diff --git a/src/driver/tpax_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/tpax_driver_ctx.c
index 0a92537..c621bb6 100644
--- a/src/driver/tpax_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/tpax_driver_ctx.c
@@ -276,6 +276,12 @@ static struct tpax_driver_ctx_impl * tpax_driver_ctx_alloc(
 	ictx->ctx.errinfp  = &ictx->ctx.erriptr[0];
 	ictx->ctx.erricap  = &ictx->ctx.erriptr[--elements];
 
+	elements = sizeof(ictx->ctx.prefptr) / sizeof(*ictx->ctx.prefptr);
+
+	ictx->ctx.prefixv  = &ictx->ctx.prefptr[0];
+	ictx->ctx.prefixp  = &ictx->ctx.prefptr[0];
+	ictx->ctx.prefcap  = &ictx->ctx.prefptr[--elements];
+
 	ictx->meta = meta;
 
 	for (entry=meta->entries,units=ictx->units; entry->fopt || entry->arg; entry++)
@@ -561,6 +567,7 @@ static void tpax_free_driver_ctx_impl(struct tpax_driver_ctx_alloc * ictx)
 {
 	void *  next;
 	size_t  size;
+	char ** ppref;
 
 	for (; ictx->ctx.dirents; ) {
 		next = ictx->ctx.dirents->next;
@@ -576,6 +583,12 @@ static void tpax_free_driver_ctx_impl(struct tpax_driver_ctx_alloc * ictx)
 	if (ictx->ctx.dirbuff)
 		munmap(ictx->ctx.dirbuff,TPAX_DIRENT_BUFLEN);
 
+	for (ppref=ictx->ctx.prefixv; *ppref; ppref++)
+		free(*ppref);
+
+	if (ictx->ctx.prefixv != ictx->ctx.prefptr)
+		free(ictx->ctx.prefixv);
+
 	argv_free(ictx->meta);
 	free(ictx);
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/tpax_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/tpax_driver_impl.h
index 5fabb0a..ea02185 100644
--- a/src/internal/tpax_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/tpax_driver_impl.h
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 	(TPAX_DRIVER_EXEC_MODE_WRITE |    \
 	 TPAX_DRIVER_EXEC_MODE_COPY)
 
+#define TPAX_ITEM_EXPLICIT 0X1
+#define TPAX_ITEM_IMPLICIT 0X2
+
 extern const struct argv_option tpax_default_options[];
 
 enum app_tags {
@@ -46,7 +49,9 @@ enum app_tags {
 struct tpax_dirent {
 	int                           fdat;
 	int                           depth;
+	int                           flags;
 	size_t                        nsize;
+	const char *                  prefix;
 	const struct tpax_dirent *    parent;
 	struct dirent                 dirent;
 };
@@ -69,6 +74,10 @@ struct tpax_driver_ctx_impl {
 	struct tpax_error_info **     erricap;
 	struct tpax_error_info *      erriptr[64];
 	struct tpax_error_info        erribuf[64];
+	char **                       prefixv;
+	char **                       prefixp;
+	char **                       prefcap;
+	char *                        prefptr[64];
 	struct tpax_dirent_buffer *   dirents;
 	void *                        dirbuff;
 	void *                        bufaddr;
diff --git a/src/logic/tpax_archive_append.c b/src/logic/tpax_archive_append.c
index 4bc3d2f..d8ac12f 100644
--- a/src/logic/tpax_archive_append.c
+++ b/src/logic/tpax_archive_append.c
@@ -49,6 +49,49 @@ static int tpax_archive_append_memory_data(
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static char * tpax_append_prefix_item(
+	const struct tpax_driver_ctx *  dctx,
+	const char *                    prefix)
+{
+	struct tpax_driver_ctx_impl *   ictx;
+	char **                         prefv;
+	char **                         psrc;
+	char **                         pdst;
+	off_t                           elements;
+	char *                          pitem;
+
+	ictx = tpax_get_driver_ictx(dctx);
+
+	for (psrc=ictx->prefixv; *psrc; psrc++)
+		if (!strcmp(*psrc,prefix))
+			return *psrc;
+
+	if (ictx->prefixp == ictx->prefcap) {
+		elements  = ictx->prefcap - ictx->prefixv;
+		elements += 256;
+
+		if (!(prefv = calloc(elements,sizeof(char *))))
+			return 0;
+
+		for (psrc=ictx->prefixv,pdst=prefv; *psrc; psrc++,pdst++)
+			*pdst = *psrc;
+
+		if (ictx->prefixv != ictx->prefptr)
+			free(ictx->prefixv);
+
+		ictx->prefixv = prefv;
+		ictx->prefixp = pdst;
+		ictx->prefcap = &prefv[--elements];
+	}
+
+	if (!(pitem = strdup(prefix)))
+		return 0;
+
+	*ictx->prefixp++ = pitem;
+
+	return pitem;
+}
+
 static int tpax_archive_append_pad(
 	const struct tpax_driver_ctx *  dctx,
 	int                             fdout,
@@ -144,11 +187,12 @@ static int tpax_archive_append_queue_item(
 	const struct tpax_driver_ctx *  dctx,
 	const struct dirent *           dirent,
 	const struct tpax_dirent *      parent,
+	const char *                    prefix,
 	struct tpax_unit_ctx *          unit,
 	int                             depth,
+	int                             flags,
 	int                             fd,
 	bool *                          fkeep)
-
 {
 	struct tpax_dirent_buffer *     dentbuf;
 	struct tpax_dirent *            cdent;
@@ -183,8 +227,10 @@ static int tpax_archive_append_queue_item(
 
 	cdent->fdat   = fd;
 	cdent->depth  = depth;
+	cdent->flags  = flags;
 	cdent->nsize  = needed;
 	cdent->parent = parent;
+	cdent->prefix = prefix;
 
 	memset(&cdent->dirent,0,offsetof(struct dirent,d_name));
 
@@ -510,7 +556,8 @@ static int tpax_archive_append_dir(
 			if (dirent->d_type == DT_DIR) {
 				if (tpax_archive_append_queue_item(
 						dctx,dirent,
-						parent,unit,depth,
+						parent,0,unit,depth,
+						TPAX_ITEM_IMPLICIT,
 						fd,&fkeep) < 0)
 					return tpax_archive_append_ret(
 						TPAX_NESTED_ERROR(dctx),
@@ -598,6 +645,10 @@ int tpax_archive_append(
 		for (++prefix; *prefix=='/'; prefix++)
 			(void)0;
 
+	if (prefix)
+		if (!(prefix = tpax_append_prefix_item(dctx,prefix)))
+			return TPAX_BUFFER_ERROR(dctx);
+
 	/* append explicit item */
 	tpax_archive_append_impl(dctx,uctx,0,prefix,0);