diff --git a/sbin/newfs/Makefile b/sbin/newfs/Makefile
index f12e266917e0..efbe7abfe492 100644
--- a/sbin/newfs/Makefile
+++ b/sbin/newfs/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 PROG=	newfs
+DPADD=	${LIBUFS}
+LDADD=	-lufs
 SRCS=	newfs.c mkfs.c
 WARNS?=	2
 MAN=	newfs.8
diff --git a/sbin/newfs/mkfs.c b/sbin/newfs/mkfs.c
index de8140f7b979..c84d164c79b4 100644
--- a/sbin/newfs/mkfs.c
+++ b/sbin/newfs/mkfs.c
@@ -80,18 +80,9 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 #define UMASK		0755
 #define POWEROF2(num)	(((num) & ((num) - 1)) == 0)
 
-static union {
-	struct fs fs;
-	char pad[SBLOCKSIZE];
-} fsun;
-#define	sblock	fsun.fs
 static struct	csum *fscs;
-
-static union {
-	struct cg cg;
-	char pad[MAXBSIZE];
-} cgun;
-#define	acg	cgun.cg
+#define	sblock	disk.d_fs
+#define	acg	disk.d_cg
 
 union dinode {
 	struct ufs1_dinode dp1;
@@ -113,10 +104,8 @@ static void initcg(int, time_t);
 static int isblock(struct fs *, unsigned char *, int);
 static void iput(union dinode *, ino_t);
 static int makedir(struct direct *, int);
-static void rdfs(ufs2_daddr_t, int, char *);
 static void setblock(struct fs *, unsigned char *, int);
 static void wtfs(ufs2_daddr_t, int, char *);
-static void wtfsflush(void);
 
 void
 mkfs(struct partition *pp, char *fsys)
@@ -128,6 +117,12 @@ mkfs(struct partition *pp, char *fsys)
 	int width;
 	char tmpbuf[100];	/* XXX this will break in about 2,500 years */
 
+	/*
+	 * Our blocks == sector size, and the version of UFS we are using is
+	 * specified by Oflag.
+	 */
+	disk.d_bsize = sectorsize;
+	disk.d_ufs = Oflag;
 	if (Rflag)
 		utime = 1000000000;
 	else 
@@ -489,13 +484,13 @@ mkfs(struct partition *pp, char *fsys)
 		sblock.fs_old_cstotal.cs_nifree = sblock.fs_cstotal.cs_nifree;
 		sblock.fs_old_cstotal.cs_nffree = sblock.fs_cstotal.cs_nffree;
 	}
-	wtfs(sblock.fs_sblockloc / sectorsize, SBLOCKSIZE, (char *)&sblock);
+	if (!Nflag)
+		sbwrite(&disk, 0);
 	for (i = 0; i < sblock.fs_cssize; i += sblock.fs_bsize)
 		wtfs(fsbtodb(&sblock, sblock.fs_csaddr + numfrags(&sblock, i)),
 			sblock.fs_cssize - i < sblock.fs_bsize ?
 			sblock.fs_cssize - i : sblock.fs_bsize,
 			((char *)fscs) + i);
-	wtfsflush();
 	/*
 	 * Update information about this partion in pack
 	 * label, to that it may be updated on disk.
@@ -771,8 +766,8 @@ alloc(int size, int mode)
 {
 	int i, d, blkno, frag;
 
-	rdfs(fsbtodb(&sblock, cgtod(&sblock, 0)), sblock.fs_cgsize,
-	    (char *)&acg);
+	bread(&disk, fsbtodb(&sblock, cgtod(&sblock, 0)), (char *)&acg,
+	    sblock.fs_cgsize);
 	if (acg.cg_magic != CG_MAGIC) {
 		printf("cg 0: bad magic number\n");
 		return (0);
@@ -808,6 +803,7 @@ goth:
 		for (i = frag; i < sblock.fs_frag; i++)
 			setbit(cg_blksfree(&acg), d + i);
 	}
+	/* XXX cgwrite(&disk, 0)??? */
 	wtfs(fsbtodb(&sblock, cgtod(&sblock, 0)), sblock.fs_cgsize,
 	    (char *)&acg);
 	return ((ufs2_daddr_t)d);
@@ -823,8 +819,8 @@ iput(union dinode *ip, ino_t ino)
 	int c;
 
