diff --git a/common/state/backend.c b/common/state/backend.c
index 2f2e6df..5235bb0 100644
--- a/common/state/backend.c
+++ b/common/state/backend.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_free_format;
 
-	backend->of_path = of_path;
+	backend->of_path = xstrdup(of_path);
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -185,4 +185,5 @@
 	state_storage_free(&backend->storage);
 	if (backend->format)
 		state_format_free(backend->format);
+	free(backend->of_path);
 }
diff --git a/common/state/state.c b/common/state/state.c
index 9b1d4ed..075618e 100644
--- a/common/state/state.c
+++ b/common/state/state.c
@@ -202,15 +202,19 @@
 				  enum state_convert conv)
 {
 	struct device_node *child;
-	struct device_node *root;
+	struct device_node *root, *state_root;
 	int ret;
 
-	root = of_new_node(parent, state->root->name);
+	state_root = of_find_node_by_path(state->of_path);
+	if (!state_root)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+
+	root = of_new_node(parent, state_root->name);
 	ret = of_property_write_u32(root, "magic", state->magic);
 	if (ret)
 		goto out;
 
-	for_each_child_of_node(state->root, child) {
+	for_each_child_of_node(state_root, child) {
 		ret = state_convert_node_variable(state, child, root, "", conv);
 		if (ret)
 			goto out;
@@ -234,7 +238,7 @@
 
 	if (create) {
 		conv = STATE_CONVERT_FROM_NODE_CREATE;
-		state->root = node;
+		state->of_path = xstrdup(node->full_name);
 		state->magic = magic;
 	} else {
 		conv = STATE_CONVERT_FROM_NODE;
@@ -291,7 +295,7 @@
 	int ret;
 	phandle phandle;
 
-	node = of_find_node_by_path_from(root, state->root->full_name);
+	node = of_find_node_by_path_from(root, state->of_path);
 	if (node) {
 		/* replace existing node - it will be deleted later */
 		parent = node->parent;
@@ -299,12 +303,12 @@
 		char *of_path, *c;
 
 		/* look for parent, remove last '/' from path */
-		of_path = xstrdup(state->root->full_name);
+		of_path = xstrdup(state->of_path);
 		c = strrchr(of_path, '/');
 		if (!c)
 			return -ENODEV;
-		*c = '0';
-		parent = of_find_node_by_path(of_path);
+		*c = '\0';
+		parent = of_find_node_by_path_from(root, of_path);
 		if (!parent)
 			parent = root;
 
@@ -406,6 +410,7 @@
 	list_del(&state->list);
 	unregister_device(&state->dev);
 	state_backend_free(&state->backend);
+	free(state->of_path);
 	free(state);
 }
 
@@ -545,7 +550,7 @@
 	struct state *state;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(state, &state_list, list) {
-		if (state->root == node)
+		if (!strcmp(state->of_path, node->full_name))
 			return state;
 	}
 
diff --git a/common/state/state.h b/common/state/state.h
index 32146ca..bc6917d 100644
--- a/common/state/state.h
+++ b/common/state/state.h
@@ -87,14 +87,14 @@
 struct state_backend {
 	struct state_backend_format *format;
 	struct state_backend_storage storage;
-	const char *of_path;
+	char *of_path;
 };
 
 struct state {
 	struct list_head list; /* Entry to enqueue on list of states */
 
 	struct device_d dev;
-	struct device_node *root;
+	char *of_path;
 	const char *name;
 	uint32_t magic;
 
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@
 
 /* instance of a single variable */
 struct state_variable {
+	struct state *state;
 	enum state_variable_type type;
 	struct list_head list;
 	const char *name;
@@ -152,7 +153,6 @@
 struct state_uint32 {
 	struct state_variable var;
 	struct param_d *param;
-	struct state *state;
 	uint32_t value;
 	uint32_t value_default;
 };
@@ -185,13 +185,11 @@
 struct state_string {
 	struct state_variable var;
 	struct param_d *param;
-	struct state *state;
 	char *value;
 	const char *value_default;
 	char raw[];
 };
 
