diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
index 67216120a3..e1e62aad71 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KDiskDevice.cpp
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@ KDiskDevice::WriteUserData(UserDataWriter &writer, bool shadow)
 	if (data) {
 		data->device_flags = DeviceFlags();
 		data->path = path;
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->path);
 		partition->WriteUserData(writer, &data->device_partition_data);
 	} else
 		partition->WriteUserData(writer, NULL);
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartition.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartition.cpp
index d30e3f3531..b3c8865948 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartition.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/KPartition.cpp
@@ -938,13 +938,22 @@ KPartition::WriteUserData(UserDataWriter &writer, user_partition_data *data)
 		data->parameters = parameters;
 		data->content_parameters = contentParameters;
 		data->child_count = CountChildren();
+		// make buffer relocatable
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->name);
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->content_name);
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->type);
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->content_type);
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->parameters);
+		writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->content_parameters);
 	}
 	// children
 	for (int32 i = 0; KPartition *child = ChildAt(i); i++) {
 		user_partition_data *childData
 			= writer.AllocatePartitionData(child->CountChildren());
-		if (data)
+		if (data) {
 			data->children[i] = childData;
+			writer.AddRelocationEntry(&data->children[i]);
+		}
 		child->WriteUserData(writer, childData);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.cpp b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.cpp
index aaaf20883f..9053d63adf 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.cpp
@@ -1,43 +1,87 @@
 // UserDataWriter.cpp
 
+#include <new>
+
 #include <ddm_userland_interface.h>
+#include <Vector.h>
 
 #include "UserDataWriter.h"
 
+using namespace std;
+
+typedef uint8	*addr;
+
+// RelocationEntryList
+struct UserDataWriter::RelocationEntryList : Vector<addr*> {};
+
 // constructor
 UserDataWriter::UserDataWriter()
 	: fBuffer(NULL),
 	  fBufferSize(0),
-	  fAllocatedSize(0)
+	  fAllocatedSize(0),
+	  fRelocationEntries(NULL)
 {
 }
 
 // constructor
 UserDataWriter::UserDataWriter(user_disk_device_data *buffer,
 							   size_t bufferSize)
-	: fBuffer(buffer),
-	  fBufferSize(bufferSize),
-	  fAllocatedSize(0)
+	: fBuffer(NULL),
+	  fBufferSize(0),
+	  fAllocatedSize(0),
+	  fRelocationEntries(NULL)
 {
+	SetTo(buffer, bufferSize);
 }
 
 // destructor
 UserDataWriter::~UserDataWriter()
 {
+	delete fRelocationEntries;
+}
+
+// SetTo
+status_t
+UserDataWriter::SetTo(user_disk_device_data *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
+{
+	Unset();
+	fBuffer = buffer;
+	fBufferSize = bufferSize;
+	fAllocatedSize = 0;
+	if (fBuffer && fBufferSize > 0) {
+		fRelocationEntries = new(nothrow) RelocationEntryList;
+		if (!fRelocationEntries)
+			return B_NO_MEMORY;
+	}
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+// Unset
+void
+UserDataWriter::Unset()
+{
+	delete fRelocationEntries;
+	fBuffer = NULL;
+	fBufferSize = 0;
+	fAllocatedSize = 0;
+	fRelocationEntries = NULL;
 }
 
 // AllocateData
 void *
 UserDataWriter::AllocateData(size_t size, size_t align = 1)
 {
-	if (size == 0)
-		return NULL;
+	// handles size == 0 gracefully
+	// get a properly aligned offset
+	size_t offset = fAllocatedSize;
 	if (align > 1)
-		fAllocatedSize = (fAllocatedSize + align - 1) / align * align;
+		offset = (fAllocatedSize + align - 1) / align * align;
+	// get the result pointer
 	void *result = NULL;
-	if (fAllocatedSize + size <= fBufferSize)
-		result = (uint8*)fBuffer + fAllocatedSize;
-	fAllocatedSize += size;
+	if (fBuffer && offset + size <= fBufferSize)
+		result = (uint8*)fBuffer + offset;
+	// always update the allocated size, even if there wasn't enough space
+	fAllocatedSize = offset + size;
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -81,3 +125,29 @@ UserDataWriter::AllocatedSize() const
 	return fAllocatedSize;
 }
 
+// AddRelocationEntry
+status_t
+UserDataWriter::AddRelocationEntry(void *address)
+{
+	if (fRelocationEntries && (addr)address >= (addr)fBuffer
+		&& (addr)address < (addr)fBuffer + fBufferSize - sizeof(void*)) {
+		return fRelocationEntries->PushBack((addr*)address);
+	}
+	return B_ERROR;
+}
+
+// Relocate
+status_t
+UserDataWriter::Relocate(void *address)
+{
+	if (!fRelocationEntries || !fBuffer)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+	int32 count = fRelocationEntries->Count();
+	for (int32 i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		addr *entry = fRelocationEntries->ElementAt(i);
+		if (*entry)
+			*entry += (addr)address - (addr)fBuffer;
+	}
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.h b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.h
index 0f312d9116..ebb883c133 100644
--- a/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.h
+++ b/src/kernel/core/disk_device_manager/UserDataWriter.h
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ public:
 	UserDataWriter(user_disk_device_data *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
 	~UserDataWriter();
 
+	status_t SetTo(user_disk_device_data *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
+	void Unset();
+
 	void *AllocateData(size_t size, size_t align = 1);
 	user_partition_data *AllocatePartitionData(size_t childCount);
 	user_disk_device_data *AllocateDeviceData(size_t childCount);
@@ -25,10 +28,16 @@ public:
 
 	size_t AllocatedSize() const;
 
+	status_t AddRelocationEntry(void *address);
+	status_t Relocate(void *address);
+
 private:
+	struct RelocationEntryList;
+
 	user_disk_device_data	*fBuffer;
 	size_t					fBufferSize;
 	size_t					fAllocatedSize;
+	RelocationEntryList		*fRelocationEntries;
 };
 
 } // namespace DiskDevice