diff --git a/expire-channels.js b/expire-channels.js
index a42a3af58..f7597b323 100644
--- a/expire-channels.js
+++ b/expire-channels.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ var handleTask = function (str, path, cb) {
         }
     }).nThen(function () {
         // remove the task file...
-        Fs.unlink(path, function (err) {
+        Fs.unlink(path, function (err) { // FIXME deletion
             if (err) { console.error(err); }
             cb();
         });
diff --git a/storage/file.js b/storage/file.js
index e4a746a67..46ae366a6 100644
--- a/storage/file.js
+++ b/storage/file.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* jshint esversion: 6 */
 /* global Buffer */
 var Fs = require("fs");
+var Fse = require("fs-extra");
 var Path = require("path");
 var nThen = require("nthen");
 const ToPull = require('stream-to-pull-stream');
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ var closeChannel = function (env, channelName, cb) {
     }
 };
 
-var clearChannel = function (env, channelId, cb) {
+var clearChannel = function (env, channelId, cb) { // FIXME deletion
     var path = mkPath(env, channelId);
     getMetadataAtPath(env, path, function (e, metadata) {
         if (e) { return cb(new Error(e)); }
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ var checkPath = function (path, callback) {
             return;
         }
         // 511 -> octal 777
-        Fs.mkdir(Path.dirname(path), 511, function (err) {
+        Fse.mkdirp(Path.dirname(path), 511, function (err) {
             if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
                 callback(err);
                 return;
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ var checkPath = function (path, callback) {
     });
 };
 
-var removeChannel = function (env, channelName, cb) {
+var removeChannel = function (env, channelName, cb) { // FIXME deletion
     var filename = mkPath(env, channelName);
     Fs.unlink(filename, cb);
 };
@@ -420,7 +421,7 @@ module.exports.create = function (
     };
     // 0x1ff -> 777
     var it;
-    Fs.mkdir(env.root, 0x1ff, function (err) {
+    Fse.mkdirp(env.root, 0x1ff, function (err) {
         if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
             // TODO: somehow return a nice error
             throw err;
diff --git a/storage/tasks.js b/storage/tasks.js
index 85df70a8d..5a999998c 100644
--- a/storage/tasks.js
+++ b/storage/tasks.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var Fs = require("fs");
+var Fse = require("fs-extra");
 var Path = require("path");
 var nacl = require("tweetnacl");
 var nThen = require("nthen");
@@ -58,8 +59,8 @@ var write = function (env, task, cb) {
         var dir = id.slice(0, 2);
         var dirpath = Path.join(env.root, dir);
 
-        Fs.mkdir(dirpath, 0x1ff, w(function (err) {
-            if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
+        Fse.mkdirp(dirpath, 0x1ff, w(function (err) {
+            if (err) {
                 return void cb(err);
             }
         }));
@@ -72,13 +73,17 @@ var write = function (env, task, cb) {
     });
 };
 
+// TODO implement a standard API for removing tasks
+// currently they are deleted manually in 'expire-channels.js'
+// var remove = function (env, id, cb) { };
+
 Tasks.create = function (config, cb) {
     var env = {
         root: config.taskPath || './tasks',
     };
 
     // make sure the path exists...
-    Fs.mkdir(env.root, 0x1ff, function (err) {
+    Fse.mkdirp(env.root, 0x1ff, function (err) {
         if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
             throw err;
         }
@@ -91,4 +96,3 @@ Tasks.create = function (config, cb) {
     });
 };
 
-