diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index 1dce688df3..d5cebd3413 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -17,6 +17,18 @@
    past entries belonging to author(s): Viktor Szakats.
 */
 
+2009-07-20 13:20 UTC+0200 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/priv.onet.pl)
+  * harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
+    * cleaned hb_itemPutC*() functions. Now each function which accepts
+      only pure szText pointer without length can be called with NULL
+      as szText. Each function which need string length parameter needs
+      non NULL szText value. I hope it's easy to remember for developers.
+    % minor code optimizations for above rules
+
+  * harbour/source/rtl/filebuf.c
+    * allow to reuse tables in aliased workarea in RW mode after previous
+      opening in RO mode
+
 2009-07-20 13:02 UTC+0200 Viktor Szakats (harbour.01 syenar.hu)
   * contrib/hbssl/ssl.c
   * contrib/hbssl/sslctx.c
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/filebuf.c b/harbour/source/rtl/filebuf.c
index 387b0a2d20..0ed6e6ba45 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/filebuf.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/filebuf.c
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ typedef struct _HB_FILE
    BOOL           shared;
    BOOL           readonly;
    HB_FHANDLE     hFile;
+   HB_FHANDLE     hFileRO;
    PHB_FLOCK      pLocks;
    UINT           uiLocks;
    UINT           uiSize;
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ static PHB_FILE hb_fileNew( HB_FHANDLE hFile, BOOL fShared, BOOL fReadonly,
       pFile->device   = device;
       pFile->inode    = inode;
       pFile->hFile    = hFile;
+      pFile->hFileRO  = FS_ERROR;
       pFile->shared   = fShared;
       pFile->readonly = fReadonly;
 
@@ -332,9 +334,10 @@ PHB_FILE hb_fileExtOpen( const char * pFilename, const char * pDefExt,
       pFile = hb_fileFind( statbuf.st_dev, statbuf.st_ino );
       if( pFile )
       {
-         if( !fShared || ! pFile->shared || ( uiExFlags & FXO_TRUNCATE ) != 0 ||
-             ( !fReadonly && pFile->readonly ) )
+         if( !fShared || ! pFile->shared || ( uiExFlags & FXO_TRUNCATE ) != 0 )
             fResult = FALSE;
+         else if( !fReadonly && pFile->readonly )
+            pFile = NULL;
          else
             pFile->used++;
       }
@@ -380,12 +383,48 @@ PHB_FILE hb_fileExtOpen( const char * pFilename, const char * pDefExt,
 
          hb_threadEnterCriticalSection( &s_fileMtx );
          pFile = hb_fileNew( hFile, fShared, fReadonly, device, inode, TRUE );
+         if( pFile->hFile != hFile )
+         {
+            if( pFile->hFileRO == FS_ERROR && !fReadonly && pFile->readonly )
+            {
+               pFile->hFileRO = pFile->hFile;
+               pFile->hFile = hFile;
+               pFile->readonly = FALSE;
+               hFile = FS_ERROR;
+            }
+            if( pFile->uiLocks == 0 )
+            {
+#if !defined( HB_USE_SHARELOCKS ) || defined( HB_USE_BSDLOCKS )
+               if( pFile->hFileRO != FS_ERROR )
+               {
+                  hb_fsClose( pFile->hFileRO );
+                  pFile->hFileRO = FS_ERROR;
+               }
+#endif
+               if( hFile != FS_ERROR )
+               {
+                  hb_fsClose( hFile );
+                  hFile = FS_ERROR;
+#if defined( HB_USE_SHARELOCKS ) && !defined( HB_USE_BSDLOCKS )
+                  /* TOFIX: possible race condition */
+                  hb_fsLockLarge( hFile, HB_SHARELOCK_POS, HB_SHARELOCK_SIZE,
+                                  FL_LOCK | FLX_SHARED );
+#endif
+               }
+            }
+         }
+         else
+            hFile = FS_ERROR;
          hb_threadLeaveCriticalSection( &s_fileMtx );
 
