diff --git a/kbx/keybox-defs.h b/kbx/keybox-defs.h
index b8b83771a..154d4fca6 100644
--- a/kbx/keybox-defs.h
+++ b/kbx/keybox-defs.h
@@ -177,8 +177,7 @@ void _keybox_destroy_openpgp_info (keybox_openpgp_info_t info);
 
 
 /*-- keybox-file.c --*/
-int _keybox_read_blob (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp);
-int _keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted);
+int _keybox_read_blob (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted);
 int _keybox_write_blob (KEYBOXBLOB blob, FILE *fp);
 
 /*-- keybox-search.c --*/
diff --git a/kbx/keybox-dump.c b/kbx/keybox-dump.c
index d24f117ab..aa1d93be7 100644
--- a/kbx/keybox-dump.c
+++ b/kbx/keybox-dump.c
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ _keybox_dump_file (const char *filename, int stats_only, FILE *outfp)
 
   for (;;)
     {
-      rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp);
+      rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp, NULL);
       if (gpg_err_code (rc) == GPG_ERR_TOO_LARGE
           && gpg_err_source (rc) == GPG_ERR_SOURCE_KEYBOX)
         {
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ _keybox_dump_find_dups (const char *filename, int print_them, FILE *outfp)
     }
   dupitems_count = 0;
 
-  while ( !(rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp)) )
+  while ( !(rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp, NULL)) )
     {
       unsigned char digest[20];
 
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ _keybox_dump_cut_records (const char *filename, unsigned long from,
   if (!(fp = open_file (&filename, stderr)))
     return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
 
-  while ( !(rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp)) )
+  while ( !(rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp, NULL)) )
     {
       if (recno > to)
         break; /* Ready.  */
diff --git a/kbx/keybox-file.c b/kbx/keybox-file.c
index 0485e81b4..046e32123 100644
--- a/kbx/keybox-file.c
+++ b/kbx/keybox-file.c
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ ftello (FILE *stream)
 
 
 
-/* Read a block at the current position and return it in r_blob.
-   r_blob may be NULL to simply skip the current block.  */
+/* Read a block at the current position and return it in R_BLOB.
+   R_BLOB may be NULL to simply skip the current block.  */
 int
-_keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
+_keybox_read_blob (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
 {
   unsigned char *image;
   size_t imagelen = 0;
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ _keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
   int rc;
   off_t off;
 
-  *skipped_deleted = 0;
+  if (skipped_deleted)
+    *skipped_deleted = 0;
  again:
   if (r_blob)
     *r_blob = NULL;
@@ -86,7 +87,8 @@ _keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
       /* Special treatment for empty blobs. */
       if (fseek (fp, imagelen-5, SEEK_CUR))
         return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
-      *skipped_deleted = 1;
+      if (skipped_deleted)
+        *skipped_deleted = 1;
       goto again;
     }
 
@@ -99,6 +101,14 @@ _keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
       return gpg_error (GPG_ERR_TOO_LARGE);
     }
 
+  if (!r_blob)
+    {
+      /* This blob shall be skipped.  */
+      if (fseek (fp, imagelen-5, SEEK_CUR))
+        return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
+      return 0;
+    }
+
   image = xtrymalloc (imagelen);
   if (!image)
     return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
@@ -111,19 +121,12 @@ _keybox_read_blob2 (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp, int *skipped_deleted)
       return tmperr;
     }
 
-  rc = r_blob? _keybox_new_blob (r_blob, image, imagelen, off) : 0;
-  if (rc || !r_blob)
+  rc = _keybox_new_blob (r_blob, image, imagelen, off);
+  if (rc)
     xfree (image);
   return rc;
 }
 
-int
-_keybox_read_blob (KEYBOXBLOB *r_blob, FILE *fp)
-{
-  int dummy;
-  return _keybox_read_blob2 (r_blob, fp, &dummy);
-}
-
 
 /* Write the block to the current file position */
 int
diff --git a/kbx/keybox-search.c b/kbx/keybox-search.c
index 0bd4e0182..a5fc7fa9d 100644
--- a/kbx/keybox-search.c
+++ b/kbx/keybox-search.c
@@ -725,6 +725,23 @@ release_sn_array (struct sn_array_s *array, size_t size)
   xfree (array);
 }
 
+
+/* Helper to open the file.  */
+static gpg_error_t
+open_file (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd)
+{
+
+  hd->fp = fopen (hd->kb->fname, "rb");
+  if (!hd->fp)
+    {
+      hd->error = gpg_error_from_syserror ();
+      return hd->error;
+    }
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
 
 /*
 
@@ -822,12 +839,11 @@ keybox_search (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd, KEYBOX_SEARCH_DESC *desc, size_t ndesc,
 
   if (!hd->fp)
     {
-      hd->fp = fopen (hd->kb->fname, "rb");
-      if (!hd->fp)
+      rc = open_file (hd);
+      if (rc)
         {
-          hd->error = gpg_error_from_syserror ();
           xfree (sn_array);
-          return hd->error;
+          return rc;
         }
     }
 
@@ -899,7 +915,7 @@ keybox_search (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd, KEYBOX_SEARCH_DESC *desc, size_t ndesc,
       int blobtype;
 
       _keybox_release_blob (blob); blob = NULL;
-      rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, hd->fp);
+      rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, hd->fp, NULL);
       if (gpg_err_code (rc) == GPG_ERR_TOO_LARGE
           && gpg_err_source (rc) == GPG_ERR_SOURCE_KEYBOX)
         {
@@ -1192,24 +1208,23 @@ keybox_offset (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd)
 gpg_error_t
 keybox_seek (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd, off_t offset)
 {
-  int err;
+  gpg_error_t err;
 
   if (hd->error)
     return hd->error; /* still in error state */
 
   if (! hd->fp)
     {
-      if (offset == 0)
-        /* No need to open the file.  An unopened file is effectively at
-           offset 0.  */
-        return 0;
-
-      hd->fp = fopen (hd->kb->fname, "rb");
-      if (!hd->fp)
+      if (!offset)
         {
-          hd->error = gpg_error_from_syserror ();
-          return hd->error;
+          /* No need to open the file.  An unopened file is effectively at
+             offset 0.  */
+          return 0;
         }
+
+      err = open_file (hd);
+      if (err)
+        return err;
     }
 
   err = fseeko (hd->fp, offset, SEEK_SET);
diff --git a/kbx/keybox-update.c b/kbx/keybox-update.c
index 0b0f56bce..580330f52 100644
--- a/kbx/keybox-update.c
+++ b/kbx/keybox-update.c
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ blob_filecopy (int mode, const char *fname, KEYBOXBLOB blob,
         }
 
       /* Skip this blob. */
-      rc = _keybox_read_blob (NULL, fp);
+      rc = _keybox_read_blob (NULL, fp, NULL);
       if (rc)
         {
           fclose (fp);
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ keybox_compress (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd)
 
   /* A quick test to see if we need to compress the file at all.  We
      schedule a compress run after 3 hours. */
-  if ( !_keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp) )
+  if ( !_keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp, NULL) )
     {
       const unsigned char *buffer;
       size_t length;
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ keybox_compress (KEYBOX_HANDLE hd)
   cut_time = time(NULL) - 86400;
   first_blob = 1;
   skipped_deleted = 0;
-  for (rc=0; !(read_rc = _keybox_read_blob2 (&blob, fp, &skipped_deleted));
+  for (rc=0; !(read_rc = _keybox_read_blob (&blob, fp, &skipped_deleted));
        _keybox_release_blob (blob), blob = NULL )
     {
       unsigned int blobflags;