diff --git a/plugins/autofire/autofire_save.lua b/plugins/autofire/autofire_save.lua
index 3c6f177ff13..0576a95582d 100644
--- a/plugins/autofire/autofire_save.lua
+++ b/plugins/autofire/autofire_save.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-local util = require("util")
 local lib = {}
 
 local function get_settings_path()
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ function lib:save_settings(buttons)
 	local path = get_settings_path()
 	local attr = lfs.attributes(path)
 	if not attr then
-		util.mkdir_recursive(path)
+		lfs.mkdir(path)
 	elseif attr.mode ~= 'directory' then
 		return
 	end
diff --git a/plugins/boot.lua b/plugins/boot.lua
index 0bc32e91b27..8ae3e069755 100644
--- a/plugins/boot.lua
+++ b/plugins/boot.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- license:BSD-3-Clause
 -- copyright-holders:Miodrag Milanovic
-_G.lfs = require("lfs")
+require('lfs')
 
 _G._ = emu.lang_translate
 _G.emu.plugin = {} -- table to contain plugin interfaces
diff --git a/plugins/cheat/init.lua b/plugins/cheat/init.lua
index 412bc261030..208efc3585e 100644
--- a/plugins/cheat/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/cheat/init.lua
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ exports.license = "The BSD 3-Clause License"
 exports.author = { name = "Carl" }
 
 local cheat = exports
-local util = require("util")
 
 function cheat.set_folder(path)
 	cheat.path = path
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 			local path = emu.subst_env(manager.machine.options.entries.cheatpath:value():match("([^;]+)"))
 			local attr = lfs.attributes(path)
 			if not attr then
-				util.mkdir_recursive(path)
+				lfs.mkdir(path)
 			elseif attr.mode ~= "directory" then -- uhhh?
 				return
 			end
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 				local softpath = path .. "/" .. cheatname:match("([^/]+)")
 				local attr = lfs.attributes(softpath)
 				if not attr then
-					util.mkdir_recursive(softpath)
+					lfs.mkdir(softpath)
 				elseif attr.mode ~= "directory" then -- uhhh?
 					return
 				end
diff --git a/plugins/console/init.lua b/plugins/console/init.lua
index c9811ba2467..388a1ca016b 100644
--- a/plugins/console/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/console/init.lua
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ local history_file = "console_history"
 
 local history_fullpath = nil
 
-local util = require("util")
-
 function console.startplugin()
 	local conth = emu.thread()
 	local ln_started = false
@@ -300,8 +298,7 @@ end
 setmetatable(console, {
 		     __gc = function ()
 			     if history_fullpath then
-					 util.create_parent_dirs(history_fullpath)
-					 local ln = require("linenoise")
+				     local ln = require("linenoise")
 				     ln.savehistory(history_fullpath)
 			     end
 end})
diff --git a/plugins/data/data_hiscore.lua b/plugins/data/data_hiscore.lua
index e6d7d75fdc0..3bf5467fe9e 100644
--- a/plugins/data/data_hiscore.lua
+++ b/plugins/data/data_hiscore.lua
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 -- to use this get the package from http://greatstone.free.fr/hi2txt/
 -- extract the hi2txt.zip and place it in your history path
 
-local util = require("util")
-
 local dat = {}
 local env = {}
 local output
@@ -1208,7 +1206,7 @@ function dat.check(set, softlist)
 		local scrpath = path:match("[^;]*") .. "/"
 		local scrfile = io.open(scrpath .. set .. ".lua", "w+")
 		if not scrfile then
-			util.mkdir_recursive(scrpath)
+			lfs.mkdir(scrpath)
 			scrfile = io.open(scrpath .. set .. ".lua", "w+")
 		end
 		if scrfile then
diff --git a/plugins/data/database.lua b/plugins/data/database.lua
index bd7de2d665d..b868173ce08 100644
--- a/plugins/data/database.lua
+++ b/plugins/data/database.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 local sql = require("lsqlite3")
 local datfile = {}
 local db
-local util = require("util")
 
