diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 63f2d5c7..0d5efce4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-all: allocator.o blockstore.o blockstore_open.o blockstore_read.o test
+all: allocator.o blockstore.o blockstore_init.o blockstore_open.o blockstore_read.o test
 %.o: %.cpp
 	gcc -c -o $@ $<
 test: test.cpp
diff --git a/blockstore.cpp b/blockstore.cpp
index 2172dd78..133f841b 100644
--- a/blockstore.cpp
+++ b/blockstore.cpp
@@ -74,100 +74,3 @@ int blockstore::init_loop()
     journal_init_reader = NULL;
     return 0;
 }
-
-blockstore_init_meta::blockstore_init_meta(blockstore *bs)
-{
-    this->bs = bs;
-}
-
-int blockstore_init_meta::read_loop()
-{
-    if (metadata_read >= bs->meta_len)
-    {
-        return 0;
-    }
-    if (!metadata_buffer)
-    {
-        metadata_buffer = new uint8_t[2*bs->metadata_buf_size];
-    }
-    if (submitted)
-    {
-        struct io_uring_cqe *cqe;
-        io_uring_peek_cqe(bs->ring, &cqe);
-        if (cqe)
-        {
-            if (cqe->res < 0)
-            {
-                throw new std::runtime_error(
-                    std::string("read metadata failed at offset ") + std::to_string(metadata_read) +
-                    std::string(": ") + strerror(-cqe->res)
-                );
-            }
-            prev_done = cqe->res > 0 ? submitted : 0;
-            done_len = cqe->res;
-            metadata_read += cqe->res;
-            submitted = 0;
-        }
-    }
-    if (!submitted)
-    {
-        struct io_uring_sqe *sqe = io_uring_get_sqe(bs->ring);
-        if (!sqe)
-        {
-            throw new std::runtime_error("io_uring is full while trying to read metadata");
-        }
-        submit_iov = {
-            metadata_buffer + (prev == 1 ? bs->metadata_buf_size : 0),
-            bs->meta_len - metadata_read > bs->metadata_buf_size ? bs->metadata_buf_size : bs->meta_len - metadata_read,
-        };
-        io_uring_prep_readv(sqe, bs->meta_fd, &submit_iov, 1, bs->meta_offset + metadata_read);
-        io_uring_submit(bs->ring);
-        submitted = (prev == 1 ? 2 : 1);
-        prev = submitted;
-    }
-    if (prev_done)
-    {
-        assert(!(done_len % sizeof(clean_disk_entry)));
-        int count = done_len / sizeof(clean_disk_entry);
-        struct clean_disk_entry *entries = (struct clean_disk_entry*)(metadata_buffer + (prev_done == 1 ? bs->metadata_buf_size : 0));
-        // handle <count> entries
-        handle_entries(entries, count);
-        done_cnt += count;
-        prev_done = 0;
-        done_len = 0;
-    }
-    if (metadata_read >= bs->meta_len)
-    {
-        // metadata read finished
-        delete[] metadata_buffer;
-        metadata_buffer = NULL;
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return 1;
-}
-
-void blockstore_init_meta::handle_entries(struct clean_disk_entry* entries, int count)
-{
-    for (unsigned i = 0; i < count; i++)
-    {
-        if (entries[i].oid.inode > 0)
-        {
-            allocator_set(bs->data_alloc, done_cnt+i, true);
-            bs->object_db[entries[i].oid] = (struct clean_entry){
-                entries[i].version,
-                (uint32_t)(entries[i].flags ? ST_CURRENT : ST_D_META_SYNCED),
-                done_cnt+i
-            };
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-blockstore_init_journal::blockstore_init_journal(blockstore *bs)
-{
-    this->bs = bs;
-}
-
-int blockstore_init_journal::read_loop()
-{
-    return 0;
-}
diff --git a/blockstore.h b/blockstore.h
index 39cc5219..61d3d742 100644
--- a/blockstore.h
+++ b/blockstore.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <liburing.h>
 
@@ -137,26 +138,7 @@ struct blockstore_operation
 
 class blockstore;
 
