diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 54bdefa..9bfa294 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -104,9 +104,8 @@ ifeq	(1,$(PBX_HDLC))
 endif
 MAN_PAGES:=$(wildcard $(BINS:%=doc/%.8))
 
-PINNED_DATA_SCRIPTS:=dahdi_cfg_device_args handle_device \
-	span_assignments span_types
-PINNED_UTILS:=dahdi_map
+PINNED_DATA_SCRIPTS:=handle_device span_config
+PINNED_UTILS:=dahdi_map span_assignments span_types
 PINNED_CONF:=pinned-spans.conf spantype.conf
 
 TEST_BINS:=patgen pattest patlooptest hdlcstress hdlctest hdlcgen hdlcverify timertest dahdi_maint
diff --git a/dahdi.rules b/dahdi.rules
index ef08fd3..8674cd1 100644
--- a/dahdi.rules
+++ b/dahdi.rules
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 # DAHDI devices with ownership/permissions for running as non-root
 SUBSYSTEM=="dahdi",		OWNER="asterisk", GROUP="asterisk", MODE="0660"
 SUBSYSTEM=="dahdi_devices",	RUN="/usr/share/dahdi/handle_device"
+SUBSYSTEM=="dahdi_spans",	RUN="/usr/share/dahdi/span_config"
diff --git a/handle_device b/handle_device
index 59d0f62..498ebf0 100755
--- a/handle_device
+++ b/handle_device
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 #
 # /usr/share/dahdi/handle_device
 #
-# Called by UDEV when a span goes online/offline to assign spans
+# Called by UDEV when a dahdi device is added/removed
+#
 
 me=`basename $0`
 dir=`dirname $0`
@@ -22,26 +23,38 @@ PATH="$dir:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin"
 
 set -e
 
-run_dahdi_cfg() {
-	args="-c $DAHDICONFDIR/system.conf $@"
-	echo "Running dahdi_cfg $args"
-	dahdi_cfg $args
-}
+#echo >&2 "$0($ACTION): DEBUG($# args): '$*'"
 
-echo >&2 "$0($ACTION): DEBUG($# args): '$*'"
+# Check if we can safely do our job
+if [ ! -f /sys/module/dahdi/parameters/auto_assign_spans ]; then
+	echo "Old driver (no auto_assign_spans parameter). Skip $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
+	exit 0
+fi
+if [ `cat /sys/module/dahdi/parameters/auto_assign_spans` -eq 1 ]; then
+	echo "auto_assign_spans=1. Skip $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+# Can we pass a different value so we can use
+# alternate (testing) configuration?
+# Meanwhile, make it hard-coded.
+DAHDICONFDIR='/etc/dahdi'
+export DAHDICONFDIR
 