 local function check_db(msg)
 	if db:errcode() > sql.OK then
@@ -13,10 +12,7 @@ do
 	local dbpath = emu.subst_env(mame_manager.ui.options.entries.historypath:value():match("([^;]+)"))
 	db = sql.open(dbpath .. "/history.db")
 	if not db then
-		local success, err = util.mkdir_recursive(dbpath)
-		if not success then
-			emu.print_error("Unable to create parent directories for history database: " .. err)
-		end
+		lfs.mkdir(dbpath)
 		db = sql.open(dbpath .. "/history.db")
 		if not db then
 			emu.print_error("Unable to create history.db\n")
diff --git a/plugins/hiscore/init.lua b/plugins/hiscore/init.lua
index 093737a9eec..2a9687d1547 100644
--- a/plugins/hiscore/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/hiscore/init.lua
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ exports.description = "Hiscore"
 exports.license = "WTFPL license"
 exports.author = { name = "borgar@borgar.net" }
 local hiscore = exports
-local util = require("util")
 
 local hiscore_plugin_path = ""
 
@@ -172,7 +171,7 @@ function hiscore.startplugin()
 	  local output = io.open(get_file_name(), "wb");
 	  if not output then
 		-- attempt to create the directory, and try again
-		util.mkdir_recursive( hiscore_path );
+		lfs.mkdir( hiscore_path );
 		output = io.open(get_file_name(), "wb");
 	  end
 	  emu.print_verbose("hiscore: write_scores output")
diff --git a/plugins/portname/init.lua b/plugins/portname/init.lua
index 926bf442a45..24cdc50facf 100644
--- a/plugins/portname/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/portname/init.lua
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ exports.license = "The BSD 3-Clause License"
 exports.author = { name = "Carl" }
 
 local portname = exports
-local util = require("util")
 
 function portname.startplugin()
 	local json = require("json")
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ function portname.startplugin()
 			local function check_path(path)
 				local attr = lfs.attributes(path)
 				if not attr then
-					util.mkdir_recursive(path)
+					lfs.mkdir(path)
 					if not lfs.attributes(path) then
 						manager.machine:popmessage(_("Failed to save input name file"))
 						emu.print_verbose("portname: unable to create path " .. path .. "\n")
diff --git a/plugins/timer/init.lua b/plugins/timer/init.lua
index 562f3c6a8b1..f0ddabbcf50 100644
--- a/plugins/timer/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/timer/init.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- license:BSD-3-Clause
 -- copyright-holders:Carl
-local util = require('util')
+require('lfs')
 local sqlite3 = require('lsqlite3')
 local exports = {}
 exports.name = "timer"
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function timer.startplugin()
 			save()
 		end
 		timer_started = true
-		util.mkdir_recursive(dir .. '/timer')
+		lfs.mkdir(dir .. '/timer')
 		local db = assert(sqlite3.open(timer_db))
 		local found=false
 		db:exec([[select * from sqlite_master where name='timer';]], function(...) found=true return 0 end)
diff --git a/plugins/util.lua b/plugins/util.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b2d7f438bf..00000000000
--- a/plugins/util.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-local lfs = require("lfs")
-
--- Returns true if dirname is an existing directory, false if not a directory,
--- or nil, an error message and a system dependent error code on error.
-local function is_dir(dirname)
-	local ret, err, code = lfs.attributes(dirname, "mode")
-	if ret == nil then
-		return ret, err, code
-	else
-		return ret == "directory"
-	end
-end
-
--- Get the directory name for the file.
-local function dirname(filename)
-	if filename == "/" then
-		return "/"
-	end
-	local parent = filename:match("(.*)/.")
-	if parent then
-		if parent == "" then
-			parent = "/"
-		end
-		return parent
-	end
-	return "."
-end
-
--- Create dir and parents for dir if needed. Returns true on success,
--- nil, an error message and a system dependent error code on error.
-local function mkdir_recursive(dir)
-	local ret, err, code = is_dir(dir)
-	if ret == true then
-		return true
-	end
-	local parent = dirname(dir)
-	local ret, err, code = mkdir_recursive(parent)
-	if not ret then
-		return ret, err, code
-	end
-	return lfs.mkdir(dir)
-end
-
--- Create the parents of the file recursively if needed, returns true on success,
--- or nil, an error message and a system dependent error code on error.
-local function create_parent_dirs(filename)
-	local parent = dirname(filename)
-	return mkdir_recursive(parent)
-end
-
-return {
-	dirname = dirname,
-	mkdir_recursive = mkdir_recursive,
-	create_parent_dirs = create_parent_dirs
-}