-class blockstore_init_meta
-{
-    blockstore *bs;
-    uint8_t *metadata_buffer;
-    uint64_t metadata_read = 0;
-    struct iovec submit_iov;
-    int prev = 0, prev_done = 0, done_len = 0, submitted = 0, done_cnt = 0;
-public:
-    blockstore_init_meta(blockstore* bs);
-    int read_loop();
-    void handle_entries(struct clean_disk_entry* entries, int count);
-};
-
-class blockstore_init_journal
-{
-    blockstore *bs;
-public:
-    blockstore_init_journal(blockstore* bs);
-    int read_loop();
-};
+#include "blockstore_init.h"
 
 class blockstore
 {
diff --git a/blockstore_init.cpp b/blockstore_init.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c56535d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blockstore_init.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#include "blockstore.h"
+
+blockstore_init_meta::blockstore_init_meta(blockstore *bs)
+{
+    this->bs = bs;
+}
+
+int blockstore_init_meta::read_loop()
+{
+    if (metadata_read >= bs->meta_len)
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (!metadata_buffer)
+    {
+        metadata_buffer = (uint8_t*)memalign(512, 2*bs->metadata_buf_size);
+    }
+    if (submitted)
+    {
+        struct io_uring_cqe *cqe;
+        io_uring_peek_cqe(bs->ring, &cqe);
+        if (cqe)
+        {
+            if (cqe->res < 0)
+            {
+                throw new std::runtime_error(
+                    std::string("read metadata failed at offset ") + std::to_string(metadata_read) +
+                    std::string(": ") + strerror(-cqe->res)
+                );
+            }
+            prev_done = cqe->res > 0 ? submitted : 0;
+            done_len = cqe->res;
+            metadata_read += cqe->res;
+            submitted = 0;
+        }
+    }
+    if (!submitted)
+    {
+        struct io_uring_sqe *sqe = io_uring_get_sqe(bs->ring);
+        if (!sqe)
+        {
+            throw new std::runtime_error("io_uring is full while trying to read metadata");
+        }
+        submit_iov = {
+            metadata_buffer + (prev == 1 ? bs->metadata_buf_size : 0),
+            bs->meta_len - metadata_read > bs->metadata_buf_size ? bs->metadata_buf_size : bs->meta_len - metadata_read,
+        };
+        io_uring_prep_readv(sqe, bs->meta_fd, &submit_iov, 1, bs->meta_offset + metadata_read);
+        io_uring_submit(bs->ring);
+        submitted = (prev == 1 ? 2 : 1);
+        prev = submitted;
+    }
+    if (prev_done)
+    {
+        assert(!(done_len % sizeof(clean_disk_entry)));
+        int count = done_len / sizeof(clean_disk_entry);
+        struct clean_disk_entry *entries = (struct clean_disk_entry*)(metadata_buffer + (prev_done == 1 ? bs->metadata_buf_size : 0));
+        // handle <count> entries
+        handle_entries(entries, count);
+        done_cnt += count;
+        prev_done = 0;
+        done_len = 0;
+    }
+    if (metadata_read >= bs->meta_len)
+    {
+        // metadata read finished
+        free(metadata_buffer);
+        metadata_buffer = NULL;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    return 1;
+}
+
+void blockstore_init_meta::handle_entries(struct clean_disk_entry* entries, int count)
+{
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < count; i++)
+    {
+        if (entries[i].oid.inode > 0)
+        {
+            allocator_set(bs->data_alloc, done_cnt+i, true);
+            bs->object_db[entries[i].oid] = (struct clean_entry){
+                entries[i].version,
+                (uint32_t)(entries[i].flags ? ST_CURRENT : ST_D_META_SYNCED),
+                done_cnt+i
+            };
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+blockstore_init_journal::blockstore_init_journal(blockstore *bs)
+{
+    this->bs = bs;
+}
+
+int blockstore_init_journal::read_loop()
+{
+    if (!journal_buffer)
+    {
+        journal_buffer = new uint8_t[4*1024*1024];
+    }
+    
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/blockstore_init.h b/blockstore_init.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..115291f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blockstore_init.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#pragma once
+
+class blockstore_init_meta
+{
+    blockstore *bs;
+    uint8_t *metadata_buffer;
+    uint64_t metadata_read = 0;
+    struct iovec submit_iov;
+    int prev = 0, prev_done = 0, done_len = 0, submitted = 0, done_cnt = 0;
+public:
+    blockstore_init_meta(blockstore* bs);
+    int read_loop();
+    void handle_entries(struct clean_disk_entry* entries, int count);
+};
+
+class blockstore_init_journal
+{
+    blockstore *bs;
+    uint8_t *journal_buffer;
+public:
+    blockstore_init_journal(blockstore* bs);
+    int read_loop();
+};