diff -uNr a/vtools/manifest b/vtools/manifest
--- a/vtools/manifest 1f6a6754f578117a08bc3b4428801c6dbcfd04e5266de39188dc9401ed1b2cf0d33d41a47fb37480ccae92e3a5d4adde71b398f538a6d1e92effb23801b584d8
+++ b/vtools/manifest 85d3b17315823804d142fb61459960669d05122568f6d463e0252d48d9d9c12f4a6bb9b3e92072d2123e4e66a7a84359cff24d7b6d1646972d6c844a0016e454
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@
 543200 phf vtools_ksum Ksum standalone keccak hasher
 547300 bvt vtools_tempfile_standalone_notmp Standalone temporary file generation code; creates temporary files in the vpatch work directory.
 584341 bvt vdiff_blockwise_read Fix stack overflow in vdiff when hashing large files.
+589066 bvt vtools_fixes_rootdir_files Fix creation of files in the vtree root. Fix handling of empty vpatches.
diff -uNr a/vtools/src/vpatch.adb b/vtools/src/vpatch.adb
--- a/vtools/src/vpatch.adb 11c17fedc3c0442c3ca93589a47f5fdc4b9ab3bab4361a96cbff4bbb15e031d44bfeceed59e5ea6942f552fca67214c3fc9d956779f77b8a0e7432ca609f779f
+++ b/vtools/src/vpatch.adb c4fa36a0508048691ea823a57b90de3bd895f10c36150fa990983ae3996eadcd1ac8a25e9d4ececfc8b41af9a0e7e29ac5382959bf7624fad8185a350c2b82c5
@@ -26,19 +26,15 @@
       return S(S'First..S'First+Prefix'Length-1) = Prefix;
    end;
 
-   function Path_Prefix(Pathname: String;
-                        Suffix: Positive) return String is
+   function Directory_Name(Pathname: String) return String is
       Pos: Natural := Pathname'Last;
    begin
-      for I in 1..Suffix loop
-         Pos := Ada.Strings.Fixed.Index(Pathname, "/",
-                                        From => Pos,
-                                        Going => Ada.Strings.Backward);
-         if Pos = 0 then
-            return Pathname;
-         end if;
-         Pos := Pos - 1;
-      end loop;
+      Pos := Ada.Strings.Fixed.Index(Pathname, "/",
+                                     From => Pos,
+                                     Going => Ada.Strings.Backward);
+      if Pos = 0 then
+         return Dirs.Current_Directory;
+      end if;
       return Pathname(Pathname'First .. Pos);
    end;
 
@@ -623,8 +619,8 @@
             Close(In_F);
             Dirs.Delete_File(To_F_Name);
          else
-            if not Dirs.Exists(Path_Prefix(To_F_Name, 1)) then
-               Dirs.Create_Path(Path_Prefix(To_F_Name, 1));
+            if not Dirs.Exists(Directory_Name(To_F_Name)) then
+               Dirs.Create_Path(Directory_Name(To_F_Name));
             end if;
          end if;
          case Op is
@@ -651,6 +647,7 @@
 begin
 Read_Loop:
     loop
+       exit Read_Loop when End_Of_File;
        declare
           S: String := Get_Line;
        begin
@@ -659,7 +656,6 @@
                 H: Header := Get_Header;
              begin
                 Process_Hunks_For_Header(H);
-                exit Read_Loop when End_Of_File;
              end;
           else
              Put_Line("Prelude: " & S);