diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index e9061c0..16bf7a3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,28 @@
    Entries may not always be in chronological/commit order.
    See license at the end of file. */
 
+2021-04-14 10:10 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
+  + src/rtl/vfilehi.prg
+  * src/rtl/Makefile
+  * src/harbour.def
+  * include/harbour.hbx
+    + added FILE API counterparts to hb_DirBuild() and hb_FNameExists()
+      hb_vfDirBuild( <cDir> ) -> <lSuccess>
+      hb_vfDirUnbuild( <cDir> ) -> <lSuccess>
+      hb_vfNameExists( <cName> ) -> <lExists>
+
+  * src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg
+    ; partial merge of
+      2015-07-27 14:26 UTC+0200 Viktor Szakats
+    ! fix several sloppy checks where Empty() were
+      used on strings while in fact a zero length
+      check would have been correct.
+    ; Empty() is a "weasel-word" when used on strings,
+      should be used carefully and sparingly.
+
+  * ChangeLog.txt
+    % avoid spaces before EOLs
+
 2021-04-12 21:18 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
   * src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg
     * hb_DirBuild() will now honor UNC "\\server\share\dir\tree" parameter

diff --git a/include/harbour.hbx b/include/harbour.hbx
index 6ab691c..dbcd1ab 100644
--- a/include/harbour.hbx
+++ b/include/harbour.hbx
@@ -941,10 +941,12 @@ DYNAMIC hb_vfCommit
 DYNAMIC hb_vfConfig
 DYNAMIC hb_vfCopyFile
 DYNAMIC hb_vfDirectory
+DYNAMIC hb_vfDirBuild
 DYNAMIC hb_vfDirExists
 DYNAMIC hb_vfDirMake
 DYNAMIC hb_vfDirRemove
 DYNAMIC hb_vfDirSpace
+DYNAMIC hb_vfDirUnbuild
 DYNAMIC hb_vfEof
 DYNAMIC hb_vfErase
 DYNAMIC hb_vfExists
@@ -957,6 +959,7 @@ DYNAMIC hb_vfLoad
 DYNAMIC hb_vfLock
 DYNAMIC hb_vfLockTest
 DYNAMIC hb_vfMoveFile
+DYNAMIC hb_vfNameExists
 DYNAMIC hb_vfOpen
 DYNAMIC hb_vfRead
 DYNAMIC hb_vfReadAt
diff --git a/src/harbour.def b/src/harbour.def
index 647f996..97e2eb5 100644
--- a/src/harbour.def
+++ b/src/harbour.def
@@ -1132,11 +1132,13 @@ HB_FUN_HB_VFCLOSE
 HB_FUN_HB_VFCOMMIT
 HB_FUN_HB_VFCONFIG
 HB_FUN_HB_VFCOPYFILE
+HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRBUILD
 HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRECTORY
 HB_FUN_HB_VFDIREXISTS
 HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRMAKE
 HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRREMOVE
 HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRSPACE
+HB_FUN_HB_VFDIRUNBUILD
 HB_FUN_HB_VFEOF
 HB_FUN_HB_VFERASE
 HB_FUN_HB_VFEXISTS
@@ -1149,6 +1151,7 @@ HB_FUN_HB_VFLOAD
 HB_FUN_HB_VFLOCK
 HB_FUN_HB_VFLOCKTEST
 HB_FUN_HB_VFMOVEFILE
+HB_FUN_HB_VFNAMEEXISTS
 HB_FUN_HB_VFOPEN
 HB_FUN_HB_VFREAD
 HB_FUN_HB_VFREADAT
diff --git a/src/rtl/Makefile b/src/rtl/Makefile
index 6472d62..36daf25 100644
--- a/src/rtl/Makefile
+++ b/src/rtl/Makefile
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ PRG_SOURCES := \
    ttopbar.prg \
    typefile.prg \
    valtoexp.prg \
+   vfilehi.prg \
    wait.prg \
 