-         if( !pFile || pFile->hFile != hFile )
+         if( hFile != FS_ERROR )
+         {
+            /* TOFIX: possible race condition in MT mode,
+             *        close() is not safe due to existing locks
+             *        which are removed.
+             */
             hb_fsClose( hFile );
-         if( !pFile )
-            hb_fsSetError( 32 );
+         }
       }
    }
    hb_xfree( pszFile );
@@ -395,7 +434,7 @@ PHB_FILE hb_fileExtOpen( const char * pFilename, const char * pDefExt,
 
 void hb_fileClose( PHB_FILE pFile )
 {
-   HB_FHANDLE hFile = FS_ERROR;
+   HB_FHANDLE hFile = FS_ERROR, hFileRO = FS_ERROR;
 
    hb_threadEnterCriticalSection( &s_fileMtx );
 
@@ -414,6 +453,7 @@ void hb_fileClose( PHB_FILE pFile )
       }
 
       hFile = pFile->hFile;
+      hFileRO = pFile->hFileRO;
 
       if( pFile->pLocks )
          hb_xfree( pFile->pLocks );
@@ -425,6 +465,8 @@ void hb_fileClose( PHB_FILE pFile )
 
    if( hFile != FS_ERROR )
       hb_fsClose( hFile );
+   if( hFileRO != FS_ERROR )
+      hb_fsClose( hFileRO );
 }
 
 BOOL hb_fileLock( PHB_FILE pFile, HB_FOFFSET ulStart, HB_FOFFSET ulLen,
diff --git a/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c b/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
index 16227e9843..8fdddba0c3 100644
--- a/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
+++ b/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutCL( PHB_ITEM pItem, const char * szText, ULONG ulLen )
    else
    {
       ulAlloc = 0;
-      szText = ( char * ) ( ulLen ? hb_szAscii[ ( unsigned char ) ( szText[ 0 ] ) ] : "" );
+      szText = ( ulLen ? hb_szAscii[ ( unsigned char ) ( szText[ 0 ] ) ] : "" );
    }
 
    if( pItem )
@@ -328,23 +328,17 @@ PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutCLConst( PHB_ITEM pItem, const char * szText, ULONG ulLen )
    else
       pItem = hb_itemNew( NULL );
 
-   if( szText == NULL )
-   {
-      pItem->item.asString.value  = ( char * ) "";
-      pItem->item.asString.length = 0;
-   }
-   else
-   {
-      if( szText[ ulLen ] != '\0' )
-         hb_errInternal( 6003, "Internal error: hb_itemPutCLConst() missing termination character", NULL, NULL );
-
-      pItem->item.asString.value  = ( char * ) szText;
-      pItem->item.asString.length = ulLen;
-   }
-
    pItem->type = HB_IT_STRING;
+   pItem->item.asString.length = ulLen;
    pItem->item.asString.allocated = 0;
 
+   if( ulLen == 0 )
+      pItem->item.asString.value  = ( char * ) "";
+   else if( szText[ ulLen ] == '\0' )
+      pItem->item.asString.value  = ( char * ) szText;
+   else
+      hb_errInternal( 6003, "Internal error: hb_itemPutCLConst() missing termination character", NULL, NULL );
+
    return pItem;
 }
 
@@ -366,7 +360,7 @@ PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutCPtr( PHB_ITEM pItem, char * szText )
 
    pItem->type = HB_IT_STRING;
    pItem->item.asString.length = ulLen;
-   if( ulLen == 0 || szText == NULL )
+   if( ulLen == 0 )
    {
       pItem->item.asString.allocated = 0;
       pItem->item.asString.value     = ( char * ) "";
@@ -403,12 +397,11 @@ PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutCLPtr( PHB_ITEM pItem, char * szText, ULONG ulLen )
 
    pItem->type = HB_IT_STRING;
    pItem->item.asString.length = ulLen;
-   if( ulLen == 0 || szText == NULL )
+   if( ulLen == 0 )
    {
       pItem->item.asString.allocated = 0;
       pItem->item.asString.value     = ( char * ) "";
-      if( szText )
-         hb_xfree( szText );
+      hb_xfree( szText );
    }
    else if( ulLen == 1 )
    {