diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d555df5c1..34517a8b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ provides zero-copy interfaces to the squashfs archives.
 struct SqshArchive *archive =
 		sqsh_archive_open("/path/to/archive.squashfs", NULL, NULL);
 
-uint8_t *contents = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, "/path/to/file");
+uint8_t *contents = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, "/path/to/file", NULL);
 assert(contents != NULL);
-const size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, "/path/to/file");
+const size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, "/path/to/file", NULL);
 fwrite(contents, 1, size, stdout);
 free(contents);
 
diff --git a/examples/read_file.c b/examples/read_file.c
index 29fb2e040..be28ab614 100644
--- a/examples/read_file.c
+++ b/examples/read_file.c
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	struct SqshArchive *archive = sqsh_archive_open(argv[1], NULL, NULL);
 	assert(archive != NULL);
 
-	uint8_t *content = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, argv[2]);
+	uint8_t *content = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, argv[2], NULL);
 	assert(content != NULL);
-	size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, argv[2]);
+	size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, argv[2], NULL);
 
 	fwrite(content, size, 1, stdout);
 
diff --git a/examples/readme_example.c b/examples/readme_example.c
index d1bfac9ab..0f1b83c97 100644
--- a/examples/readme_example.c
+++ b/examples/readme_example.c
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	struct SqshArchive *archive =
 			sqsh_archive_open("/path/to/archive.squashfs", NULL, NULL);
 
-	uint8_t *contents = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, "/path/to/file");
+	uint8_t *contents = sqsh_easy_file_content(archive, "/path/to/file", NULL);
 	assert(contents != NULL);
-	const size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, "/path/to/file");
+	const size_t size = sqsh_easy_file_size(archive, "/path/to/file", NULL);
 	fwrite(contents, 1, size, stdout);
 	free(contents);
 
diff --git a/include/sqsh_easy.h b/include/sqsh_easy.h
index bb5717227..11e69068f 100644
--- a/include/sqsh_easy.h
+++ b/include/sqsh_easy.h
@@ -56,10 +56,11 @@ struct SqshFile;
  *
  * @param[in] archive  The sqsh archive context.
  * @param[in] path     The path the file or directory.
+ * @param[out] err     Pointer to an int where the error code will be stored.
  *
  * @return true if the file exists, false otherwise.
  */
-bool sqsh_easy_file_exists(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
+bool sqsh_easy_file_exists(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err);
 
 /**
  * @brief retrieves the content of a file.
@@ -69,40 +70,44 @@ bool sqsh_easy_file_exists(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
  *
  * @param[in] archive  The sqsh archive context.
  * @param[in] path     The path the file or directory.
+ * @param[out] err     Pointer to an int where the error code will be stored.
  *
  * @return The content of the file on success, NULL on error.
  */
-uint8_t *sqsh_easy_file_content(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
+uint8_t *sqsh_easy_file_content(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err);
 
 /**
  * @brief retrieves the size of a file.
  *
  * @param[in] archive  The sqsh archive context.
  * @param[in] path     The path the file or directory.
+ * @param[out] err     Pointer to an int where the error code will be stored.
  *
  * @return The size of the file on success, 0 on error.
  */
-size_t sqsh_easy_file_size(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
+size_t sqsh_easy_file_size(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err);
 
 /**
  * @brief retrieves unix permissions of a file.
  *
  * @param[in] archive  The sqsh archive context.
  * @param[in] path     The path the file or directory.
+ * @param[out] err     Pointer to an int where the error code will be stored.
  *
  * @return The unix permissions of the file on success, 0 on error.
  */
-mode_t sqsh_easy_file_permission(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
+mode_t sqsh_easy_file_permission(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err);
 
 /**
  * @brief retrieves the modification time of a file.
  *
  * @param[in] archive  The sqsh archive context.
  * @param[in] path     The path the file or directory.
+ * @param[out] err     Pointer to an int where the error code will be stored.
  *
  * @return The modification time of the file on success, 0 on error.
  */
-time_t sqsh_easy_file_mtime(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path);
+time_t sqsh_easy_file_mtime(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err);
 
