diff --git a/ipl_tools/ccw.c b/ipl_tools/ccw.c
index e386673c..fa19ff14 100644
--- a/ipl_tools/ccw.c
+++ b/ipl_tools/ccw.c
@@ -49,19 +49,19 @@ static int device_sysfs_path(const char *device, char *path, const size_t path_s
  */
 int ccw_is_device(const char *busid)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	static const char *const driver_paths[] = { "dasd-eckd", "virtio_ccw", "dasd-fba" };
+	char *path;
+	size_t i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(driver_paths); i++) {
+		path = util_path_sysfs("bus/ccw/drivers/%s/%s", driver_paths[i], busid);
+		if (access(path, R_OK) == 0) {
+			free(path);
+			return 1;
+		}
+		free(path);
+	}
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path),
-		 "/sys/bus/ccw/drivers/dasd-eckd/%s", busid);
-	if (access(path, R_OK) == 0)
-		return 1;
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path),
-		 "/sys/bus/ccw/drivers/virtio_ccw/%s", busid);
-	if (access(path, R_OK) == 0)
-		return 1;
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/bus/ccw/drivers/dasd-fba/%s", busid);
-	if (access(path, R_OK) == 0)
-		return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ int ccw_is_virtio_device(const char *device)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX] = { '\0' };
 	unsigned virtio = 0;
+	char *path_pattern;
 
 	if (device_sysfs_path(device, path, sizeof(path)) != 0)
 		return -1;
@@ -80,8 +81,12 @@ int ccw_is_virtio_device(const char *device)
 	 * The output has the following format:
 	 * /sys/devices/css0/0.0.0000/0.0.0000/virtio0/block/vda
 	 */
-	if (sscanf(path, "/sys/devices/css0/%*[0-9a-f.]/%*[0-9a-f.]/virtio%u", &virtio) != 1)
+	path_pattern = util_path_sysfs("devices/css0/%%*[0-9a-f.]/%%*[0-9a-f.]/virtio%%u");
+	if (sscanf(path, path_pattern, &virtio) != 1) {
+		free(path_pattern);
 		return -1;
+	}
+	free(path_pattern);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +96,7 @@ int ccw_is_virtio_device(const char *device)
 void ccw_busid_get(const char *device, char *busid)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX] = { '\0' };
+	char *path_pattern;
 
 	if (device_sysfs_path(device, path, sizeof(path)) != 0)
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not lookup device number for \"%s\"", device);
@@ -100,7 +106,12 @@ void ccw_busid_get(const char *device, char *busid)
 	 * /sys/devices/css0/0.0.0119/0.0.3f19/block/dasda
 	 * /sys/devices/css0/0.0.0000/0.0.0000/virtio0/block/vda
 	 */
-	if (sscanf(path, "/sys/devices/css0/%*[0-9a-f.]/%[0-9a-f.]", busid) != 1)
+	path_pattern = util_path_sysfs("devices/css0/%%*[0-9a-f.]/%%[0-9a-f.]");
+	if (sscanf(path, path_pattern, busid) != 1) {
+		free(path_pattern);
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not lookup device number for \"%s\"", device);
+	}
+	free(path_pattern);
+
 	return;
 }
diff --git a/ipl_tools/cmd_chreipl.c b/ipl_tools/cmd_chreipl.c
index a51a2dc6..245fdd12 100644
--- a/ipl_tools/cmd_chreipl.c
+++ b/ipl_tools/cmd_chreipl.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "lib/util_libc.h"
 #include "lib/zt_common.h"
+#include "lib/util_path.h"
 
 #include "ipl_tools.h"
 #include "proc.h"
@@ -719,11 +720,12 @@ static void parse_chreipl_options(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 static void check_exists(const char *path, const char *attr)
 {
-	char fpath[PATH_MAX];
+	char *fpath;
 
