// This is pretty close to how the hook in R5 looked. Save the job ID,
-		// of course and that the parameters were given as (void*, size_t) pair.
 } file_system_module_info;
 
 
diff --git a/headers/private/fs_shell/fssh_fs_interface.h b/headers/private/fs_shell/fssh_fs_interface.h
index 80a56f49c4..27ae245dfa 100644
--- a/headers/private/fs_shell/fssh_fs_interface.h
+++ b/headers/private/fs_shell/fssh_fs_interface.h
@@ -279,10 +279,8 @@ typedef struct fssh_file_system_module_info {
 				const char *name, fssh_disk_job_id job);
 	fssh_status_t (*set_content_parameters)(int fd, fssh_partition_id partition,
 				const char *parameters, fssh_disk_job_id job);
-	fssh_status_t (*initialize)(const char *partition, const char *name,
-				const char *parameters, fssh_disk_job_id job);
-		// This is pretty close to how the hook in R5 looked. Save the job ID,
-		// of course and that the parameters were given as (void*, size_t) pair.
+	fssh_status_t (*initialize)(int fd, fssh_partition_id partition,
+				const char *name, const char *parameters, fssh_disk_job_id job);
 } fssh_file_system_module_info;
 
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.cpp
index fbd185af10..b181d80348 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.cpp
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ static const int32 kDesiredAllocationGroups = 56;
 
 class DeviceOpener {
 	public:
+		DeviceOpener(int fd, int mode);
 		DeviceOpener(const char *device, int mode);
 		~DeviceOpener();
 
 		int Open(const char *device, int mode);
+		int Open(int fd, int mode);
 		void *InitCache(off_t numBlocks, uint32 blockSize);
 		void RemoveCache(bool allowWrites);
 
@@ -56,6 +58,14 @@ DeviceOpener::DeviceOpener(const char *device, int mode)
 }
 
 
+DeviceOpener::DeviceOpener(int fd, int mode)
+	:
+	fBlockCache(NULL)
+{
+	Open(fd, mode);
+}
+
+
 DeviceOpener::~DeviceOpener()
 {
 	if (fDevice >= B_OK) {
@@ -97,6 +107,19 @@ DeviceOpener::Open(const char *device, int mode)
 }
 
 
+int
+DeviceOpener::Open(int fd, int mode)
+{
+	fDevice = dup(fd);
+	if (fDevice < 0)
+		return errno;
+
+	fMode = mode;
+
+	return fDevice;
+}
+
+
 void *
 DeviceOpener::InitCache(off_t numBlocks, uint32 blockSize)
 {
@@ -563,7 +586,7 @@ Volume::Identify(int fd, disk_super_block *superBlock)
 
 
 status_t
-Volume::Initialize(const char *device, const char *name, uint32 blockSize,
+Volume::Initialize(int fd, const char *name, uint32 blockSize,
 	uint32 flags)
 {
 	// although there is no really good reason for it, we won't
@@ -576,7 +599,7 @@ Volume::Initialize(const char *device, const char *name, uint32 blockSize,
 		&& blockSize != 8192)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 
-	DeviceOpener opener(device, O_RDWR);
+	DeviceOpener opener(fd, O_RDWR);
 	if (opener.Device() < B_OK)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.h
index fd233b51af..50a20566f9 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Volume.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Volume {
 
 		status_t			Mount(const char *device, uint32 flags);
 		status_t			Unmount();
-		status_t			Initialize(const char *device, const char *name,
+		status_t			Initialize(int fd, const char *name,
 								uint32 blockSize, uint32 flags);
 
 		bool				IsValidSuperBlock();
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/kernel_interface.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/kernel_interface.cpp
index 945ae85414..b970f2f59e 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/kernel_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/kernel_interface.cpp
@@ -2038,12 +2038,9 @@ bfs_validate_initialize(partition_data *partition, char *name,
 
 
 status_t
-bfs_initialize(const char *partition, const char *name, const char *parameters,
-	disk_job_id job)
+bfs_initialize(int fd, partition_id partition, const char *name,
+	const char *parameters, disk_job_id job)
 {
-	if (partition == NULL)
-		return B_BAD_VALUE;
-	
 	uint32 blockSize = 1024;
 	uint32 flags = 0;
 	bool verbose = false;
@@ -2070,7 +2067,7 @@ bfs_initialize(const char *partition, const char *name, const char *parameters,
 	}
 
 	Volume volume(-1);
-	status_t status = volume.Initialize(partition, name, blockSize, flags);
+	status_t status = volume.Initialize(fd, name, blockSize, flags);
 	if (status < B_OK) {
 		INFORM(("Initializing volume failed: %s\n", strerror(status)));
 		return status;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/DiskDevice.cpp b/src/kits/storage/DiskDevice.cpp
index 76638e0831..c084db4218 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/DiskDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/DiskDevice.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ BDiskDevice::CommitModifications(bool synchronously,
 	if (!_IsShadow())
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 	// TODO: Get port and token from the progressMessenger
+	// TODO: Respect "synchronously"!
 	port_id port = -1;
 	int32 token = -1;
 	error = _kern_commit_disk_device_modifications(ID(), port, token,
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KFileSystem.cpp b/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KFileSystem.cpp
index 66a6fbe71c..905d244eca 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KFileSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KFileSystem.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <fs_interface.h>
 
