diff --git a/apps/tagcache.c b/apps/tagcache.c
index 90763bb9a6..b6ce45fa7f 100644
--- a/apps/tagcache.c
+++ b/apps/tagcache.c
@@ -264,6 +264,22 @@ const char* tagcache_tag_to_str(int tag)
     return tags_str[tag];
 }
 
+/* Helper functions for the two most read/write data structure: tagfile_entry and index_entry */
+ssize_t ecread_tagfile_entry(int fd, struct tagfile_entry *buf)
+{
+    return ecread(fd, buf, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+}
+
+ssize_t ecread_index_entry(int fd, struct index_entry *buf)
+{
+    return ecread(fd, buf, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+}
+
+ssize_t ecwrite_index_entry(int fd, struct index_entry *buf)
+{
+    return ecwrite(fd, buf, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+}
+
 #ifdef HAVE_DIRCACHE
 /**
  * Returns true if specified flag is still present, i.e., dircache
@@ -448,7 +464,7 @@ static long find_entry_disk(const char *filename, bool localfd)
             pos_history[i+1] = pos_history[i];
         pos_history[0] = pos;
 
-        if (ecread(fd, &tfe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
+        if (ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, &tfe) 
             != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
         {
             break ;
@@ -583,7 +599,7 @@ static bool get_index(int masterfd, int idxid,
     
     lseek(masterfd, idxid * sizeof(struct index_entry) 
           + sizeof(struct master_header), SEEK_SET);
-    if (ecread(masterfd, idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
+    if (ecread_index_entry(masterfd, idx) 
         != sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         logf("read error #3");
@@ -638,8 +654,7 @@ static bool write_index(int masterfd, int idxid, struct index_entry *idx)
     
     lseek(masterfd, idxid * sizeof(struct index_entry) 
           + sizeof(struct master_header), SEEK_SET);
-    if (ecwrite(masterfd, idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-        != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+    if (ecwrite_index_entry(masterfd, idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         logf("write error #3");
         logf("idxid: %d", idxid);
@@ -717,7 +732,7 @@ static bool retrieve(struct tagcache_search *tcs, struct index_entry *idx,
         return false;
     
     lseek(tcs->idxfd[tag], seek, SEEK_SET);
-    if (ecread(tcs->idxfd[tag], &tfe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
+    if (ecread_tagfile_entry(tcs->idxfd[tag], &tfe) 
         != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
     {
         logf("read error #5");
@@ -960,7 +975,7 @@ static bool check_clauses(struct tagcache_search *tcs,
             {
                 int fd = tcs->idxfd[clause[i]->tag];
                 lseek(fd, seek, SEEK_SET);
-                ecread(fd, &tfe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+                ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, &tfe);
                 if (tfe.tag_length >= (int)sizeof(str))
                 {
                     logf("Too long tag read!");
@@ -1091,7 +1106,7 @@ static bool build_lookup_list(struct tagcache_search *tcs)
     lseek(tcs->masterfd, tcs->seek_pos * sizeof(struct index_entry) +
             sizeof(struct master_header), SEEK_SET);
     
-    while (ecread(tcs->masterfd, &entry, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
+    while (ecread_index_entry(tcs->masterfd, &entry) 
            == sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         struct tagcache_seeklist_entry *seeklist;
@@ -1429,8 +1444,7 @@ static bool get_next(struct tagcache_search *tcs)
     /* Seek stream to the correct position and continue to direct fetch. */
     lseek(tcs->idxfd[tcs->type], tcs->position, SEEK_SET);
     
-    if (ecread(tcs->idxfd[tcs->type], &entry, 1,
-               tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
+    if (ecread_tagfile_entry(tcs->idxfd[tcs->type], &entry) != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
     {
         logf("read error #5");
         tcs->valid = false;
@@ -2180,7 +2194,7 @@ static bool build_numeric_indices(struct tagcache_header *h, int tmpfd)
         for (i = 0; i < tcmh.tch.entry_count; i++)
         {
             /* Read the index entry. */
-            if (ecread(masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
+            if (ecread_index_entry(masterfd, &idx) 
                 != sizeof(struct index_entry))
             {
                 logf("read fail #3");
@@ -2251,8 +2265,7 @@ static bool build_numeric_indices(struct tagcache_header *h, int tmpfd)
                 idx.flag |= FLAG_RESURRECTED;
                 
                 lseek(masterfd, -sizeof(struct index_entry), SEEK_CUR);
-                if (ecwrite(masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-                    != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+                if (ecwrite_index_entry(masterfd, &idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
                 {
                     logf("masterfd writeback fail #1");
                     close(masterfd);
@@ -2272,8 +2285,7 @@ static bool build_numeric_indices(struct tagcache_header *h, int tmpfd)
         {
             int loc = lseek(masterfd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
             
