diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 777f495..d679fa3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -18,19 +18,18 @@
 AC_PROG_SED
 AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([logging],
-        AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-logging], [disable system logging @<:@default=enabled@:>@]),
-        [], enable_logging=yes)
-AS_IF([test "x$enable_logging" = "xyes"], [
-        AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_LOGGING, [1], [System logging.])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([state-backward-compatibility],
+        AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-state-backward-compatibility], [keep the 'direct' storage backend backward compatible @<:@default=disabled@:>@]),
+        [], [enable_state_backward_compatibility=no])
+AS_IF([test "x${enable_state_backward_compatibility}" = "xyes"], [
+        AC_DEFINE(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE, [1], ['direct' storage backend backward compatibility.])
+], [
+        AC_DEFINE(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE, [0])
 ])
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug],
-        AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug], [enable debug messages @<:@default=disabled@:>@]),
-        [], [enable_debug=no])
-AS_IF([test "x$enable_debug" = "xyes"], [
-        AC_DEFINE(DEBUG, [1], [Debug messages.])
-])
+AC_DEFINE(CONFIG_MTD, [1], [Statically define to be enabled to harmonize barebox' & dt-utils' code base.])
+
+AC_DEFINE(CONFIG_STATE, [1], [Statically define to be enabled to harmonize barebox' & dt-utils' code base.])
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([__secure_getenv secure_getenv])
 
@@ -53,15 +52,14 @@
         $PACKAGE $VERSION
         =====
 
-        prefix:                 ${prefix}
-        sysconfdir:             ${sysconfdir}
-        libdir:                 ${libdir}
-        includedir:             ${includedir}
+        prefix:                         ${prefix}
+        sysconfdir:                     ${sysconfdir}
+        libdir:                         ${libdir}
+        includedir:                     ${includedir}
 
-        compiler:               ${CC}
-        cflags:                 ${CFLAGS}
-        ldflags:                ${LDFLAGS}
+        compiler:                       ${CC}
+        cflags:                         ${CFLAGS}
+        ldflags:                        ${LDFLAGS}
 
-        logging:                ${enable_logging}
-        debug:                  ${enable_debug}
+        state-backward-compatibility:   ${enable_state_backward_compatibility}
 ])
diff --git a/src/barebox-state.c b/src/barebox-state.c
index 946a8db..6b166bf 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state.c
@@ -439,6 +439,8 @@
 			exit(0);
 		case OPT_VERSION:
 			printf(PACKAGE_STRING "\n");
+			printf("Configured with build-time option '--%s-state-backward-compatibility'.\n",
+			       (CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE) ? "enable" : "disable");
 			exit(0);
 		case 'g':
 			sg = xzalloc(sizeof(*sg));
diff --git a/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_circular.c b/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_circular.c
index f665c3b..735510e 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_circular.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_circular.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 	if (ret == -EBADMSG) {
 		ret = mtd_peb_torture(circ->mtd, circ->eraseblock);
 		if (ret == -EIO) {
+			mtd_peb_mark_bad(circ->mtd, circ->eraseblock);
 			dev_err(circ->dev, "Tortured eraseblock failed and is marked bad now, PEB %u\n",
 				circ->eraseblock);
 			return -EIO;
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@
 	if (ret == -EBADMSG) {
 		ret = mtd_peb_torture(circ->mtd, circ->eraseblock);
 		if (ret == -EIO) {
+			mtd_peb_mark_bad(circ->mtd, circ->eraseblock);
 			dev_err(circ->dev, "Tortured eraseblock failed and is marked bad now, PEB %u\n",
 				circ->eraseblock);
 			return -EIO;
@@ -162,11 +164,10 @@
 
 	offset += (off_t)circ->eraseblock * circ->mtd->erasesize;
 
-	ret = lseek(circ->fd, offset, SEEK_SET);
-	if (ret < 0) {
+	if (lseek(circ->fd, offset, SEEK_SET) != offset) {
 		dev_err(circ->dev, "Failed to set circular read position to %lld, %d\n",
-			(long long) offset, ret);
-		return ret;
+			(long long) offset, -errno);
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	dev_dbg(circ->dev, "Read state from %lld length %d\n", (long long) offset,
@@ -191,11 +192,10 @@
 
 	offset += circ->eraseblock * circ->mtd->erasesize;
 