 	c = ino_to_cg(&sblock, ino);
-	rdfs(fsbtodb(&sblock, cgtod(&sblock, 0)), sblock.fs_cgsize,
-	    (char *)&acg);
+	bread(&disk, fsbtodb(&sblock, cgtod(&sblock, 0)), (char *)&acg,
+	    sblock.fs_cgsize);
 	if (acg.cg_magic != CG_MAGIC) {
 		printf("cg 0: bad magic number\n");
 		exit(31);
@@ -840,7 +836,7 @@ iput(union dinode *ip, ino_t ino)
 		exit(32);
 	}
 	d = fsbtodb(&sblock, ino_to_fsba(&sblock, ino));
-	rdfs(d, sblock.fs_bsize, (char *)iobuf);
+	bread(&disk, d, (char *)iobuf, sblock.fs_bsize);
 	if (sblock.fs_magic == FS_UFS1_MAGIC)
 		((struct ufs1_dinode *)iobuf)[ino_to_fsbo(&sblock, ino)] =
 		    ip->dp1;
@@ -851,90 +847,14 @@ iput(union dinode *ip, ino_t ino)
 }
 
 /*
- * read a block from the file system
- */
-void
-rdfs(ufs2_daddr_t bno, int size, char *bf)
-{
-	int n;
-
-	wtfsflush();
-	if (lseek(fso, (off_t)bno * sectorsize, 0) < 0) {
-		printf("seek error: %ld\n", (long)bno);
-		err(33, "rdfs");
-	}
-	n = read(fso, bf, size);
-	if (n != size) {
-		printf("read error: %ld\n", (long)bno);
-		err(34, "rdfs");
-	}
-}
-
-#define WCSIZE (128 * 1024)
-ufs2_daddr_t wc_sect;		/* units of sectorsize */
-int wc_end;			/* bytes */
-static char wc[WCSIZE];		/* bytes */
-
-/*
- * Flush dirty write behind buffer.
- */
-static void
-wtfsflush()
-{
-	int n;
-	if (wc_end) {
-		if (lseek(fso, (off_t)wc_sect * sectorsize, SEEK_SET) < 0) {
-			printf("seek error: %ld\n", (long)wc_sect);
-			err(35, "wtfs - writecombine");
-		}
-		n = write(fso, wc, wc_end);
-		if (n != wc_end) {
-			printf("write error: %ld\n", (long)wc_sect);
-			err(36, "wtfs - writecombine");
-		}
-		wc_end = 0;
-	}
-}
-
-/*
- * write a block to the file system
+ * possibly write to disk
  */
 static void
 wtfs(ufs2_daddr_t bno, int size, char *bf)
 {
-	int done, n;
-
 	if (Nflag)
 		return;
-	done = 0;
-	if (wc_end == 0 && size <= WCSIZE) {
-		wc_sect = bno;
-		bcopy(bf, wc, size);
-		wc_end = size;
-		if (wc_end < WCSIZE)
-			return;
-		done = 1;
-	}
-	if ((off_t)wc_sect * sectorsize + wc_end == (off_t)bno * sectorsize &&
-	    wc_end + size <= WCSIZE) {
-		bcopy(bf, wc + wc_end, size);
-		wc_end += size;
-		if (wc_end < WCSIZE)
-			return;
-		done = 1;
-	}
-	wtfsflush();
-	if (done)
-		return;
-	if (lseek(fso, (off_t)bno * sectorsize, SEEK_SET) < 0) {
-		printf("seek error: %ld\n", (long)bno);
-		err(35, "wtfs");
-	}
-	n = write(fso, bf, size);
-	if (n != size) {
-		printf("write error: %ld\n", (long)bno);
-		err(36, "wtfs");
-	}
+	bwrite(&disk, bno, bf, size);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/sbin/newfs/newfs.c b/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
index 75832b38fa6b..a0dcdf8a9eaa 100644
--- a/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
+++ b/sbin/newfs/newfs.c
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ int	maxcontig = 0;		/* max contiguous blocks to allocate */
 int	maxbpg;			/* maximum blocks per file in a cyl group */
 int	avgfilesize = AVFILESIZ;/* expected average file size */
 int	avgfilesperdir = AFPDIR;/* expected number of files per directory */
-int	fso;			/* filedescriptor to device */
 u_char	*volumelabel = NULL;	/* volume label for filesystem */
+struct uufsd disk;		/* libufs disk structure */
 
 static char	device[MAXPATHLEN];
 static char	*disktype;
@@ -276,17 +276,21 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		special = device;
 	}
 
