diff --git a/src/aiori-POSIX.c b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
index 99a68f1..b57601a 100755
--- a/src/aiori-POSIX.c
+++ b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
@@ -436,19 +436,15 @@ void *POSIX_Create(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param)
 /*
  * Creat a file through mknod interface.
  */
-void *POSIX_Mknod(char *testFileName)
+int POSIX_Mknod(char *testFileName)
 {
-	int *fd;
+    int ret;
 
-	fd = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int));
-	if (fd == NULL)
-		ERR("Unable to malloc file descriptor");
+    ret = mknod(testFileName, S_IFREG | S_IRUSR, 0);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        ERR("mknod failed");
 
-	*fd = mknod(testFileName, S_IFREG | S_IRUSR, 0);
-	if (*fd < 0)
-		ERR("mknod failed");
-
-	return ((void *)fd);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/aiori.h b/src/aiori.h
index da93a1a..3fc9f06 100755
--- a/src/aiori.h
+++ b/src/aiori.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ typedef struct ior_aiori {
         char *name;
         char *name_legacy;
         void *(*create)(char *, IOR_param_t *);
-        void *(*mknod)(char *);
+        int (*mknod)(char *);
         void *(*open)(char *, IOR_param_t *);
         IOR_offset_t (*xfer)(int, void *, IOR_size_t *,
                              IOR_offset_t, IOR_param_t *);
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ int aiori_posix_access (const char *path, int mode, IOR_param_t * param);
 int aiori_posix_stat (const char *path, struct stat *buf, IOR_param_t * param);
 
 void *POSIX_Create(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
-void *POSIX_Mknod(char *testFileName);
+int POSIX_Mknod(char *testFileName);
 void *POSIX_Open(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
 IOR_offset_t POSIX_GetFileSize(IOR_param_t * test, MPI_Comm testComm, char *testFileName);
 void POSIX_Delete(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
diff --git a/src/mdtest.c b/src/mdtest.c
index fe9c153..05e8a44 100644
--- a/src/mdtest.c
+++ b/src/mdtest.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ static void remove_file (const char *path, uint64_t itemNum) {
 
 static void create_file (const char *path, uint64_t itemNum) {
     char curr_item[MAX_PATHLEN];
-    void *aiori_fh;
+    void *aiori_fh = NULL;
 
     if ( (itemNum % ITEM_COUNT==0 && (itemNum != 0))) {
         VERBOSE(3,5,"create file: "LLU"", itemNum);
@@ -355,36 +355,36 @@ static void create_file (const char *path, uint64_t itemNum) {
     sprintf(curr_item, "%s/file.%s"LLU"", path, mk_name, itemNum);
     VERBOSE(3,5,"create_remove_items_helper (non-dirs create): curr_item is '%s'", curr_item);
 
-    if (collective_creates) {
-        param.openFlags = IOR_WRONLY;
+    param.openFlags = IOR_WRONLY;
 
+    if (make_node) {
+        int ret;
+        VERBOSE(3,5,"create_remove_items_helper : mknod..." );
+
+        ret = backend->mknod (curr_item);
+        if (ret != 0)
+            FAIL("unable to mknode file %s", curr_item);
+
+        return;
+    } else if (collective_creates) {
         VERBOSE(3,5,"create_remove_items_helper (collective): open..." );
 
-        if (make_node)
-            aiori_fh = backend->mknod (curr_item);
-	else
-            aiori_fh = backend->open (curr_item, &param);
-        if (NULL == aiori_fh) {
+        aiori_fh = backend->open (curr_item, &param);
+        if (NULL == aiori_fh)
             FAIL("unable to open file %s", curr_item);
-        }
 
         /*
          * !collective_creates
          */
     } else {
-        param.openFlags = IOR_CREAT | IOR_WRONLY;
+        param.openFlags |= IOR_CREAT;
         param.filePerProc = !shared_file;
-	param.mode = FILEMODE;
-
+        param.mode = FILEMODE;
         VERBOSE(3,5,"create_remove_items_helper (non-collective, shared): open..." );
 
-        if (make_node)
-            aiori_fh = backend->mknod (curr_item);
-	else
-            aiori_fh = backend->create (curr_item, &param);
-        if (NULL == aiori_fh) {
+        aiori_fh = backend->create (curr_item, &param);
+        if (NULL == aiori_fh)
             FAIL("unable to create file %s", curr_item);
-        }
     }
 
     if (write_bytes > 0) {
@@ -402,9 +402,7 @@ static void create_file (const char *path, uint64_t itemNum) {
     }
 
     VERBOSE(3,5,"create_remove_items_helper: close..." );
-
-    if (!make_node)
-        backend->close (aiori_fh, &param);
+    backend->close (aiori_fh, &param);
 }
 
 /* helper for creating/removing items */