 /***************************************
  * chrome/directory.c
diff --git a/lib/easy/file.c b/lib/easy/file.c
index 8aac5a54b..02f5338e7 100644
--- a/lib/easy/file.c
+++ b/lib/easy/file.c
@@ -46,25 +46,34 @@
 #include "../../include/sqsh_tree_private.h"
 
 bool
-sqsh_easy_file_exists(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
+sqsh_easy_file_exists(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err) {
 	int rv = 0;
-	struct SqshFile *file = NULL;
+	struct SqshTreeWalker walker = {0};
 	bool exists = false;
 
-	file = sqsh_open(archive, path, &rv);
+	rv = sqsh__tree_walker_init(&walker, archive);
+	if (rv == -SQSH_ERROR_NO_SUCH_FILE) {
+		rv = 0;
+		goto out;
+	} else if (rv < 0) {
+		goto out;
+	}
+	rv = sqsh_tree_walker_resolve(&walker, path, true);
 	if (rv < 0) {
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	exists = true;
-
 out:
-	sqsh_close(file);
+	sqsh__tree_walker_cleanup(&walker);
+	if (err != NULL) {
+		*err = rv;
+	}
 	return exists;
 }
 
 uint8_t *
-sqsh_easy_file_content(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
+sqsh_easy_file_content(
+		struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err) {
 	int rv = 0;
 	struct SqshFileIterator iterator = {0};
 	struct SqshFile *file = NULL;
@@ -102,11 +111,14 @@ sqsh_easy_file_content(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
 		free(content);
 		content = NULL;
 	}
+	if (err != NULL) {
+		*err = rv;
+	}
 	return content;
 }
 
 size_t
-sqsh_easy_file_size(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
+sqsh_easy_file_size(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err) {
 	int rv = 0;
 	struct SqshFile *file = NULL;
 	size_t file_size = 0;
@@ -120,11 +132,15 @@ sqsh_easy_file_size(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
 
 out:
 	sqsh_close(file);
+	if (err != NULL) {
+		*err = rv;
+	}
 	return file_size;
 }
 
 mode_t
-sqsh_easy_file_permission(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
+sqsh_easy_file_permission(
+		struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err) {
 	int rv = 0;
 	struct SqshFile *file = NULL;
 	mode_t permission = 0;
@@ -138,11 +154,14 @@ sqsh_easy_file_permission(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
 
 out:
 	sqsh_close(file);
+	if (err != NULL) {
+		*err = rv;
+	}
 	return permission;
 }
 
 time_t
-sqsh_easy_file_mtime(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
+sqsh_easy_file_mtime(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path, int *err) {
 	int rv = 0;
 	struct SqshFile *file = NULL;
 	time_t modified = 0;
@@ -156,5 +175,8 @@ sqsh_easy_file_mtime(struct SqshArchive *archive, const char *path) {
 
 out:
 	sqsh_close(file);
+	if (err != NULL) {
+		*err = rv;
+	}
 	return modified;
 }
diff --git a/test/easy/file.c b/test/easy/file.c
index 7a7196f68..45521694a 100644
--- a/test/easy/file.c
+++ b/test/easy/file.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ test_file_get_content_through_symlink(void) {
 	};
 	mk_stub(&archive, payload, sizeof(payload));
 
-	uint8_t *content = sqsh_easy_file_content(&archive, "/src");
+	uint8_t *content = sqsh_easy_file_content(&archive, "/src", NULL);
 	assert(content != NULL);
 	assert(strcmp((char *)content, "12345678") == 0);
 	free(content);
diff --git a/test/integration.c b/test/integration.c
index 3d5ab1cca..df6be0221 100644
--- a/test/integration.c
+++ b/test/integration.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ sqsh_read_content(void) {
 	rv = sqsh__archive_init(&archive, (char *)TEST_SQUASHFS_IMAGE, &config);
 	assert(rv == 0);
 
-	data = (char *)sqsh_easy_file_content(&archive, "/a");
+	data = (char *)sqsh_easy_file_content(&archive, "/a", NULL);
 	assert(strcmp(data, "a\n") == 0);
 	free(data);