diff --git a/libguile/fports.c b/libguile/fports.c
index 5660fa838..14368aa9a 100644
--- a/libguile/fports.c
+++ b/libguile/fports.c
@@ -142,32 +142,8 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_setvbuf, "setvbuf", 2, 1, 0,
 	    "@item _IOFBF\n"
 	    "block buffered, using a newly allocated buffer of @var{size} bytes.\n"
 	    "If @var{size} is omitted, a default size will be used.\n"
-	    "@end table\n\n\n"
-	    "@deffn primitive fcntl fd/port command [value]\n"
-	    "Apply @var{command} to the specified file descriptor or the underlying\n"
-	    "file descriptor of the specified port.  @var{value} is an optional\n"
-	    "integer argument.\n\n"
-	    "Values for @var{command} are:\n\n"
-	    "@table @code\n"
-	    "@item F_DUPFD\n"
-	    "Duplicate a file descriptor\n"
-	    "@item F_GETFD\n"
-	    "Get flags associated with the file descriptor.\n"
-	    "@item F_SETFD\n"
-	    "Set flags associated with the file descriptor to @var{value}.\n"
-	    "@item F_GETFL\n"
-	    "Get flags associated with the open file.\n"
-	    "@item F_SETFL\n"
-	    "Set flags associated with the open file to @var{value}\n"
-	    "@item F_GETOWN\n"
-	    "Get the process ID of a socket's owner, for @code{SIGIO} signals.\n"
-	    "@item F_SETOWN\n"
-	    "Set the process that owns a socket to @var{value}, for @code{SIGIO} signals.\n"
-	    "@item FD_CLOEXEC\n"
-	    "The value used to indicate the \"close on exec\" flag with @code{F_GETFL} or\n"
-	    "@code{F_SETFL}.\n"
 	    "@end table\n"
-	    "")
+	    )
 #define FUNC_NAME s_scm_setvbuf
 {
   int cmode, csize;
diff --git a/libguile/init.c b/libguile/init.c
index 2cda6eb64..91391ab2a 100644
--- a/libguile/init.c
+++ b/libguile/init.c
@@ -279,8 +279,8 @@ stream_handler (void *data, SCM tag, SCM throw_args)
    - set the revealed count for FILE's file descriptor to 1, so
    that fdes won't be closed when the port object is GC'd.
    - catch exceptions: allow Guile to be able to start up even
-   if it has been handed bogus stdin/stdout/stderr.  In this case
-   try to open a new stream on /dev/null.  */
+   if it has been handed bogus stdin/stdout/stderr.  replace the
+   bad ports with void ports.  */
 static SCM
 scm_standard_stream_to_port (int fdes, char *mode, char *name)
 {
@@ -293,23 +293,7 @@ scm_standard_stream_to_port (int fdes, char *mode, char *name)
   port = scm_internal_catch (SCM_BOOL_T, stream_body, &body_data, 
 			     stream_handler, NULL);
   if (SCM_FALSEP (port))
-    {
-      /* FIXME: /dev/null portability.  there's also *null-device* in
-	 r4rs.scm.  */
-      int null_fdes = open ("/dev/null",
-			    (mode[0] == 'r') ? O_RDONLY : O_WRONLY);
-      
-      body_data.fdes = null_fdes;
-      port = (null_fdes == -1) ? SCM_BOOL_F
-	: scm_internal_catch (SCM_BOOL_T, stream_body, &body_data, 
-			      stream_handler, NULL);
-      /* if the standard fdes was not allocated, reset the revealed count
-	 on the grounds that the user doesn't know what it is. */
-      if (SCM_NFALSEP (port) && null_fdes != fdes)
-	SCM_REVEALED (port) = 0;
-      /* if port is still #f, we'll just leave it like that and
-	 an error will be raised on the first attempt to use it.  */
-    }      
+    port = scm_void_port (mode);
   return port;
 }
 
diff --git a/libguile/ports.c b/libguile/ports.c
index 43fc5dfbb..4216ca870 100644
--- a/libguile/ports.c
+++ b/libguile/ports.c
@@ -102,9 +102,15 @@ scm_markstream (SCM ptr)
  * type constructor, and optional fields set by setters.
  */
 
-static void flush_void_port (SCM port);
-static void end_input_void_port (SCM port, int offset);
-static void write_void_port (SCM port, const void *data, size_t size);
+static void
+flush_port_default (SCM port)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+end_input_default (SCM port, int offset)
+{
+}
 
 long 
 scm_make_port_type (char *name,
@@ -130,9 +136,9 @@ scm_make_port_type (char *name,
       scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].close = 0;
 
       scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].write = write;
-      scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].flush = flush_void_port;
+      scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].flush = flush_port_default;
 
