diff --git a/cr-show.c b/cr-show.c
index 5404b7d5c..9ce27c6a1 100644
--- a/cr-show.c
+++ b/cr-show.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "protobuf.h"
 #include "protobuf/fdinfo.pb-c.h"
 #include "protobuf/regfile.pb-c.h"
+#include "protobuf/ghost-file.pb-c.h"
 
 #define DEF_PAGES_PER_LINE	6
 
@@ -157,11 +158,13 @@ void show_remap_files(int fd, struct cr_options *o)
 
 void show_ghost_file(int fd, struct cr_options *o)
 {
-	struct ghost_file_entry gfe;
+	GhostFileEntry *gfe;
 
 	pr_img_head(CR_FD_GHOST_FILE);
-	if (read_img(fd, &gfe) > 0)
-		pr_msg("uid %u god %u mode %#x\n", gfe.uid, gfe.gid, gfe.mode);
+	if (pb_read_eof(fd, &gfe, ghost_file_entry) > 0) {
+		pr_msg("uid %u god %u mode %#x\n", gfe->uid, gfe->gid, gfe->mode);
+		ghost_file_entry__free_unpacked(gfe, NULL);
+	}
 	pr_img_tail(CR_FD_GHOST_FILE);
 }
 
diff --git a/files-reg.c b/files-reg.c
index 3f15a2a98..a03a456b5 100644
--- a/files-reg.c
+++ b/files-reg.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static int open_remap_ghost(struct reg_file_info *rfi,
 		struct remap_file_path_entry *rfe)
 {
 	struct ghost_file *gf;
-	struct ghost_file_entry gfe;
+	GhostFileEntry *gfe = NULL;
 	int gfd, ifd, ghost_flags;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(gf, &ghost_files, list)
@@ -86,13 +86,13 @@ static int open_remap_ghost(struct reg_file_info *rfi,
 	if (ifd < 0)
 		goto err;
 
-	if (read_img(ifd, &gfe) < 0)
+	if (pb_read(ifd, &gfe, ghost_file_entry) < 0)
 		goto err;
 
 	snprintf(gf->path, PATH_MAX, "%s.cr.%x.ghost", rfi->path, rfe->remap_id);
 
-	if (S_ISFIFO(gfe.mode)) {
-		if (mknod(gf->path, gfe.mode, 0)) {
+	if (S_ISFIFO(gfe->mode)) {
+		if (mknod(gf->path, gfe->mode, 0)) {
 			pr_perror("Can't create node for ghost file\n");
 			goto err;
 		}
@@ -100,22 +100,23 @@ static int open_remap_ghost(struct reg_file_info *rfi,
 	} else
 		ghost_flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL;
 
-	gfd = open(gf->path, ghost_flags, gfe.mode);
+	gfd = open(gf->path, ghost_flags, gfe->mode);
 	if (gfd < 0) {
 		pr_perror("Can't open ghost file");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	if (fchown(gfd, gfe.uid, gfe.gid) < 0) {
+	if (fchown(gfd, gfe->uid, gfe->gid) < 0) {
 		pr_perror("Can't reset user/group on ghost %#x\n", rfe->remap_id);
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	if (S_ISREG(gfe.mode)) {
+	if (S_ISREG(gfe->mode)) {
 		if (copy_file(ifd, gfd, 0) < 0)
 			goto err;
 	}
 
+	ghost_file_entry__free_unpacked(gfe, NULL);
 	close(ifd);
 	close(gfd);
 
@@ -126,6 +127,8 @@ gf_found:
 	return 0;
 
 err:
+	if (gfe)
+		ghost_file_entry__free_unpacked(gfe, NULL);
 	xfree(gf->path);
 	xfree(gf);
 	return -1;
@@ -178,7 +181,7 @@ static int collect_remaps(void)
 static int dump_ghost_file(int _fd, u32 id, const struct stat *st)
 {
 	int img, fd;
-	struct ghost_file_entry gfe;
+	GhostFileEntry gfe = GHOST_FILE_ENTRY__INIT;
 	char lpath[32];
 
 	pr_info("Dumping ghost file contents (id %#x)\n", id);
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@ static int dump_ghost_file(int _fd, u32 id, const struct stat *st)
 	gfe.gid = st->st_gid;
 	gfe.mode = st->st_mode;
 
-	if (write_img(img, &gfe))
+	if (pb_write(img, &gfe, ghost_file_entry))
 		return -1;
 
 	if (S_ISREG(st->st_mode)) {
diff --git a/include/files-reg.h b/include/files-reg.h
index 2e1f6e95c..47d815220 100644
--- a/include/files-reg.h
+++ b/include/files-reg.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "image.h"
 
 #include "../protobuf/regfile.pb-c.h"
+#include "../protobuf/ghost-file.pb-c.h"
 
 struct cr_fdset;
 struct fd_parms;
diff --git a/include/image.h b/include/image.h
index 23177dec9..c84858719 100644
--- a/include/image.h
+++ b/include/image.h
@@ -80,12 +80,6 @@ struct remap_file_path_entry {
  */
 #define REMAP_GHOST	(1 << 31)
 
-struct ghost_file_entry {
-	u32	uid;
-	u32	gid;
-	u32	mode;
-} __packed;
-
 struct eventfd_file_entry {
 	u32	id;
 	u16	flags;
diff --git a/protobuf/Makefile b/protobuf/Makefile
index c05755d48..fa12abb42 100644
--- a/protobuf/Makefile
+++ b/protobuf/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ LIBRARY		:= protobuf-lib.o
 PROTO_FILES	+= fdinfo.proto
 PROTO_FILES	+= fown.proto
 PROTO_FILES	+= regfile.proto
+PROTO_FILES	+= ghost-file.proto
 
 HDRS	:= $(patsubst %.proto,%.pb-c.h,$(PROTO_FILES))
 SRCS	:= $(patsubst %.proto,%.pb-c.c,$(PROTO_FILES))
diff --git a/protobuf/ghost-file.proto b/protobuf/ghost-file.proto
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f362fad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protobuf/ghost-file.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+message ghost_file_entry {
+	required uint32		uid		= 1;
+	required uint32		gid		= 2;
+	required uint32		mode		= 3;
+}