diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 6ca74443a81a48..3315158f642628 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -266,27 +266,25 @@ function ReadFileContext(callback, encoding) {
 }
 
 ReadFileContext.prototype.read = function() {
-  var fd = this.fd;
-  var size = this.size;
   var buffer;
   var offset;
   var length;
 
-  if (size === 0) {
+  if (this.size === 0) {
     buffer = this.buffer = new SlowBuffer(kReadFileBufferLength);
     offset = 0;
     length = kReadFileBufferLength;
   } else {
     buffer = this.buffer;
     offset = this.pos;
-    length = size - this.pos;
+    length = this.size - this.pos;
   }
 
   var req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = readFileAfterRead;
   req.context = this;
 
-  binding.read(fd, buffer, offset, length, -1, req);
+  binding.read(this.fd, buffer, offset, length, -1, req);
 };
 
 ReadFileContext.prototype.close = function(err) {
@@ -301,8 +299,7 @@ function readFileAfterOpen(err, fd) {
   var context = this.context;
 
   if (err) {
-    var callback = context.callback;
-    callback(err);
+    context.callback(err);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -416,7 +413,7 @@ fs.readFileSync = function(path, options) {
   if (size === 0) {
     buffers = [];
   } else {
-    var threw = true;
+    threw = true;
     try {
       buffer = new Buffer(size);
       threw = false;
@@ -425,17 +422,17 @@ fs.readFileSync = function(path, options) {
     }
   }
 
-  var done = false;
+  var done = false, bytesRead;
   while (!done) {
-    var threw = true;
+    threw = true;
     try {
       if (size !== 0) {
-        var bytesRead = fs.readSync(fd, buffer, pos, size - pos);
+        bytesRead = fs.readSync(fd, buffer, pos, size - pos);
       } else {
         // the kernel lies about many files.
         // Go ahead and try to read some bytes.
         buffer = new Buffer(8192);
-        var bytesRead = fs.readSync(fd, buffer, 0, 8192);
+        bytesRead = fs.readSync(fd, buffer, 0, 8192);
         if (bytesRead) {
           buffers.push(buffer.slice(0, bytesRead));
         }
@@ -584,10 +581,12 @@ fs.read = function(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
 
 fs.readSync = function(fd, buffer, offset, length, position) {
   var legacy = false;
+  var encoding;
+
   if (!(buffer instanceof Buffer)) {
     // legacy string interface (fd, length, position, encoding, callback)
     legacy = true;
-    var encoding = arguments[3];
+    encoding = arguments[3];
 
     assertEncoding(encoding);
 
@@ -622,6 +621,7 @@ fs.write = function(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
     callback(err, written || 0, buffer);
   }
 
+  var req = new FSReqWrap();
   if (buffer instanceof Buffer) {
     // if no position is passed then assume null
     if (typeof position === 'function') {
@@ -629,7 +629,6 @@ fs.write = function(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
       position = null;
     }
     callback = maybeCallback(callback);
-    var req = new FSReqWrap();
     req.oncomplete = strWrapper;
     return binding.writeBuffer(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, req);
   }
@@ -646,7 +645,6 @@ fs.write = function(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
     length = 'utf8';
   }
   callback = maybeCallback(position);
-  var req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = bufWrapper;
   return binding.writeString(fd, buffer, offset, length, req);
 };
@@ -720,8 +718,10 @@ fs.truncateSync = function(path, len) {
   }
   // allow error to be thrown, but still close fd.
   var fd = fs.openSync(path, 'r+');
+  var ret;
+
   try {
-    var ret = fs.ftruncateSync(fd, len);
+    ret = fs.ftruncateSync(fd, len);
   } finally {
     fs.closeSync(fd);
   }
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ function preprocessSymlinkDestination(path, type, linkPath) {
 
 fs.symlink = function(destination, path, type_, callback) {
   var type = (typeof type_ === 'string' ? type_ : null);
-  var callback = makeCallback(arguments[arguments.length - 1]);
+  callback = makeCallback(arguments[arguments.length - 1]);
 
   if (!nullCheck(destination, callback)) return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
@@ -967,9 +967,9 @@ if (constants.hasOwnProperty('O_SYMLINK')) {
 
     // prefer to return the chmod error, if one occurs,
     // but still try to close, and report closing errors if they occur.
-    var err, err2;
+    var err, err2, ret;
     try {
-      var ret = fs.fchmodSync(fd, mode);
+      ret = fs.fchmodSync(fd, mode);
     } catch (er) {
       err = er;
     }
@@ -1112,7 +1112,7 @@ function writeAll(fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
 }
 
 fs.writeFile = function(path, data, options, callback) {
-  var callback = maybeCallback(arguments[arguments.length - 1]);
+  callback = maybeCallback(arguments[arguments.length - 1]);
 
   if (!options || typeof options === 'function') {
     options = { encoding: 'utf8', mode: 0o666, flag: 'w' };
@@ -1625,8 +1625,8 @@ function ReadStream(path, options) {
   this.flags = options.flags === undefined ? 'r' : options.flags;
   this.mode = options.mode === undefined ? 0o666 : options.mode;
 
-  this.start = options.start === undefined ? undefined : options.start;
-  this.end = options.end === undefined ? undefined : options.end;
+  this.start = options.start;
+  this.end = options.end;
   this.autoClose = options.autoClose === undefined ? true : options.autoClose;
   this.pos = undefined;
 
@@ -1788,7 +1788,7 @@ function WriteStream(path, options) {
   this.flags = options.flags === undefined ? 'w' : options.flags;
   this.mode = options.mode === undefined ? 0o666 : options.mode;
 
-  this.start = options.start === undefined ? undefined : options.start;
+  this.start = options.start;
   this.pos = undefined;
   this.bytesWritten = 0;