diff --git a/repos/os/include/file_system_session/connection.h b/repos/os/include/file_system_session/connection.h
index 1eefd4579c..e4e5489a3a 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/file_system_session/connection.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/file_system_session/connection.h
@@ -18,7 +18,14 @@
 #include <base/connection.h>
 #include <base/allocator.h>
 
-namespace File_system { struct Connection; }
+namespace File_system {
+
+	struct Connection;
+
+	/* recommended packet transmission buffer size */
+	enum { DEFAULT_TX_BUF_SIZE = 128*1024 };
+
+}
 
 
 struct File_system::Connection : Genode::Connection<Session>, Session_client
@@ -31,13 +38,22 @@ struct File_system::Connection : Genode::Connection<Session>, Session_client
 	 * \param tx_buf_size      size of transmission buffer in bytes
 	 */
 	Connection(Range_allocator &tx_block_alloc,
-	           size_t           tx_buf_size = 128*1024,
-	           const char      *label = "")
+	           size_t           tx_buf_size = DEFAULT_TX_BUF_SIZE,
+	           char const      *label       = "",
+	           char const      *root        = "/",
+	           bool             writeable   = true)
 	:
 		Genode::Connection<Session>(
-			session("ram_quota=%zd, tx_buf_size=%zd, label=\"%s\"",
-			        4*1024*sizeof(long) + tx_buf_size, tx_buf_size, label)),
-		Session_client(cap(), tx_block_alloc) { }
+			session("ram_quota=%zd, "
+			        "tx_buf_size=%zd, "
+			        "label=\"%s\", "
+			        "root=\"%s\", "
+			        "writeable=%d",
+			        4*1024*sizeof(long) + tx_buf_size,
+			        tx_buf_size,
+			        label, root, writeable)),
+		Session_client(cap(), tx_block_alloc)
+	{ }
 };
 
 #endif /* _INCLUDE__FILE_SYSTEM_SESSION__CONNECTION_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/os/include/vfs/fs_file_system.h b/repos/os/include/vfs/fs_file_system.h
index 3284b6d2f2..20ab4c1e8c 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/vfs/fs_file_system.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/vfs/fs_file_system.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 /* Genode includes */
 #include <base/allocator_avl.h>
 #include <file_system_session/connection.h>
+#include <util/string.h>
 
 namespace Vfs { class Fs_file_system; }
 
@@ -38,18 +39,11 @@ class Vfs::Fs_file_system : public File_system
 
 		Genode::Allocator_avl _fs_packet_alloc;
 
-		struct Label
-		{
-			enum { LABEL_MAX_LEN = 64 };
-			char string[LABEL_MAX_LEN];
+		typedef Genode::String<64> Label_string;
+		Label_string _label;
 
-			Label(Xml_node config)
-			{
-				string[0] = 0;
-				try { config.attribute("label").value(string, sizeof(string)); }
-				catch (...) { }
-			}
-		} _label;
+		typedef Genode::String<::File_system::MAX_NAME_LEN> Root_string;
+		Root_string _root;
 
 		::File_system::Connection _fs;
 
@@ -159,14 +153,15 @@ class Vfs::Fs_file_system : public File_system
 
 	public:
 
-		/*
-		 * XXX read label from config
-		 */
 		Fs_file_system(Xml_node config)
 		:
 			_fs_packet_alloc(env()->heap()),
-			_label(config),
-			_fs(_fs_packet_alloc, 128*1024, _label.string)
+			_label(config.attribute_value("label", Label_string())),
+			_root( config.attribute_value("root",  Root_string())),
+			_fs(_fs_packet_alloc,
+			    ::File_system::DEFAULT_TX_BUF_SIZE,
+			    _label.string(), _root.string(),
+			    config.attribute_value("writeable", true))
 		{ }