diff --git a/src/mod_dirlisting.c b/src/mod_dirlisting.c
index 52570f2b..222abf70 100644
--- a/src/mod_dirlisting.c
+++ b/src/mod_dirlisting.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "stat_cache.h"
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
@@ -1025,7 +1026,6 @@ static int http_list_directory(request_st * const r, plugin_data * const p, buff
 
 URIHANDLER_FUNC(mod_dirlisting_subrequest) {
 	plugin_data *p = p_d;
-	stat_cache_entry *sce = NULL;
 
 	if (NULL != r->handler_module) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
 	if (buffer_string_is_empty(&r->uri.path)) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
@@ -1044,16 +1044,14 @@ URIHANDLER_FUNC(mod_dirlisting_subrequest) {
 		  "URI          : %s", r->uri.path.ptr);
 	}
 
-	sce = stat_cache_get_entry(&r->physical.path);
-	if (NULL == sce) {
-		log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__,
-		  "stat_cache_get_entry failed: %s", r->physical.path.ptr);
+	if (!stat_cache_path_isdir(&r->physical.path)) {
+		if (errno == ENOTDIR)
+			return HANDLER_GO_ON;
+		log_perror(r->conf.errh,__FILE__,__LINE__,"%s",r->physical.path.ptr);
 		r->http_status = 500;
 		return HANDLER_FINISHED;
 	}
 
-	if (!S_ISDIR(sce->st.st_mode)) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
-
 	if (http_list_directory(r, p, &r->physical.path)) {
 		/* dirlisting failed */
 		r->http_status = 403;
diff --git a/src/mod_evhost.c b/src/mod_evhost.c
index b7eb9617..47257bcc 100644
--- a/src/mod_evhost.c
+++ b/src/mod_evhost.c
@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ static void mod_evhost_build_doc_root_path(buffer *b, array *parsed_host, buffer
 
 static handler_t mod_evhost_uri_handler(request_st * const r, void *p_d) {
 	plugin_data *p = p_d;
-	stat_cache_entry *sce = NULL;
 
 	/* not authority set */
 	if (buffer_string_is_empty(&r->uri.authority)) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
@@ -339,11 +338,8 @@ static handler_t mod_evhost_uri_handler(request_st * const r, void *p_d) {
 	buffer * const b = &p->tmp_buf;
 	mod_evhost_build_doc_root_path(b, &p->split_vals, &r->uri.authority, p->conf.path_pieces);
 
-	sce = stat_cache_get_entry(b);
-	if (NULL == sce) {
+	if (!stat_cache_path_isdir(b)) {
 		log_perror(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "%s", b->ptr);
-	} else if(!S_ISDIR(sce->st.st_mode)) {
-		log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "not a directory: %s", b->ptr);
 	} else {
 		buffer_copy_buffer(&r->physical.doc_root, b);
 	}
diff --git a/src/mod_mysql_vhost.c b/src/mod_mysql_vhost.c
index 0afcacee..3f3ecc1e 100644
--- a/src/mod_mysql_vhost.c
+++ b/src/mod_mysql_vhost.c
@@ -269,7 +269,6 @@ SETDEFAULTS_FUNC(mod_mysql_vhost_set_defaults) {
 REQUEST_FUNC(mod_mysql_vhost_handle_docroot) {
 	plugin_data *p = p_d;
 	plugin_connection_data *c;
-	stat_cache_entry *sce;
 
 	unsigned  cols;
 	MYSQL_ROW row;
@@ -329,15 +328,10 @@ REQUEST_FUNC(mod_mysql_vhost_handle_docroot) {
 	buffer_copy_string(b, row[0]);
 	buffer_append_slash(b);
 
-	sce = stat_cache_get_entry(b);
-	if (NULL == sce) {
+	if (!stat_cache_path_isdir(b)) {
 		log_perror(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "%s", b->ptr);
 		goto ERR500;
 	}
-	if (!S_ISDIR(sce->st.st_mode)) {
-		log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "Not a directory %s", b->ptr);
-		goto ERR500;
-	}
 
