diff --git a/src/fuse_operations.c b/src/fuse_operations.c
index 6e9e135..4d6fb7a 100644
--- a/src/fuse_operations.c
+++ b/src/fuse_operations.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   See the file LICENSE.
 */
 
+#include "process_info.h"
 #include "real_filename.h"
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
@@ -267,8 +268,7 @@ static int xmp_unlink(const char *path) {
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
   // ask the user for the permission for deleting the file
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
 
@@ -315,8 +315,7 @@ static int xmp_rename(const char *from, const char *to, unsigned int flags) {
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
 
@@ -346,8 +345,7 @@ static int xmp_link(const char *from, const char *to) {
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
   if (!interactive_access(from, pi, 0)) {
@@ -371,8 +369,7 @@ static int xmp_chmod(const char *path, mode_t mode, struct fuse_file_info *fi) {
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
   if (!interactive_access(path, pi, 0)) {
@@ -402,8 +399,7 @@ static int xmp_chown(const char *path, uid_t uid, gid_t gid,
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
   if (!interactive_access(path, pi, 0)) {
@@ -461,8 +457,7 @@ static int xmp_create(const char *path, mode_t mode,
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
 
@@ -486,8 +481,7 @@ static int xmp_open(const char *path, struct fuse_file_info *fi) {
   struct process_info pi;
   struct fuse_context *fc = fuse_get_context();
 
-  pi.PID = fc->pid;
-  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  pi = get_process_info(fc->pid);
 
   // fprintf(stderr, "%s, %d\n", path, ask_access(path, pi));
   if (!interactive_access(path, pi, 0)) {
diff --git a/src/perm_permissions_table.c b/src/perm_permissions_table.c
index 95d57c7..063b923 100644
--- a/src/perm_permissions_table.c
+++ b/src/perm_permissions_table.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ access_t check_perm_access_noparent(const char *filename,
  * false negatives, though.
  */
 access_t check_perm_access(const char *filename, struct process_info pi) {
-  if (pi.PID == 0) {
+  if (pi.PID == 0 || pi.name == NULL) {
     return NDEF;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/process_info.h b/src/process_info.h
index 200feb9..cb63881 100644
--- a/src/process_info.h
+++ b/src/process_info.h
@@ -9,10 +9,21 @@
 #ifndef PROCESS_INFO_H
 #define PROCESS_INFO_H
 
+#include "proc_operations.h"
 #include <sys/types.h>
 struct process_info {
   pid_t PID;
   char *name;
 };
 
+static inline struct process_info get_process_info(pid_t pid) {
+  struct process_info pi;
+  pi.PID = pid;
+  pi.name = get_process_name_by_pid(pi.PID);
+  if (pi.name == NULL) {
+    pi.PID = 0;
+  }
+  return pi;
+}
+
 #endif // PROCESS_INFO_H