-            if (ecread(masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-                != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+            if (ecread_index_entry(masterfd, &idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
             {
                 logf("read fail #3");
                 close(masterfd);
@@ -2302,8 +2314,7 @@ static bool build_numeric_indices(struct tagcache_header *h, int tmpfd)
             
             /* Write back the updated index. */
             lseek(masterfd, loc, SEEK_SET);
-            if (ecwrite(masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-                != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+            if (ecwrite_index_entry(masterfd, &idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
             {
                 logf("write fail");
                 close(masterfd);
@@ -2429,8 +2440,7 @@ static int build_index(int index_type, struct tagcache_header *h, int tmpfd)
                 int loc = lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
                 bool ret;
                 
-                if (ecread(fd, &entry, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-                    != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
+                if (ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, &entry) != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
                 {
                     logf("read error #7");
                     close(fd);
@@ -3457,8 +3467,7 @@ bool tagcache_create_changelog(struct tagcache_search *tcs)
     
     for (i = 0; i < myhdr.tch.entry_count; i++)
     {
-        if (ecread(tcs->masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-            != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+        if (ecread_index_entry(tcs->masterfd, &idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
         {
             logf("read error #9");
             tagcache_search_finish(tcs);
@@ -3522,8 +3531,7 @@ static bool delete_entry(long idx_id)
         return false;
     
     lseek(masterfd, idx_id * sizeof(struct index_entry), SEEK_CUR);
-    if (ecread(masterfd, &myidx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-        != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+    if (ecread_index_entry(masterfd, &myidx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         logf("delete_entry(): read error");
         goto cleanup;
@@ -3537,8 +3545,7 @@ static bool delete_entry(long idx_id)
     
     myidx.flag |= FLAG_DELETED;
     lseek(masterfd, -sizeof(struct index_entry), SEEK_CUR);
-    if (ecwrite(masterfd, &myidx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-        != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+    if (ecwrite_index_entry(masterfd, &myidx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         logf("delete_entry(): write_error #1");
         goto cleanup;
@@ -3560,8 +3567,7 @@ static bool delete_entry(long idx_id)
         else
 #endif
         {
-            if (ecread(masterfd, &idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-                != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+            if (ecread_index_entry(masterfd, &idx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
             {
                 logf("delete_entry(): read error #2");
                 goto cleanup;
@@ -3617,8 +3623,7 @@ static bool delete_entry(long idx_id)
             
             /* Skip the header block */
             lseek(fd, myidx.tag_seek[tag], SEEK_SET);
-            if (ecread(fd, &tfe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ) 
-                != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
+            if (ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, &tfe) != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
             {
                 logf("delete_entry(): read error #3");
                 goto cleanup;
@@ -3681,8 +3686,7 @@ static bool delete_entry(long idx_id)
     /* Write index entry back into master index. */
     lseek(masterfd, sizeof(struct master_header) +
           (idx_id * sizeof(struct index_entry)), SEEK_SET);
-    if (ecwrite(masterfd, &myidx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-        != sizeof(struct index_entry))
+    if (ecwrite_index_entry(masterfd, &myidx) != sizeof(struct index_entry))
     {
         logf("delete_entry(): write_error #2");
         goto cleanup;
@@ -3872,7 +3876,7 @@ static bool load_tagcache(void)
     /* Load the master index table. */
     for (i = 0; i < hdr->h.tch.entry_count; i++)
     {
-        rc = ecread(fd, idx, 1, index_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+        rc = ecread_index_entry(fd, idx);
         if (rc != sizeof(struct index_entry))
         {
             logf("read error #10");
@@ -3929,7 +3933,7 @@ static bool load_tagcache(void)
             
             fe = (struct tagfile_entry *)p;
             pos = lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
-            rc = ecread(fd, fe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ);
+            rc = ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, fe);
             if (rc != sizeof(struct tagfile_entry))
             {
                 /* End of lookup table. */
@@ -4076,8 +4080,7 @@ static bool check_deleted_files(void)
     }
 
     lseek(fd, sizeof(struct tagcache_header), SEEK_SET);
-    while (ecread(fd, &tfe, 1, tagfile_entry_ec, tc_stat.econ)
-           == sizeof(struct tagfile_entry) 
+    while (ecread_tagfile_entry(fd, &tfe) == sizeof(struct tagfile_entry) 
 #ifndef __PCTOOL__
            && !check_event_queue()
 #endif
@@ -4145,7 +4148,7 @@ static bool check_dir(const char *dirname, int add_files)
     dir = opendir(dirname);
     if (!dir)
     {
-        logf("tagcache: opendir() failed");
+        logf("tagcache: opendir(%s) failed", dirname);
         return false;
     }