 case "$ACTION" in
 add)
 	echo "$ACTION: $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
-	# FIXME: need a way to add custom environment here:
-	#export DAHDICONFDIR="/tmp/xortel/dahdi"
-	span_types set "/sys/$DEVPATH" 2>&1 | $LOGGER
-	span_assignments add "/sys/$DEVPATH" 2>&1 | $LOGGER
-	dahdi_cfg_device_args | while read args; do
-			run_dahdi_cfg $args 2>&1 | $LOGGER
-		done
+	# Can have alternate dahdi configuration directory for debugging
+	# export DAHDICONFDIR="/tmp/xortel/dahdi"
+
+	# Don't block udev for too long
+	(
+		span_types set "/sys$DEVPATH"
+		span_assignments add "/sys$DEVPATH"
+	) 2>&1 < /dev/null | $LOGGER &
 	;;
 remove)
+	# Nothing to do yet...
 	echo "$ACTION: $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
 	;;
 *)
diff --git a/span_assignments b/span_assignments
index 0f4e006..8f29d39 100755
--- a/span_assignments
+++ b/span_assignments
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 #
-# /usr/share/dahdi/span_assignments:
+# /usr/sbin/span_assignments:
 #
 # this script can be used both from udev and
 # from the command line to assign/unassign and list
-# current assignments.
+# current span assignments.
+#
+# It uses a configuration file: $DAHDICONFDIR/pinned-spans.conf
+# (default DAHDICONFDIR=/etc/dahdi)
 #
 # The first argument is an action:
-#   "add" to assign (spans which are not already assigned)
-#   "remove" to unassign (spans which are not already unassigned)
-#   "list" to show all spans (with/without assignments)
+#   "auto"       - trigger driver auto_assign attribute for given devices
+#		   (no configuration file is used)
+#   "add"        - assign (spans which are not already assigned), according
+#                  to /etc/dahdi/pinned-spans.conf configuration file
+#   "remove"     - unassign spans which are not already unassigned
+#   "list"       - human-readable list of all spans (with/without assignments)
+#   "dumpconfig" - dump current assignments in a /etc/dahdi/pinned-spans.conf
+#                  compatible format
 #
 # Without further arguments, it operates on all existing spans
 # With one or more sysfs dahdi_devices it is limited to those.
@@ -26,7 +34,7 @@ DAHDICONFDIR="${DAHDICONFDIR:-/etc/dahdi}"
 pinned_spans_conf="$DAHDICONFDIR/pinned-spans.conf"
 
 usage() {
-	echo >&2 "Usage: $0 {add|remove|list} [devpath ...]"
+	echo >&2 "Usage: $0 {auto|add|remove|list|dumpconfig} [devpath ...]"
 	exit 1
 }
 
@@ -66,22 +74,26 @@ show_devices() {
 				spanno='-'
 				basechan='-'
 			fi
-			printf "%-4s %-12s %s\n" "$local_spanno:$spanno:$basechan" "[$hw_id]" "@$location"
+			printf "%-8s %-14s %s\n" "$local_spanno:$spanno:$basechan" "[$hw_id]" "@$location"
 		done | sort -n
 	done
 }
 
 dump_config() {
-
+	echo '#'
+	echo "# Autogenerated by $0 on `date`"
+	echo "# Map devices + local spans to span + base channel number"
+	echo ''
 	for device in $DEVICES
 	do
 		hw_id=`cat "$device/hardware_id"`
-		location=`cd "$device" && pwd -P | sed 's,/sys/devices/,,'`
+		location='@'`cd "$device" && pwd -P | sed 's,/sys/devices/,,'`
 		if [ "$hw_id" != '' ]; then
 			id="$hw_id"
 		else
-			id="@$location"
+			id="$location"
 		fi
+		echo "# Device: [$hw_id] $location"
 		for local_spanno in `cut -d: -f1 "$device/spantype"`
 		do
 			span=`grep 2>/dev/null -Hw "$local_spanno" "$device/span-"*"/local_spanno" | \
@@ -90,11 +102,12 @@ dump_config() {
 				spanno=`echo $span | sed 's/^.*-//'`
 				name=`cat 2>/dev/null "$device/$span/name"`
 				basechan=`cat 2>/dev/null "$device/$span/basechan"`
+				printf "%-30s %s\n" "$id" "$local_spanno:$spanno:$basechan"
 			else
-				spanno='-'
+				echo "#   Skipped unassigned local span $local_spanno"
 			fi
-			printf "%-30s %s\n" "$id" "$local_spanno:$spanno:$basechan"
-		done | sort -n
+		done | sort
+		echo ''
 	done
 }
 
@@ -168,18 +181,28 @@ match_device() {
 }
 
 assign_devices() {
+	if [ ! -f "$pinned_spans_conf" ]; then
+		echo >&2 "$0: Missing '$pinned_spans_conf'"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+	echo "using '$pinned_spans_conf'"
 	for device in $DEVICES
 	do
 		match_device "$device"
 	done
 }
 