-	snprintf(fpath, sizeof(fpath), "/sys/firmware/%s", path);
+	fpath = util_path_sysfs("firmware/%s", path);
 	if (access(fpath, F_OK) != 0)
 		ERR_EXIT("System does not allow one to set %s", attr);
+	free(fpath);
 }
 
 static void write_str_optional(char *string, char *file, int exit_on_fail,
@@ -920,13 +922,14 @@ static void chreipl_nss(void)
 
 static void chreipl_node(void)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	char *path;
 
 	if (!l.dev_set)
 		ERR_EXIT("No device node specified");
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/block/%s/device", l.dev);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("block/%s/device", l.dev);
 	if (chdir(path) != 0)
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not find device \"%s\"", l.dev);
+	free(path);
 
 	switch (l.reipl_type) {
 	case REIPL_CCW:
diff --git a/ipl_tools/fcp.c b/ipl_tools/fcp.c
index 8e23424a..9d9b8659 100644
--- a/ipl_tools/fcp.c
+++ b/ipl_tools/fcp.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "lib/util_libc.h"
+#include "lib/util_path.h"
 #include "ipl_tools.h"
 
 /*
@@ -18,11 +19,14 @@
  */
 int fcp_is_device(const char *devno)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	char *path;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/bus/ccw/drivers/zfcp/%s", devno);
-	if (chdir(path) != 0)
+	path = util_path_sysfs("bus/ccw/drivers/zfcp/%s", devno);
+	if (chdir(path) != 0) {
+		free(path);
 		return 0;
+	}
+	free(path);
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -31,11 +35,12 @@ int fcp_is_device(const char *devno)
  */
 void fcp_wwpn_get(const char *device, char *wwpn)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], buf[20];
+	char buf[20];
+	char *path;
 	FILE *fh;
 	int rc;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/block/%s/device/wwpn", device);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("block/%s/device/wwpn", device);
 	fh = fopen(path, "r");
 	if (fh == NULL)
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not open \"%s\"", path);
@@ -44,6 +49,7 @@ void fcp_wwpn_get(const char *device, char *wwpn)
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not lookup WWPN \"%s\"", path);
 	util_strlcpy(wwpn, buf, 20);
 	fclose(fh);
+	free(path);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -51,11 +57,12 @@ void fcp_wwpn_get(const char *device, char *wwpn)
  */
 void fcp_lun_get(const char *device, char *lun)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], buf[20];
+	char buf[20];
+	char *path;
 	FILE *fh;
 	int rc;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/block/%s/device/fcp_lun", device);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("block/%s/device/fcp_lun", device);
 	fh = fopen(path, "r");
 	if (fh == NULL)
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not open \"%s\"", path);
@@ -64,6 +71,7 @@ void fcp_lun_get(const char *device, char *lun)
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not lookup LUN \"%s\"", path);
 	util_strlcpy(lun, buf, 20);
 	fclose(fh);
+	free(path);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -71,11 +79,12 @@ void fcp_lun_get(const char *device, char *lun)
  */
 void fcp_busid_get(const char *device, char *devno)
 {
-	char buf[4096], path[PATH_MAX];
+	char buf[4096];
+	char *path;
 	FILE *fh;
 	int rc;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/block/%s/device/hba_id", device);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("block/%s/device/hba_id", device);
 	fh = fopen(path, "r");
 	if (fh == NULL)
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not open \"%s\"", path);
@@ -84,4 +93,5 @@ void fcp_busid_get(const char *device, char *devno)
 		ERR_EXIT("Could not find device \"%s\"", path);
 	strcpy(devno, buf);
 	fclose(fh);
+	free(path);
 }
diff --git a/ipl_tools/nvme.c b/ipl_tools/nvme.c
index 05c2b87c..7d84fc77 100644
--- a/ipl_tools/nvme.c
+++ b/ipl_tools/nvme.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include "lib/util_libc.h"
 #include "lib/util_file.h"
+#include "lib/util_path.h"
 #include "ipl_tools.h"
 
 static void nvme_dev_from_bdev(char *dev_name)
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ static void nvme_dev_from_bdev(char *dev_name)
  */
 void nvme_fid_get(const char *device, char *fid)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], buf[FID_MAX_LEN];
 	char nvme_dev[NVME_DEV_MAX_LEN];
+	char buf[FID_MAX_LEN];
+	char *path;
 
