diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
index 948a0623a3929ddbdc73a4f9f354b0c470e6007b..5b2ccfcdf6223b55d299d90bd91686f62a0fee97 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
@@ -16,12 +16,10 @@
 
 package ch.systemsx.cisd.bds;
 
-import java.io.File;
 
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.IDirectory;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.IFile;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.INode;
-import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.EnvironmentFailureException;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.UserFailureException;
 
 /**
@@ -101,26 +99,6 @@ public class Utilities
         return file.getStringContent();
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Lists files of given <var>directory</var>.
-     * <p>
-     * Throws an <code>EnvironmentFailureException</code> if {@link File#listFiles()} returns <code>null</code>.
-     * </p>
-     * 
-     * @param directory must be a directory.
-     */
-    public final static File[] listFiles(final File directory) throws EnvironmentFailureException
-    {
-        assert directory.isDirectory();
-        final File[] fileList = directory.listFiles();
-        if (fileList == null)
-        {
-            throw EnvironmentFailureException.fromTemplate("Was not able to list files of directory '%s'", directory
-                    .getAbsolutePath());
-        }
-        return fileList;
-    }
-
     private Utilities()
     {
     }
diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/storage/filesystem/Directory.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/storage/filesystem/Directory.java
index 2614c054ffa491520e1b39a987d88416d003034b..ca9c668c57d4ee5dfb09cd3c2a5c090f5b68ec9e 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/storage/filesystem/Directory.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/storage/filesystem/Directory.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import java.util.Iterator;
 
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 
-import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.Utilities;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.IDirectory;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.IFile;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.ILink;
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ class Directory extends AbstractNode implements IDirectory
 
     public INode tryToGetNode(String name)
     {
-        final java.io.File[] files = Utilities.listFiles(nodeFile);
+        final java.io.File[] files = FileUtilities.listFiles(nodeFile);
         for (java.io.File file : files)
         {
             if (file.getName().equals(name))
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ class Directory extends AbstractNode implements IDirectory
     {
         return new Iterator<INode>()
             {
-                private java.io.File[] files = Utilities.listFiles(nodeFile);
+                private java.io.File[] files = FileUtilities.listFiles(nodeFile);
 
                 private int index;
 
diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/FileUtilities.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/FileUtilities.java
index 8432fc111eb680385d2baad6898f5f137e7b6b12..a3e15a2c008da7ce94359c1dd161bd8c1b815f0e 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/FileUtilities.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/FileUtilities.java
@@ -717,4 +717,24 @@ public final class FileUtilities
             return null;
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Lists files of given <var>directory</var>.
+     * <p>
+     * Throws an <code>EnvironmentFailureException</code> if {@link File#listFiles()} returns <code>null</code>.
+     * </p>
+     * 
+     * @param directory must be a directory.
+     */
+    public final static File[] listFiles(final File directory) throws EnvironmentFailureException
+    {
+        assert directory.isDirectory();
+        final File[] fileList = directory.listFiles();
+        if (fileList == null)
+        {
+            throw EnvironmentFailureException.fromTemplate("Failed to get listing of directory '%s'", directory
+                    .getAbsolutePath());
+        }
+        return fileList;
+    }
 }