-	ret = lseek(circ->fd, offset, SEEK_SET);
-	if (ret < 0) {
+	if (lseek(circ->fd, offset, SEEK_SET) != offset) {
 		dev_err(circ->dev, "Failed to set position for circular write %lld, %d\n",
-			(long long) offset, ret);
-		return ret;
+			(long long) offset, -errno);
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	ret = write_full(circ->fd, buf, len);
diff --git a/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_direct.c b/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_direct.c
index dc00de0..4522f01 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_direct.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state/backend_bucket_direct.c
@@ -52,14 +52,13 @@
 	struct state_backend_storage_bucket_direct *direct =
 	    get_bucket_direct(bucket);
 	struct state_backend_storage_bucket_direct_meta meta;
-	ssize_t read_len;
+	uint32_t read_len;
 	void *buf;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
+	if (lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET) != direct->offset) {
+		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", -errno);
+		return -errno;
 	}
 	ret = read_full(direct->fd, &meta, sizeof(meta));
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -68,14 +67,25 @@
 	}
 	if (meta.magic == direct_magic) {
 		read_len = meta.written_length;
+		if (read_len > direct->max_size) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "Wrong length in meta data\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		}
 	} else {
 		if (meta.magic != ~0 && !!meta.magic)
 			bucket->wrong_magic = 1;
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE)) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "No meta data header found\n");
+			dev_dbg(direct->dev, "Enable backward compatibility or increase stride size\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 		read_len = direct->max_size;
-		ret = lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET);
-		if (ret < 0) {
-			dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", ret);
-			return ret;
+		if (lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET) !=
+		    direct->offset) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n",
+				-errno);
+			return -errno;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -105,21 +115,25 @@
 	int ret;
 	struct state_backend_storage_bucket_direct_meta meta;
 
-	if (len > direct->max_size - sizeof(meta))
-		return -E2BIG;
-
-	ret = lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
+	if (lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET) != direct->offset) {
+		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", -errno);
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
-	meta.magic = direct_magic;
-	meta.written_length = len;
-	ret = write_full(direct->fd, &meta, sizeof(meta));
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to write metadata to file, %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
+	/* write the meta data only if there is head room */
+	if (len <= direct->max_size - sizeof(meta)) {
+		meta.magic = direct_magic;
+		meta.written_length = len;
+		ret = write_full(direct->fd, &meta, sizeof(meta));
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to write metadata to file, %d\n", ret);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE)) {
+			dev_dbg(direct->dev, "Too small stride size: must skip metadata! Increase stride size\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ret = write_full(direct->fd, buf, len);
diff --git a/src/barebox-state/backend_storage.c b/src/barebox-state/backend_storage.c
index 3879a8d..509427f 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/backend_storage.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state/backend_storage.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@
 		       const char *storagetype)
 {
 	struct state_backend_storage *storage = &state->storage;
-	int ret;
+	int ret = -ENODEV;
 	struct mtd_info_user meminfo;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&storage->buckets);
@@ -380,7 +380,9 @@
 	storage->max_size = max_size;
 	storage->path = xstrdup(path);
 
-	ret = mtd_get_meminfo(path, &meminfo);
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_MTD))
+		ret = mtd_get_meminfo(path, &meminfo);
+
 	if (!ret && !(meminfo.flags & MTD_NO_ERASE)) {
 		bool circular;
 		if (!storagetype || !strcmp(storagetype, "circular")) {
diff --git a/src/barebox-state/state.c b/src/barebox-state/state.c
index e95f91e..f528b3e 100644
--- a/src/barebox-state/state.c
+++ b/src/barebox-state/state.c
@@ -713,13 +713,6 @@
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-int state_get_name(const struct state *state, char const **name)
-{
-	*name = xstrdup(state->name);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int state_read_mac(struct state *state, const char *name, u8 *buf)
 {
 	struct state_variable *svar;
diff --git a/src/state.h b/src/state.h
index 132c0c3..d98b781 100644
--- a/src/state.h
+++ b/src/state.h
@@ -5,23 +5,54 @@
 
 struct state;
 
-int state_backend_dtb_file(struct state *state, const char *of_path,
-		const char *path);
-int state_backend_raw_file(struct state *state, const char *of_path,
-		const char *path, off_t offset, size_t size);
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE)
 
 struct state *state_new_from_node(struct device_node *node, bool readonly);
 void state_release(struct state *state);
 
 struct state *state_by_name(const char *name);
 struct state *state_by_node(const struct device_node *node);
-int state_get_name(const struct state *state, char const **name);
 
-int state_load(struct state *state);
 int state_load_no_auth(struct state *state);
+int state_load(struct state *state);
 int state_save(struct state *state);
 void state_info(void);
 
 int state_read_mac(struct state *state, const char *name, u8 *buf);
 
+#else /* #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE) */
+
+static inline struct state *state_new_from_node(struct device_node *node,
+						bool readonly)
+{
+	return ERR_PTR(-ENOSYS);
+}
+
+static inline struct state *state_by_name(const char *name)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static inline struct state *state_by_node(const struct device_node *node)
+{
+	return NULL;
+};
+
+static inline int state_load(struct state *state)
+{
+	return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+static inline int state_save(struct state *state)
+{
+	return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+static inline int state_read_mac(struct state *state, const char *name, u8 *buf)
+{
+	return -ENOSYS;
+}
+
+#endif /* #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE) / #else */
+
 #endif /* __STATE_H */