diff --git a/src/broxygen/Document.cc b/src/broxygen/Document.cc
index 1b9618f66b..41622aa41f 100644
--- a/src/broxygen/Document.cc
+++ b/src/broxygen/Document.cc
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ string IdentifierDocument::GetFieldComments(const string& field) const
 ScriptDocument::ScriptDocument(const string& arg_name)
     : Document(),
       name(arg_name),
-      is_pkg_loader(safe_basename(name) == PACKAGE_LOADER),
+      is_pkg_loader(SafeBasename(name).result == PACKAGE_LOADER),
       dependencies(), module_usages(), comments(), identifier_docs(), redefs()
 	{
 	}
diff --git a/src/broxygen/Manager.cc b/src/broxygen/Manager.cc
index 2165b57122..72ef0aab1e 100644
--- a/src/broxygen/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/broxygen/Manager.cc
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ void Manager::File(const string& path)
 	if ( ! doc->IsPkgLoader() )
 		return;
 
-	name = safe_dirname(name);
+	name = SafeDirname(name).result;
 
 	if ( packages.GetDocument(name) )
 		{
diff --git a/src/scan.l b/src/scan.l
index 2477afa645..3dc68a52cc 100644
--- a/src/scan.l
+++ b/src/scan.l
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static string find_relative_file(const string& filename, const string& ext)
 		return string();
 
 	if ( filename[0] == '.' )
-		return find_file(filename, safe_dirname(::filename), ext);
+		return find_file(filename, SafeDirname(::filename).result, ext);
 	else
 		return find_file(filename, bro_path(), ext);
 	}
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ when	return TOK_WHEN;
 @DEBUG	return TOK_DEBUG;	// marks input for debugger
 
 @DIR	{
-	string rval = safe_dirname(::filename);
+	string rval = SafeDirname(::filename).result;
 
 	if ( ! rval.empty() && rval[0] == '.' )
 		{
@@ -291,15 +291,7 @@ when	return TOK_WHEN;
 	}
 
 @FILENAME	{
-	char* filename_copy = copy_string(::filename);
-	const char* bname = basename(filename_copy);
-
-	if ( ! bname )
-		reporter->InternalError("basename failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-
-	StringVal* rval = new StringVal(bname);
-	delete [] filename_copy;
-	RET_CONST(rval);
+	RET_CONST(new StringVal(SafeBasename(::filename).result));
 	}
 
 @load{WS}{FILE}	{
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index bf98bb9ed3..eacbf46eb7 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -944,34 +944,36 @@ FILE* open_package(string& path, const string& mode)
 	return 0;
 	}
 
-string safe_dirname(const char* path)
+SafePathOp::SafePathOp(PathOpFn fn, const char* path, bool error_aborts)
 	{
-	if ( ! path )
-		return ".";
-	return safe_dirname(string(path));
+	DoFunc(fn, path ? path : "", error_aborts);
 	}
 
-string safe_dirname(const string& path)
+SafePathOp::SafePathOp(PathOpFn fn, const string& path, bool error_aborts)
+	{
+	DoFunc(fn, path, error_aborts);
+	}
+
+void SafePathOp::DoFunc(PathOpFn fn, const string& path, bool error_aborts)
 	{
 	char* tmp = copy_string(path.c_str());
-	string rval = dirname(tmp);
-	delete [] tmp;
-	return rval;
-	}
+	char* rval = fn(tmp);
 
-string safe_basename(const char* path)
-	{
-	if ( ! path )
-		return ".";
-	return safe_basename(string(path));
-	}
+	if ( rval )
+		{
+		result = rval;
+		error = false;
+		}
+	else
+		{
+		if ( error_aborts )
+			reporter->InternalError("Path operation failed on %s: %s",
+			                        tmp ? tmp : "<null>", strerror(errno));
+		else
+			error = true;
+		}
 
-string safe_basename(const string& path)
-	{
-	char* tmp = copy_string(path.c_str());
-	string rval = basename(tmp);
 	delete [] tmp;
-	return rval;
 	}
 
 string flatten_script_name(const string& name, const string& prefix)
@@ -981,8 +983,8 @@ string flatten_script_name(const string& name, const string& prefix)
 	if ( ! rval.empty() )
 		rval.append(".");
 
-	if ( safe_basename(name) == PACKAGE_LOADER )
-		rval.append(safe_dirname(name));
+	if ( SafeBasename(name).result == PACKAGE_LOADER )
+		rval.append(SafeDirname(name).result);
 	else
 		rval.append(name);
 
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index faca450cd8..17dfb9c217 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <magic.h>
+#include <libgen.h>
 #include "config.h"
 
 #if __STDC__
@@ -208,13 +209,42 @@ extern const char* bro_path();
 extern const char* bro_magic_path();
 extern std::string bro_prefixes();
 
-// Wrappers for dirname(3) that won't modify argument.
-std::string safe_dirname(const char* path);
-std::string safe_dirname(const std::string& path);
+/**
+ * Wrapper class for functions like dirname(3) or basename(3) that won't
+ * modify the path argument and may optionally abort execution on error.
+ */
+class SafePathOp {
+public:
 
-// Wrappers for basename(3) that won't modify argument.
-std::string safe_basename(const char* path);
-std::string safe_basename(const std::string& path);
+	typedef char*(*PathOpFn)(char*);
+
+	SafePathOp(PathOpFn fn, const char* path, bool error_aborts = true);
+	SafePathOp(PathOpFn fn, const std::string& path, bool error_aborts = true);
+
+	std::string result;
+	bool error;
+
+private:
+
+	void DoFunc(PathOpFn fn, const std::string& path, bool error_aborts = true);
+};
+
+class SafeDirname : public SafePathOp {
+public:
+
+	SafeDirname(const char* path, bool error_aborts = true)
+		: SafePathOp(&dirname, path, error_aborts) { }
+	SafeDirname(const std::string& path, bool error_aborts = true)
+		: SafePathOp(&dirname, path, error_aborts) { }
+};
+
+class SafeBasename : public SafePathOp {
+public:
+	SafeBasename(const char* path, bool error_aborts = true)
+		: SafePathOp(&basename, path, error_aborts) { }
+	SafeBasename(const std::string& path, bool error_aborts = true)
+		: SafePathOp(&basename, path, error_aborts) { }
+};
 
 /**
  * Flatten a script name by replacing '/' path separators with '.'.