-      scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].end_input = end_input_void_port;
+      scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].end_input = end_input_default;
       scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].fill_input = fill_input;
       scm_ptobs[scm_numptob].input_waiting = 0;
 
@@ -484,6 +490,14 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_pt_member, "pt-member", 1, 0, 0,
 #undef FUNC_NAME
 #endif
 
+void
+scm_port_non_buffer (scm_port *pt)
+{
+  pt->read_pos = pt->read_buf = pt->read_end = &pt->shortbuf;
+  pt->write_buf = pt->write_pos = &pt->shortbuf;
+  pt->read_buf_size = pt->write_buf_size = 1;
+  pt->write_end = pt->write_buf + pt->write_buf_size;
+}
 
 
 /* Revealed counts --- an oddity inherited from SCSH.  */
@@ -1302,14 +1316,9 @@ scm_ports_prehistory ()
 
 long scm_tc16_void_port = 0;
 
-static void
-flush_void_port (SCM port)
-{
-}
-
-static void
-end_input_void_port (SCM port, int offset)
+static int fill_input_void_port (SCM port)
 {
+  return EOF;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1328,6 +1337,7 @@ scm_void_port (char *mode_str)
   SCM_DEFER_INTS;
   mode_bits = scm_mode_bits (mode_str);
   pt = scm_add_to_port_table (answer);
+  scm_port_non_buffer (pt);
   SCM_SETPTAB_ENTRY (answer, pt);
   SCM_SETSTREAM (answer, 0);
   SCM_SETCAR (answer, scm_tc16_void_port | mode_bits);
@@ -1335,11 +1345,11 @@ scm_void_port (char *mode_str)
   return answer;
 }
 
-
 SCM_DEFINE (scm_sys_make_void_port, "%make-void-port", 1, 0, 0,
             (SCM mode),
-	    "Create and return a new void port.  The @var{mode} argument describes\n"
-	    "the input/output modes for this port; for a description, see the\n"
+	    "Create and return a new void port.  A void port acts like\n"
+	    "/dev/null.  The @var{mode} argument\n"
+	    "specifies the input/output modes for this port: see the\n"
 	    "documentation for @code{open-file} in @ref{File Ports}.")
 #define FUNC_NAME s_scm_sys_make_void_port
 {
@@ -1360,6 +1370,7 @@ scm_init_ports ()
   scm_sysintern ("SEEK_CUR", SCM_MAKINUM (SEEK_CUR));
   scm_sysintern ("SEEK_END", SCM_MAKINUM (SEEK_END));
 
-  scm_tc16_void_port = scm_make_port_type ("void", 0, write_void_port);
+  scm_tc16_void_port = scm_make_port_type ("void", fill_input_void_port, 
+					   write_void_port);
 #include "ports.x"
 }
diff --git a/libguile/ports.h b/libguile/ports.h
index 53555bdcf..1183ecb4d 100644
--- a/libguile/ports.h
+++ b/libguile/ports.h
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ extern void scm_remove_from_port_table (SCM port);
 extern void scm_grow_port_cbuf (SCM port, size_t requested);
 extern SCM scm_pt_size (void);
 extern SCM scm_pt_member (SCM member);
+extern void scm_port_non_buffer (scm_port *pt);
 extern int scm_revealed_count (SCM port);
 extern SCM scm_port_revealed (SCM port);
 extern SCM scm_set_port_revealed_x (SCM port, SCM rcount);
diff --git a/libguile/vports.c b/libguile/vports.c
index 04cfb1478..ceae7173d 100644
--- a/libguile/vports.c
+++ b/libguile/vports.c
@@ -184,14 +184,10 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_make_soft_port, "make-soft-port", 2, 0, 0,
   SCM_NEWCELL (z);
   SCM_DEFER_INTS;
   pt = scm_add_to_port_table (z);
+  scm_port_non_buffer (pt);
   SCM_SETCAR (z, scm_tc16_sfport | scm_mode_bits (SCM_ROCHARS (modes)));
   SCM_SETPTAB_ENTRY (z, pt);
   SCM_SETSTREAM (z, pv);
-  pt->read_pos = pt->read_buf = pt->read_end = &pt->shortbuf;
-  pt->write_buf = pt->write_pos = &pt->shortbuf;
-  pt->read_buf_size = pt->write_buf_size = 1;
-  pt->write_end = pt->write_buf + pt->write_buf_size;
-  pt->rw_random = 0;
   SCM_ALLOW_INTS;
   return z;
 }