diff --git a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/barebox/barebox,state.rst b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/barebox/barebox,state.rst
index e39245f..438cc43 100644
--- a/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/barebox/barebox,state.rst
+++ b/Documentation/devicetree/bindings/barebox/barebox,state.rst
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@
 stripped from the variable name.
 
 State variables have a type. Currenty supported types are: ``uint8``,
-``uint32``, ``enum32``, ``mac`` address or ``string``. Variable length
-strings are not planned.
+``uint32``, ``enum32``, ``mac`` address or ``string`` (fixed length string).
+Variable length strings are not planned.
 
 Required properties:
 
diff --git a/common/state/backend_bucket_circular.c b/common/state/backend_bucket_circular.c
index 72e165e..d8504e0 100644
--- a/common/state/backend_bucket_circular.c
+++ b/common/state/backend_bucket_circular.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 	struct device_d *dev;
 };
 
-struct state_backend_storage_bucket_circular_meta {
+struct __attribute__((__packed__)) state_backend_storage_bucket_circular_meta {
 	uint32_t magic;
 	uint32_t written_length;
 };
diff --git a/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c b/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
index 08892f0..5225433 100644
--- a/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
+++ b/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 	struct device_d *dev;
 };
 
-struct state_backend_storage_bucket_direct_meta {
+struct __attribute__((__packed__)) state_backend_storage_bucket_direct_meta {
 	uint32_t magic;
 	uint32_t written_length;
 };
diff --git a/common/state/backend_format_raw.c b/common/state/backend_format_raw.c
index 4209424..e028ea6 100644
--- a/common/state/backend_format_raw.c
+++ b/common/state/backend_format_raw.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 	struct device_d *dev;
 };
 
-struct backend_raw_header {
+struct __attribute__((__packed__)) backend_raw_header {
 	uint32_t magic;
 	uint16_t reserved;
 	uint16_t data_len;
diff --git a/common/state/state.c b/common/state/state.c
index 075618e..4020d5e 100644
--- a/common/state/state.c
+++ b/common/state/state.c
@@ -466,9 +466,10 @@
 			of_path = partition_node->full_name;
 			ret = of_find_path_by_node(partition_node, &path, 0);
 		}
-		if (!path) {
-			pr_err("state failed to parse path to backend\n");
-			ret = -EINVAL;
+		if (ret) {
+			if (ret != -EPROBE_DEFER)
+				dev_err(&state->dev, "state failed to parse path to backend: %s\n",
+				       strerror(-ret));
 			goto out_release_state;
 		}
 	}
@@ -487,7 +488,7 @@
 				      &storage_type);
 	if (ret) {
 		storage_type = NULL;
-		pr_info("No backend-storage-type found, using default.\n");
+		dev_info(&state->dev, "No backend-storage-type found, using default.\n");
 	}
 
 	ret = state_backend_init(&state->backend, &state->dev, node,
@@ -511,10 +512,10 @@
 
 	ret = state_load(state);
 	if (ret) {
-		pr_warn("Failed to load persistent state, continuing with defaults, %d\n", ret);
+		dev_warn(&state->dev, "Failed to load persistent state, continuing with defaults, %d\n", ret);
 	}
 
-	pr_info("New state registered '%s'\n", alias);
+	dev_info(&state->dev, "New state registered '%s'\n", alias);
 
 	return state;
 
diff --git a/common/state/state_variables.c b/common/state/state_variables.c
index 45ec962..fd072a0 100644
--- a/common/state/state_variables.c
+++ b/common/state/state_variables.c
@@ -441,9 +441,9 @@
 	{
 		.type = STATE_TYPE_U8,
 		.type_name = "uint8",
-		 .export = state_uint32_export,
-		 .import = state_uint32_import,
-		 .create = state_uint8_create,
+		.export = state_uint32_export,
+		.import = state_uint32_import,
+		.create = state_uint8_create,
 	}, {
 		.type = STATE_TYPE_U32,
 		.type_name = "uint32",
diff --git a/drivers/misc/state.c b/drivers/misc/state.c
index b9eb1b7..b43aee6 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/state.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/state.c
@@ -28,8 +28,12 @@
 	bool readonly = false;
 
 	state = state_new_from_node(np, NULL, 0, 0, readonly);
-	if (IS_ERR(state))
-		return PTR_ERR(state);
+	if (IS_ERR(state)) {
+		int ret = PTR_ERR(state);
+		if (ret == -ENODEV)
+			ret = -EPROBE_DEFER;
+		return ret;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/of/of_path.c b/drivers/of/of_path.c
index 1f5106d..946b9c7 100644
--- a/drivers/of/of_path.c
+++ b/drivers/of/of_path.c
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@
 			return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
+	if (!dev->driver)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	device_detect(dev);
 
 	if (part)