 #include "ddm_modules.h"
+#include "KDiskDeviceJob.h"
 #include "KDiskDeviceUtils.h"
 #include "KFileSystem.h"
 #include "KPartition.h"
@@ -308,8 +309,31 @@ status_t
 KFileSystem::Initialize(KPartition *partition, const char *name,
 	const char *parameters, KDiskDeviceJob *job)
 {
-	// to be implemented
-	return B_ERROR;
+	// check parameters
+	if (!partition || !job || !fModule)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+	if (!fModule->initialize)
+		return B_NOT_SUPPORTED;
+
+	// open partition device (we need a temporary read-lock)
+	KDiskDeviceManager *manager = KDiskDeviceManager::Default();
+	if (!manager->ReadLockPartition(partition->ID()))
+		return B_ERROR;
+	DeviceReadLocker locker(partition->Device(), true);
+
+	int fd = -1;
+	status_t result = partition->Open(O_RDWR, &fd);
+	if (result != B_OK)
+		return result;
+
+	locker.Unlock();
+
+	// call the module hook
+	result = fModule->initialize(fd, partition->ID(), name, parameters,
+		job->ID());
+
+	close(fd);
+	return result;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp b/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
index bcb2ffef94..6bb109196a 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/disk_device_manager/KPartitioningSystem.cpp
@@ -901,6 +901,7 @@ KPartitioningSystem::Initialize(KPartition *partition, const char *name,
 	}
 
 	// let the module do its job
+// TODO: The partition must not be locked at this point!
 	status_t result = fModule->initialize(fd, partition->ID(), name, parameters,
 		job->ID());
 
diff --git a/src/tools/fs_shell/unistd.cpp b/src/tools/fs_shell/unistd.cpp
index c4b4ac9207..2559a19bde 100644
--- a/src/tools/fs_shell/unistd.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/fs_shell/unistd.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 
 
 #ifndef __BEOS__
-	// The _kern_close() defined in libroot_build.so.
+	// Defined in libroot_build.so.
+	extern "C" int _kern_dup(int fd);
 	extern "C" status_t _kern_close(int fd);
 #endif
 
@@ -76,6 +77,24 @@ get_partition_size(int fd, off_t maxSize)
 #endif // HAIKU_HOST_PLATFORM_LINUX
 
 
+int
+fssh_dup(int fd)
+{
+	// Use the _kern_dup() defined in libroot on BeOS incompatible systems.
+	// Required for proper attribute emulation support.
+	#if __BEOS__
+		return dup(fd);
+	#else
+		int result = _kern_dup(fd);
+		if (result < 0) {
+			fssh_set_errno(result);
+			return -1;
+		}
+		return result;
+	#endif
+}
+
+
 int
 fssh_close(int fd)
 {
diff --git a/src/tools/fs_shell/vfs.cpp b/src/tools/fs_shell/vfs.cpp
index 0d66918db0..2e3d7c4b15 100644
--- a/src/tools/fs_shell/vfs.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/fs_shell/vfs.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "fssh_atomic.h"
 #include "fssh_defs.h"
 #include "fssh_dirent.h"
+#include "fssh_errno.h"
 #include "fssh_fcntl.h"
 #include "fssh_fs_info.h"
 #include "fssh_fs_volume.h"
@@ -5184,30 +5185,30 @@ _kern_initialize_volume(const char* fsName, const char *partition,
 
 	// The partition argument should point to a real file/device.
 
-	// normalize the device path
-	KPath normalizedDevice;
-//	status = normalizedDevice.SetTo(device, true);
-// NOTE: normalizing works only in our namespace.
-	fssh_status_t status = normalizedDevice.SetTo(partition, false);
-	if (status != FSSH_B_OK)
-		return status;
-
-	partition = normalizedDevice.Path();
-		// correct path to file device
+	// open partition
+	int fd = fssh_open(partition, FSSH_O_RDWR);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return fssh_errno;
 
 	// get the file system module
 	fssh_file_system_module_info* fsModule = get_file_system(fsName);
-	if (fsModule == NULL)
+	if (fsModule == NULL) {
+		fssh_close(fd);
 		return FSSH_ENODEV;
+	}
 
 	// initialize
-	if (fsModule->initialize) 
-		status = (*fsModule->initialize)(partition, name, parameters, -1);
-	else
+	fssh_status_t status;
+	if (fsModule->initialize) {
+		status = (*fsModule->initialize)(fd, -1, name, parameters, -1);
+			// We've got no partition or job IDs -- the FS will hopefully
+			// ignore that.
+	} else
 		status = FSSH_B_NOT_SUPPORTED;
 
-	// put the file system module
+	// put the file system module, close partition
 	put_file_system(fsModule);
+	fssh_close(fd);
 
 	return status;
 }