 	/* cache the data */
 	buffer_copy_buffer(c->server_name, &r->uri.authority);
diff --git a/src/mod_simple_vhost.c b/src/mod_simple_vhost.c
index 6e77eb26..f2321d76 100644
--- a/src/mod_simple_vhost.c
+++ b/src/mod_simple_vhost.c
@@ -152,21 +152,17 @@ static void build_doc_root_path(buffer *out, const buffer *sroot, const buffer *
 }
 
 static int build_doc_root(request_st * const r, plugin_data *p, buffer *out, const buffer *host) {
-	stat_cache_entry *sce = NULL;
 
 	build_doc_root_path(out, p->conf.server_root, host, p->conf.document_root);
 
 	/* one-element cache (positive cache, not negative cache) */
 	if (buffer_is_equal(out, &p->last_root)) return 1;
 
-	sce = stat_cache_get_entry(out);
-	if (NULL == sce) {
+	if (!stat_cache_path_isdir(out)) {
 		if (p->conf.debug) {
 			log_perror(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "%s", out->ptr);
 		}
 		return 0;
-	} else if (!S_ISDIR(sce->st.st_mode)) {
-		return 0;
 	}
 
 	buffer_copy_buffer(&p->last_root, out);
diff --git a/src/mod_vhostdb.c b/src/mod_vhostdb.c
index 9bea5b89..e6c7e275 100644
--- a/src/mod_vhostdb.c
+++ b/src/mod_vhostdb.c
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ REQUEST_FUNC(mod_vhostdb_handle_docroot) {
     vhostdb_cache_entry *ve;
     const http_vhostdb_backend_t *backend;
     buffer *b;
-    stat_cache_entry *sce;
 
     /* no host specified? */
     if (buffer_string_is_empty(&r->uri.authority)) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
@@ -303,16 +302,10 @@ REQUEST_FUNC(mod_vhostdb_handle_docroot) {
 
     /* sanity check that really is a directory */
     buffer_append_slash(b);
-    sce = stat_cache_get_entry(b);
-    if (NULL == sce) {
+    if (!stat_cache_path_isdir(b)) {
         log_perror(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "%s", b->ptr);
         return mod_vhostdb_error_500(r); /* HANDLER_FINISHED */
     }
-    if (!S_ISDIR(sce->st.st_mode)) {
-        log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__,
-          "Not a directory: %s", b->ptr);
-        return mod_vhostdb_error_500(r); /* HANDLER_FINISHED */
-    }
 
     if (ve && !p->conf.vhostdb_cache)
         vhostdb_cache_entry_free(ve);
diff --git a/src/t/test_mod_evhost.c b/src/t/test_mod_evhost.c
index dbbbae77..ecb1aa6d 100644
--- a/src/t/test_mod_evhost.c
+++ b/src/t/test_mod_evhost.c
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ int main (void) {
  * stub functions
  */
 
-stat_cache_entry * stat_cache_get_entry(const buffer *name) {
+int stat_cache_path_isdir(const buffer *name) {
     UNUSED(name);
-    return NULL;
+    return 1;
 }
 
 int config_plugin_values_init(server *srv, void *p_d, const config_plugin_keys_t *cpk, const char *mname) {
diff --git a/src/t/test_mod_simple_vhost.c b/src/t/test_mod_simple_vhost.c
index ef60f027..e01784a6 100644
--- a/src/t/test_mod_simple_vhost.c
+++ b/src/t/test_mod_simple_vhost.c
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ int main (void) {
  * stub functions
  */
 
-stat_cache_entry * stat_cache_get_entry(const buffer *name) {
+int stat_cache_path_isdir(const buffer *name) {
     UNUSED(name);
-    return NULL;
+    return 1;
 }
 
 int config_plugin_values_init(server *srv, void *p_d, const config_plugin_keys_t *cpk, const char *mname) {