-int state_set_dirty(struct param_d *p, void *priv);
 int state_from_node(struct state *state, struct device_node *node, bool create);
 struct device_node *state_to_node(struct state *state,
 				  struct device_node *parent,
diff --git a/common/state/state_variables.c b/common/state/state_variables.c
index 0d2a626..efc2456 100644
--- a/common/state/state_variables.c
+++ b/common/state/state_variables.c
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@
  * @param priv
  * @return
  */
-int state_set_dirty(struct param_d *p, void *priv)
+static int state_set_dirty(struct param_d *p, void *priv)
 {
-	struct state *state = priv;
+	struct state_variable *sv = priv;
 
-	state->dirty = 1;
+	sv->state->dirty = 1;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -90,13 +90,13 @@
 
 static int state_uint8_set(struct param_d *p, void *priv)
 {
-	struct state_uint32 *su32 = priv;
-	struct state *state = su32->state;
+	struct state_variable *sv = priv;
+	struct state_uint32 *su32 = to_state_uint32(sv);
 
 	if (su32->value > 255)
 		return -ERANGE;
 
-	return state_set_dirty(p, state);
+	return state_set_dirty(p, sv);
 }
 
 static struct state_variable *state_uint8_create(struct state *state,
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
 	su32 = xzalloc(sizeof(*su32));
 
 	param = dev_add_param_int(&state->dev, name, state_uint8_set,
-				  NULL, &su32->value, "%u", su32);
+				  NULL, &su32->value, "%u", &su32->var);
 	if (IS_ERR(param)) {
 		free(su32);
 		return ERR_CAST(param);
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
 #else
 	su32->var.raw = &su32->value + 3;
 #endif
-	su32->state = state;
+	su32->var.state = state;
 
 	return &su32->var;
 }
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
 	su32 = xzalloc(sizeof(*su32));
 
 	param = dev_add_param_int(&state->dev, name, state_set_dirty,
-				  NULL, &su32->value, "%u", state);
+				  NULL, &su32->value, "%u", &su32->var);
 	if (IS_ERR(param)) {
 		free(su32);
 		return ERR_CAST(param);
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
 	su32->param = param;
 	su32->var.size = sizeof(uint32_t);
 	su32->var.raw = &su32->value;
+	su32->var.state = state;
 
 	return &su32->var;
 }
@@ -235,6 +236,7 @@
 	enum32->num_names = num_names;
 	enum32->var.size = sizeof(uint32_t);
 	enum32->var.raw = &enum32->value;
+	enum32->var.state = state;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < num_names; i++) {
 		const char *name;
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@
 
 	enum32->param = dev_add_param_enum(&state->dev, name, state_set_dirty,
 					   NULL, &enum32->value, enum32->names,
-					   num_names, state);
+					   num_names, &enum32->var);
 	if (IS_ERR(enum32->param)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(enum32->param);
 		goto out;
@@ -307,9 +309,10 @@
 
 	mac->var.size = ARRAY_SIZE(mac->value);
 	mac->var.raw = mac->value;
+	mac->var.state = state;
 
 	mac->param = dev_add_param_mac(&state->dev, name, state_set_dirty,
-				       NULL, mac->value, state);
+				       NULL, mac->value, &mac->var);
 	if (IS_ERR(mac->param)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(mac->param);
 		goto out;
@@ -372,20 +375,21 @@
 
 static int state_string_set(struct param_d *p, void *priv)
 {
-	struct state_string *string = priv;
-	struct state *state = string->state;
+	struct state_variable *sv = priv;
+	struct state_string *string = to_state_string(sv);
 	int ret;
 
 	ret = state_string_copy_to_raw(string, string->value);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	return state_set_dirty(p, state);
+	return state_set_dirty(p, sv->state);
 }
 
 static int state_string_get(struct param_d *p, void *priv)
 {
-	struct state_string *string = priv;
+	struct state_variable *sv = priv;
+	struct state_string *string = to_state_string(sv);
 
 	free(string->value);
 	if (string->raw[0])
@@ -418,11 +422,11 @@
 	string = xzalloc(sizeof(*string) + start_size[1]);
 	string->var.size = start_size[1];
 	string->var.raw = &string->raw;
-	string->state = state;
+	string->var.state = state;
 
 	string->param = dev_add_param_string(&state->dev, name,
 					     state_string_set, state_string_get,
-					     &string->value, string);
+					     &string->value, &string->var);
 	if (IS_ERR(string->param)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(string->param);
 		goto out;