-	fso = open(special, Nflag ? O_RDONLY : O_RDWR);
-	if (fso < 0)
-		err(1, "%s", special);
-	if (fstat(fso, &st) < 0)
+	if (ufs_disk_fillout_blank(&disk, special) == -1 ||
+	    (!Nflag && ufs_disk_write(&disk) == -1)) {
+		if (disk.d_error != NULL)
+			errx(1, "%s: %s", special, disk.d_error);
+		else
+			err(1, "%s", special);
+	}
+	if (fstat(disk.d_fd, &st) < 0)
 		err(1, "%s", special);
 	if ((st.st_mode & S_IFMT) != S_IFCHR)
 		errx(1, "%s: not a character-special device", special);
 
-	if (sectorsize == 0) 
-		ioctl(fso, DIOCGSECTORSIZE, &sectorsize);
-	if (sectorsize && !ioctl(fso, DIOCGMEDIASIZE, &mediasize)) {
+	if (sectorsize == 0)
+		ioctl(disk.d_fd, DIOCGSECTORSIZE, &sectorsize);
+	if (sectorsize && !ioctl(disk.d_fd, DIOCGMEDIASIZE, &mediasize)) {
 		if (fssize == 0)
 			fssize = mediasize / sectorsize;
 		else if (fssize > mediasize / sectorsize)
@@ -365,7 +369,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		if (!Nflag && bcmp(pp, &oldpartition, sizeof(oldpartition)))
 			rewritelabel(special, lp);
 	}
-	close(fso);
+	ufs_disk_close(&disk);
 	exit(0);
 }
 
@@ -375,7 +379,7 @@ getdisklabel(char *s)
 	static struct disklabel lab;
 	struct disklabel *lp;
 
-	if (!ioctl(fso, DIOCGDINFO, (char *)&lab))
+	if (!ioctl(disk.d_fd, DIOCGDINFO, (char *)&lab))
 		return (&lab);
 	unlabeled++;
 	if (disktype) {
@@ -393,7 +397,7 @@ rewritelabel(char *s, struct disklabel *lp)
 		return;
 	lp->d_checksum = 0;
 	lp->d_checksum = dkcksum(lp);
-	if (ioctl(fso, DIOCWDINFO, (char *)lp) < 0)
+	if (ioctl(disk.d_fd, DIOCWDINFO, (char *)lp) < 0)
 		warn("ioctl (WDINFO): %s: can't rewrite disk label", s);
 }
 
diff --git a/sbin/newfs/newfs.h b/sbin/newfs/newfs.h
index 60347f337594..1ef0c9186ac6 100644
--- a/sbin/newfs/newfs.h
+++ b/sbin/newfs/newfs.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
  * $FreeBSD$
  */
 
+#include <libufs.h>
 
 /*
  * variables set up by front end.
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ extern int	maxcontig;	/* max contiguous blocks to allocate */
 extern int	maxbpg;		/* maximum blocks per file in a cyl group */
 extern int	avgfilesize;	/* expected average file size */
 extern int	avgfilesperdir;	/* expected number of files per directory */
-extern int	fso;		/* filedescriptor to device */
 extern u_char	*volumelabel;	/* volume label for filesystem */
+extern struct uufsd disk;	/* libufs disk structure */
 
 void mkfs (struct partition *, char *);
diff --git a/sbin/newfs/ref.test b/sbin/newfs/ref.test
index 099ef78fa57c..66563af416b0 100644
--- a/sbin/newfs/ref.test
+++ b/sbin/newfs/ref.test
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
-ba20315918bf2d2885eed49fee03e3ca
-e2170dc5d6bd192f85da9d1085550265
-510df6ee7aadd7a5477b47c1a967e8db
-47a1a6afcd21c166f32027020b0b6a7e
-6e3b83f554b0216206a2768f8b01d9a1
-f6035a903644e118f09c6041fb29f7ce
+b3e607f5666721bb97b90c57607d732c
+44d7dd10f124dd0b6cc77150cc28c515
+2244fff4e20df2f8d2e58892fec29da6
+103b03f6ef5d976bde65d03d0f457418
+1f5d2af756733946e7781af6bf2c25ca
+efcd85af54bf9eb4d404e21f663aadaa