 LIBNAME := hbrtl
diff --git a/src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg b/src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg
index 14d055f..9a1bcc6 100644
--- a/src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg
+++ b/src/rtl/hbfilehi.prg
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * High-level portable file functions.
  *
- * Copyright 2009-2011 Viktor Szakats (vszakats.net/harbour)
+ * Copyright 2009-2017 Viktor Szakats (vsz.me/hb)
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ FUNCTION hb_DirBuild( cDir )
 
       cDir := hb_DirSepAdd( cDir )
 
-      IF ! Empty( hb_osDriveSeparator() ) .AND. ;
+      IF ! hb_osDriveSeparator() == "" .AND. ;
          ( tmp := At( hb_osDriveSeparator(), cDir ) ) > 0
          cDirTemp := Left( cDir, tmp )
          cDir := SubStr( cDir, tmp + 1 )
@@ -297,10 +297,10 @@ FUNCTION hb_DirBuild( cDir )
       ENDIF
 
       FOR EACH cDirItem IN hb_ATokens( cDir, hb_ps() )
-         IF !( Right( cDirTemp, 1 ) == hb_ps() ) .AND. ! Empty( cDirTemp )
+         IF ! Right( cDirTemp, 1 ) == hb_ps() .AND. ! cDirTemp == ""
             cDirTemp += hb_ps()
          ENDIF
-         IF ! Empty( cDirItem )  /* Skip root path, if any */
+         IF ! cDirItem == ""  /* Skip root path, if any */
             cDirTemp += cDirItem
             IF hb_FileExists( cDirTemp )
                RETURN .F.
@@ -317,7 +317,6 @@ FUNCTION hb_DirBuild( cDir )
 
 FUNCTION hb_DirUnbuild( cDir )
 
-   LOCAL cDirTemp
    LOCAL tmp
 
    IF ! HB_ISSTRING( cDir )
@@ -328,19 +327,17 @@ FUNCTION hb_DirUnbuild( cDir )
 
       cDir := hb_DirSepDel( cDir )
 
