diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/entry_factory.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/entry_factory.h
index 1fbb193e..16a29904 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/entry_factory.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/entry_factory.h
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ class entry;
 
 class entry_factory {
  public:
+  using node = std::shared_ptr<internal::entry>;
+
   entry_factory();
 
-  std::shared_ptr<internal::entry>
-  create(os_access const& os, std::filesystem::path const& path,
-         std::shared_ptr<internal::entry> parent = nullptr) {
+  node create(os_access const& os, std::filesystem::path const& path,
+              node parent = {}) {
     return impl_->create(os, path, std::move(parent));
   }
 
@@ -50,9 +51,8 @@ class entry_factory {
    public:
     virtual ~impl() = default;
 
-    virtual std::shared_ptr<internal::entry>
-    create(os_access const& os, std::filesystem::path const& path,
-           std::shared_ptr<internal::entry> parent) = 0;
+    virtual node create(os_access const& os, std::filesystem::path const& path,
+                        node parent) = 0;
   };
 
  private:
diff --git a/src/writer/entry_factory.cpp b/src/writer/entry_factory.cpp
index cae73a88..9abd7b39 100644
--- a/src/writer/entry_factory.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/entry_factory.cpp
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ namespace internal {
 
 class entry_factory_ : public entry_factory::impl {
  public:
-  std::shared_ptr<entry>
+  entry_factory::node
   create(os_access const& os, std::filesystem::path const& path,
-         std::shared_ptr<entry> parent) override {
+         entry_factory::node parent) override {
     auto st = os.symlink_info(path);
 
     switch (st.type()) {
diff --git a/src/writer/scanner.cpp b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
index ee8061a8..c940483b 100644
--- a/src/writer/scanner.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
@@ -311,14 +311,14 @@ class scanner_ final : public scanner::impl {
             std::shared_ptr<file_access const> fa) override;
 
  private:
-  std::shared_ptr<entry> scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
-                                   progress& prog, file_scanner& fs);
+  entry_factory::node scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
+                                progress& prog, file_scanner& fs);
 
-  std::shared_ptr<entry> scan_list(std::filesystem::path const& rootpath,
-                                   std::span<std::filesystem::path const> list,
-                                   progress& prog, file_scanner& fs);
+  entry_factory::node scan_list(std::filesystem::path const& rootpath,
+                                std::span<std::filesystem::path const> list,
+                                progress& prog, file_scanner& fs);
 
-  std::shared_ptr<entry>
+  entry_factory::node
   add_entry(std::filesystem::path const& name,
             std::shared_ptr<dir> const& parent, progress& prog,
             file_scanner& fs, bool debug_filter = false);
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ FOLLY_PUSH_WARNING
 FOLLY_GCC_DISABLE_WARNING("-Wnrvo")
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-std::shared_ptr<entry>
+entry_factory::node
 scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::add_entry(std::filesystem::path const& name,
                                   std::shared_ptr<dir> const& parent,
                                   progress& prog, file_scanner& fs,
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::dump_state(
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-std::shared_ptr<entry>
+entry_factory::node
 scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
                                   progress& prog, file_scanner& fs) {
   auto root = entry_factory_.create(os_, path);
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
     t->transform(*root);
   }
 
-  std::deque<std::shared_ptr<entry>> queue({root});
+  std::deque<entry_factory::node> queue({root});
   prog.dirs_found++;
 
   while (!queue.empty()) {
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
     try {
       auto d = os_.opendir(ppath);
       std::filesystem::path name;
-      std::vector<std::shared_ptr<entry>> subdirs;
+      std::vector<entry_factory::node> subdirs;
 
       while (d->read(name)) {
         if (auto pe = add_entry(name, parent, prog, fs, debug_filter)) {
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_tree(std::filesystem::path const& path,
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-std::shared_ptr<entry>
+entry_factory::node
 scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_list(std::filesystem::path const& rootpath,
                                   std::span<std::filesystem::path const> list,
                                   progress& prog, file_scanner& fs) {
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_list(std::filesystem::path const& rootpath,
   }
 
   auto ensure_path = [this, &prog, &fs](std::filesystem::path const& path,
-                                        std::shared_ptr<entry> root) {
+                                        entry_factory::node root) {
     LOG_TRACE << "ensuring path '" << path_to_utf8_string_sanitized(path)
               << "'";