 	/*
 	 * An NVMe may present multiple namespaces and thus block devices, even
@@ -42,24 +44,27 @@ void nvme_fid_get(const char *device, char *fid)
 	util_strlcpy(nvme_dev, device, sizeof(nvme_dev));
 	nvme_dev_from_bdev(nvme_dev);
 
-	snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "/sys/class/nvme/%s/device/function_id", nvme_dev);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("class/nvme/%s/device/function_id", nvme_dev);
 	if (util_file_read_line(buf, FID_MAX_LEN, path))
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not read from \"%s\"", path);
 
 	util_strlcpy(fid, buf, FID_MAX_LEN);
+	free(path);
 }
 /*
  * Return the nsid of a device
  */
 void nvme_nsid_get(const char *device, char *nsid)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], buf[FID_MAX_LEN];
+	char buf[FID_MAX_LEN];
+	char *path;
 
-	snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "/sys/block/%s/nsid", device);
+	path = util_path_sysfs("block/%s/nsid", device);
 	if (util_file_read_line(buf, FID_MAX_LEN, path))
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not read from \"%s\"", path);
 
 	util_strlcpy(nsid, buf, FID_MAX_LEN);
+	free(path);
 }
 
 static int next_entry(DIR *dir, char *in_path, char *out_path,
@@ -93,13 +98,14 @@ static int next_entry(DIR *dir, char *in_path, char *out_path,
 
 static int nvme_getdev_by_fid(char *fidstr, char *devpath)
 {
-	char temp_path[PATH_MAX+19], real_path[PATH_MAX];
-	char *sys_path = "/sys/class/nvme";
+	char temp_path[PATH_MAX + 19], real_path[PATH_MAX];
 	u_int64_t target_fid, curfid;
+	char *sys_path;
 	DIR *dir;
 	char *end;
 	int rc = -1;
 
+	sys_path = util_path_sysfs("class/nvme");
 	target_fid = strtoul(fidstr, &end, 16);
 	if (*end)
 		ERR_EXIT("Invalid function_id given %s", fidstr);
@@ -126,6 +132,7 @@ static int nvme_getdev_by_fid(char *fidstr, char *devpath)
 	}
 
 	closedir(dir);
+	free(sys_path);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/ipl_tools/system.c b/ipl_tools/system.c
index cd4fc1b8..e9a41544 100644
--- a/ipl_tools/system.c
+++ b/ipl_tools/system.c
@@ -106,17 +106,19 @@ void print_fw_str(const char *fmt, const char *dir, const char *file)
  */
 void write_str(char *string, char *file)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], value[4096];
+	char value[4096];
+	char *path;
 	int fh;
 
+	path = util_path_sysfs("firmware/%s", file);
 	snprintf(value, sizeof(value), "%s\n", string);
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/firmware/%s", file);
 	fh = open(path, O_WRONLY);
 	if (fh < 0)
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not open \"%s\"", file);
 	if (write(fh, value, strlen(value)) < 0)
 		ERR_EXIT_ERRNO("Could not set \"%s\"", file);
 	close(fh);
+	free(path);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -124,16 +126,18 @@ void write_str(char *string, char *file)
  */
 int write_str_errno(char *string, char *file)
 {
-	char path[PATH_MAX], value[4096];
+	char value[4096];
+	char *path;
 	int fh;
 
+	path = util_path_sysfs("firmware/%s", file);
 	snprintf(value, sizeof(value), "%s\n", string);
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/firmware/%s", file);
 	fh = open(path, O_WRONLY);
 	if (fh < 0)
 		return errno;
 	if (write(fh, value, strlen(value)) < 0)
 		return errno;
 	close(fh);
+	free(path);
 	return 0;
 }