-      cDirTemp := cDir
-      DO WHILE ! Empty( cDirTemp )
-         IF hb_DirExists( cDirTemp )
-            IF hb_DirDelete( cDirTemp ) != 0
-               RETURN .F.
-            ENDIF
+      DO WHILE ! Empty( cDir )
+         IF hb_DirExists( cDir ) .AND. ;
+            hb_DirDelete( cDir ) != 0
+            RETURN .F.
          ENDIF
-         IF ( tmp := RAt( hb_ps(), cDirTemp ) ) == 0
+         IF ( tmp := RAt( hb_ps(), cDir ) ) == 0  /* FIXME: use hb_URAt() function */
             EXIT
          ENDIF
-         cDirTemp := Left( cDirTemp, tmp - 1 )
-         IF ! Empty( hb_osDriveSeparator() ) .AND. ;
-            Right( cDirTemp, Len( hb_osDriveSeparator() ) ) == hb_osDriveSeparator()
+         cDir := Left( cDir, tmp - 1 )
+         IF ! hb_osDriveSeparator() == "" .AND. ;
+            Right( cDir, Len( hb_osDriveSeparator() ) ) == hb_osDriveSeparator()
             EXIT
          ENDIF
       ENDDO
diff --git a/src/rtl/vfilehi.prg b/src/rtl/vfilehi.prg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81e3220
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rtl/vfilehi.prg
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+/*
+ * High-level VF FILE API based functions.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2009-2017 Viktor Szakats (vsz.me/hb)
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; see the file LICENSE.txt.  If not, write to
+ * the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA (or visit https://www.gnu.org/licenses/).
+ *
+ * As a special exception, the Harbour Project gives permission for
+ * additional uses of the text contained in its release of Harbour.
+ *
+ * The exception is that, if you link the Harbour libraries with other
+ * files to produce an executable, this does not by itself cause the
+ * resulting executable to be covered by the GNU General Public License.
+ * Your use of that executable is in no way restricted on account of
+ * linking the Harbour library code into it.
+ *
+ * This exception does not however invalidate any other reasons why
+ * the executable file might be covered by the GNU General Public License.
+ *
+ * This exception applies only to the code released by the Harbour
+ * Project under the name Harbour.  If you copy code from other
+ * Harbour Project or Free Software Foundation releases into a copy of
+ * Harbour, as the General Public License permits, the exception does
+ * not apply to the code that you add in this way.  To avoid misleading
+ * anyone as to the status of such modified files, you must delete
+ * this exception notice from them.
+ *
+ * If you write modifications of your own for Harbour, it is your choice
+ * whether to permit this exception to apply to your modifications.
+ * If you do not wish that, delete this exception notice.
+ *
+ */
+
+FUNCTION hb_vfDirBuild( cDir )
+
+   LOCAL cDirTemp
+   LOCAL cDirItem
+   LOCAL tmp
+
+   IF ! HB_ISSTRING( cDir )
+      RETURN .F.
+   ENDIF
+
+   cDir := hb_PathNormalize( cDir )
+
+   IF ! hb_vfDirExists( cDir )
+
+      cDir := hb_DirSepAdd( cDir )
+
+      IF ! hb_osDriveSeparator() == "" .AND. ;
+         ( tmp := At( hb_osDriveSeparator(), cDir ) ) > 0
+         cDirTemp := Left( cDir, tmp )
+         cDir := SubStr( cDir, tmp + 1 )
+#ifdef __PLATFORM__WINDOWS
+      ELSEIF Left( cDir, 2 ) == "\\" /* UNC Path, network share */
+         cDirTemp := Left( cDir, hb_At( "\", cDir, 3 ) )
+         cDir := SubStr( cDir, Len( cDirTemp ) + 1 )
+#endif
+      ELSEIF Left( cDir, 1 ) == hb_ps()
+         cDirTemp := Left( cDir, 1 )
+         cDir := SubStr( cDir, 2 )
+      ELSE
+         cDirTemp := ""
+      ENDIF
+
+      FOR EACH cDirItem IN hb_ATokens( cDir, hb_ps() )
+         IF ! Right( cDirTemp, 1 ) == hb_ps() .AND. ! cDirTemp == ""
+            cDirTemp += hb_ps()
+         ENDIF
+         IF ! cDirItem == ""  /* Skip root path, if any */
+            cDirTemp += cDirItem
+            IF hb_vfExists( cDirTemp )
+               RETURN .F.
+            ELSEIF ! hb_vfDirExists( cDirTemp )
+               IF hb_vfDirMake( cDirTemp ) != 0
+                  RETURN .F.
+               ENDIF
+            ENDIF
+         ENDIF
+      NEXT
+   ENDIF
+
+   RETURN .T.
+
+FUNCTION hb_vfDirUnbuild( cDir )
+
+   LOCAL tmp
+
+   IF ! HB_ISSTRING( cDir )
+      RETURN .F.
+   ENDIF
+
+   IF hb_vfDirExists( cDir )
+
+      cDir := hb_DirSepDel( cDir )
+
+      DO WHILE ! cDir == ""
+         IF hb_vfDirExists( cDir ) .AND. ;
+            hb_vfDirRemove( cDir ) != 0
+            RETURN .F.
+         ENDIF
+         IF ( tmp := RAt( hb_ps(), cDir ) ) == 0  /* FIXME: use hb_URAt() function */
+            EXIT
+         ENDIF
+         cDir := Left( cDir, tmp - 1 )
+         IF ! hb_osDriveSeparator() == "" .AND. ;
+            Right( cDir, Len( hb_osDriveSeparator() ) ) == hb_osDriveSeparator()
+            EXIT
+         ENDIF
+      ENDDO
+   ENDIF
+
+   RETURN .T.
+
+FUNCTION hb_vfNameExists( cName )
+   RETURN ;
+      hb_vfExists( cName ) .OR. ;
+      hb_vfDirExists( cName )