diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 759eb8d15..632ed937d 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ extern void trim(char *s);
 extern char *skip_whitespace(const char *);
 extern char *skip_non_whitespace(const char *);
 
+//TODO: supply a pointer to char[11] buffer (avoid statics)?
 extern const char *bb_mode_string(mode_t mode);
 extern int is_directory(const char *name, int followLinks, struct stat *statBuf);
 extern int remove_file(const char *path, int flags);
@@ -556,9 +557,11 @@ extern int del_loop(const char *device);
 extern int set_loop(char **device, const char *file, unsigned long long offset);
 
 
+//TODO: provide pointer to buf (avoid statics)?
 const char *make_human_readable_str(unsigned long long size,
 		unsigned long block_size, unsigned long display_unit);
 
+//TODO: pass buf pointer or return allocated buf (avoid statics)?
 char *bb_askpass(int timeout, const char * prompt);
 int bb_ask_confirmation(void);
 int klogctl(int type, char * b, int len);
@@ -624,7 +627,7 @@ extern void vfork_daemon_rexec(int nochdir, int noclose,
 #endif
 extern int get_terminal_width_height(const int fd, int *width, int *height);
 
-int is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf, char **name);
+char *is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf);
 void add_to_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf, const char *name);
 void reset_ino_dev_hashtable(void);
 #ifdef __GLIBC__
diff --git a/libbb/copy_file.c b/libbb/copy_file.c
index 07564afd0..636fbdc1d 100644
--- a/libbb/copy_file.c
+++ b/libbb/copy_file.c
@@ -172,22 +172,21 @@ int copy_file(const char *source, const char *dest, int flags)
 		if (ENABLE_FEATURE_PRESERVE_HARDLINKS) {
 			char *link_name;
 
-			if (!FLAGS_DEREF
-			 && is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(&source_stat, &link_name)
-			) {
-				if (link(link_name, dest) < 0) {
-					ovr = retry_overwrite(dest, flags);
-					if (ovr <= 0)
-						return ovr;
+			if (!FLAGS_DEREF) {
+				link_name = is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(&source_stat);
+				if (link_name) {
 					if (link(link_name, dest) < 0) {
-						bb_perror_msg("cannot create link '%s'", dest);
-						return -1;
+						ovr = retry_overwrite(dest, flags);
+						if (ovr <= 0)
+							return ovr;
+						if (link(link_name, dest) < 0) {
+							bb_perror_msg("cannot create link '%s'", dest);
+							return -1;
+						}
 					}
+					return 0;
 				}
-				return 0;
 			}
-			// TODO: probably is_in_.. and add_to_...
-			// can be combined: find_or_add_...
 			add_to_ino_dev_hashtable(&source_stat, dest);
 		}
 
diff --git a/libbb/inode_hash.c b/libbb/inode_hash.c
index 2ac1623f4..55a7564ce 100644
--- a/libbb/inode_hash.c
+++ b/libbb/inode_hash.c
@@ -13,41 +13,40 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "libbb.h"
 
+typedef struct ino_dev_hash_bucket_struct {
+	struct ino_dev_hash_bucket_struct *next;
+	ino_t ino;
+	dev_t dev;
+	char name[1];
+} ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t;
+
 #define HASH_SIZE	311		/* Should be prime */
 #define hash_inode(i)	((i) % HASH_SIZE)
 
-typedef struct ino_dev_hash_bucket_struct {
-  struct ino_dev_hash_bucket_struct *next;
-  ino_t ino;
-  dev_t dev;
-  char name[1];
-} ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t;
-
-static ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t *ino_dev_hashtable[HASH_SIZE];
+/* array of [HASH_SIZE] elements */
+static ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t **ino_dev_hashtable;
 
 /*
- * Return 1 if statbuf->st_ino && statbuf->st_dev are recorded in
- * `ino_dev_hashtable', else return 0
- *
- * If NAME is a non-NULL pointer to a character pointer, and there is
- * a match, then set *NAME to the value of the name slot in that
- * bucket.
+ * Return name if statbuf->st_ino && statbuf->st_dev are recorded in
+ * ino_dev_hashtable, else return NULL
  */
-int is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf, char **name)
+char *is_in_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf)
 {
 	ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t *bucket;
 
+	if (!ino_dev_hashtable)
+		return NULL;
+
 	bucket = ino_dev_hashtable[hash_inode(statbuf->st_ino)];
 	while (bucket != NULL) {
-	  if ((bucket->ino == statbuf->st_ino) &&
-		  (bucket->dev == statbuf->st_dev))
-	  {
-		if (name) *name = bucket->name;
-		return 1;
-	  }
-	  bucket = bucket->next;
+		if ((bucket->ino == statbuf->st_ino)
+		 && (bucket->dev == statbuf->st_dev)
+		) {
+			return bucket->name;
+		}
+		bucket = bucket->next;
 	}
-	return 0;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /* Add statbuf to statbuf hash table */
@@ -58,19 +57,21 @@ void add_to_ino_dev_hashtable(const struct stat *statbuf, const char *name)
 	ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t *bucket;
 
 	i = hash_inode(statbuf->st_ino);
-	s = name ? strlen(name) : 0;
-	bucket = xmalloc(sizeof(ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t) + s);
+	if (!name)
+		name = "";
+	bucket = xmalloc(sizeof(ino_dev_hashtable_bucket_t) + strlen(name));
 	bucket->ino = statbuf->st_ino;
 	bucket->dev = statbuf->st_dev;
-	if (name)
-		strcpy(bucket->name, name);
-	else
-		bucket->name[0] = '\0';
+	strcpy(bucket->name, name);
+
+	if (!ino_dev_hashtable)
+		ino_dev_hashtable = xzalloc(HASH_SIZE * sizeof(*ino_dev_hashtable));
+
 	bucket->next = ino_dev_hashtable[i];
 	ino_dev_hashtable[i] = bucket;
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_CLEAN_UP
+#if ENABLE_FEATURE_CLEAN_UP
 /* Clear statbuf hash table */
 void reset_ino_dev_hashtable(void)
 {
@@ -84,5 +85,7 @@ void reset_ino_dev_hashtable(void)
 			ino_dev_hashtable[i] = bucket;
 		}
 	}
+	free(ino_dev_hashtable);
+	ino_dev_hashtable = NULL;
 }
 #endif