diff --git a/proc/devname.c b/proc/devname.c
index 162ce2cd..4cd2ae8e 100644
--- a/proc/devname.c
+++ b/proc/devname.c
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 
 /* Who uses what:
  *
- * tty_to_dev   oldps, w (there is a fancy version in ps)
- * dev_to_tty   oldps, top, ps
+ * tty_to_dev   w (there is a fancy version in ps)
+ * dev_to_tty   top, ps
  */
 
 typedef struct tty_map_node {
diff --git a/proc/library.map b/proc/library.map
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91845c5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proc/library.map
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+_3_1_5 {
+  global: readproc;
+  local: *;
+};
diff --git a/proc/procps.h b/proc/procps.h
index 03c2a562..06c6642f 100644
--- a/proc/procps.h
+++ b/proc/procps.h
@@ -18,18 +18,42 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
+// marks old junk, to warn non-procps library users
+#if ( __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ > 0 ) || __GNUC__ > 3
+#define OBSOLETE __attribute__((deprecated))
+#else
+#define OBSOLETE
+#endif
+
+// available when?
+// Tells gcc that function is library-internal;
+// so no need to do dynamic linking at run-time.
+#if __GNUC__ > 2     // FIXME: total random guess that's sure to be wrong
+#define VISIBILITY_HIDDEN visibility("hidden")
+#else
+#define VISIBILITY_HIDDEN
+#endif
+// mark function for internal use
+#define HIDDEN __attribute__((VISIBILITY_HIDDEN))
+// given foo, create a foo_direct for internal use
+#define HIDDEN_ALIAS(x) extern __typeof(x) x##_direct __attribute__((alias(#x),VISIBILITY_HIDDEN))
+
 // since gcc-2.5
 #define NORETURN __attribute__((__noreturn__))
+#define FUNCTION __attribute__((__const__))  // no access to global mem, even via ptr, and no side effect
 
 #if __GNUC__ > 2 || __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 96
 // won't alias anything, and aligned enough for anything
 #define MALLOC __attribute__ ((__malloc__))
+// no side effect, may read globals
+#define PURE __attribute__ ((__pure__))
 // tell gcc what to expect:   if(unlikely(err)) die(err);
 #define likely(x)       __builtin_expect(!!(x),1)
 #define unlikely(x)     __builtin_expect(!!(x),0)
 #define expected(x,y)   __builtin_expect((x),(y))
 #else
 #define MALLOC
+#define PURE
 #define likely(x)       (x)
 #define unlikely(x)     (x)
 #define expected(x,y)   (x)
diff --git a/proc/readproc.c b/proc/readproc.c
index 4811baba..806b5a76 100644
--- a/proc/readproc.c
+++ b/proc/readproc.c
@@ -576,6 +576,7 @@ void look_up_our_self(proc_t *p) {
     status2proc(sbuf, p);
 }
 
+HIDDEN_ALIAS(readproc);
 
 /* Convenient wrapper around openproc and readproc to slurp in the whole process
  * table subset satisfying the constraints of flags and the optional PID list.
@@ -607,7 +608,7 @@ proc_t** readproctab(int flags, ...) {
     va_end(ap);
     do {					/* read table: */
 	tab = xrealloc(tab, (n+1)*sizeof(proc_t*));/* realloc as we go, using */
-	tab[n] = readproc(PT, NULL);		  /* final null to terminate */
+	tab[n] = readproc_direct(PT, NULL);     /* final null to terminate */
     } while (tab[n++]);				  /* stop when NULL reached */
     closeproc(PT);
     return tab;