+auto_assign_devices() {
+	for device in $DEVICES
+	do
+		echo "auto-assign $device"
+		echo 1 > "$device/auto_assign"
+	done
+}
+
 case "$action" in
-list)
-	show_devices
-	;;
-dump)
-	dump_config
+auto)
+	auto_assign_devices
 	;;
 add)
 	assign_devices
@@ -187,6 +210,12 @@ add)
 remove)
 	unassign_all_spans
 	;;
+list)
+	show_devices
+	;;
+dumpconfig)
+	dump_config
+	;;
 *)
 	usage
 	;;
diff --git a/span_config b/span_config
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8500d46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/span_config
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+#
+# /usr/share/dahdi/span_config
+#
+# Called by UDEV when a dahdi span is added/removed
+#
+
+me=`basename $0`
+dir=`dirname $0`
+LOGGER="logger -i -t '$me'"
+NAME=`basename "$DEVPATH" | tr -c 'A-Za-z0-9-' '_'`
+
+exec 2> /dev/null
+# Always redirect stderr somewhere, otherwise the shell script will die
+# when it tries to do I/O related stuff on closed file descriptor.
+# Our default is to throw it down the bit-bucket.
+#exec 2> /dev/console
+## If you wish to trace this script:
+#exec 2> "/tmp/${me}.$NAME" 1>&2
+
+# Our directory in the beginning, so we can use local lab setup
+PATH="$dir:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin"
+
+set -e
+
+#echo >&2 "$0($ACTION): DEBUG($# args): '$*'"
+
+# Can we pass a different value so we can use
+# alternate (testing) configuration?
+# Meanwhile, make it hard-coded.
+DAHDICONFDIR='/etc/dahdi'
+export DAHDICONFDIR
+
+run_dahdi_cfg() {
+	span_devpath="$1"
+	# Sanity check
+	checkit=`"dahdi_cfg" --help 2>&1 | grep -- '-S' | wc -l`
+	if [ "$checkit" != 1 ]; then
+		$LOGGER "Bad dahdi_cfg (no -S support). Skipping"
+		exit 0
+	fi
+	spanno=`echo "$span_devpath" | sed 's,.*/span-,,'`
+	basechan=`cat "$span_devpath/basechan"`
+	channels=`cat "$span_devpath/channels"`
+	endchan=`expr "$basechan" + "$channels" - 1`
+	echo "dahdi_cfg: span $spanno <$basechan-$endchan>"
+	dahdi_cfg \
+		-c "$DAHDICONFDIR/system.conf" \
+		-S "$spanno" \
+		-C "$basechan-$endchan"
+	asterisk -rx "dahdi create channels $basechan $endchan"
+}
+
+case "$ACTION" in
+add)
+	echo "$ACTION: $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
+	# Can have alternate dahdi configuration directory for debugging
+	# export DAHDICONFDIR="/tmp/xortel/dahdi"
+
+	run_dahdi_cfg "/sys$DEVPATH" 2>&1 | $LOGGER
+	;;
+remove)
+	# Nothing to do yet...
+	echo "$ACTION: $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
+	;;
+*)
+	echo "UNHANDLED: $ACTION: $DEVPATH" | $LOGGER
+	;;
+esac
+
diff --git a/span_types b/span_types
index cf7c70d..74d18f1 100755
--- a/span_types
+++ b/span_types
@@ -1,34 +1,36 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 #
-# /usr/share/dahdi/span_types:
+# /usr/sbin/span_types
 #
-# this script can be used both from udev and
-# from the command line for spantype management.
+# This script can be used both from udev and
+# from the command line to manage PRI spans
+# type (E1/T1/J1).
 #
-# It use a configuration file /etc/dahdi/spantype.conf
-# (the format is documented inside this file)
+# Span types can be set only *BEFORE* span are assigned.
 #
-# The first argument is an action:
-#   "list" to show existing E1/T1/J1 types
-#   "dump" the same, but in a format (almost) suitable for
-#          the configuration file
-#          FIXME: we currently don't have the base channo in sysfs.
-#   "set"  actually write the setting to the driver
+# It reads a configuration file /etc/dahdi/span-types.conf
+# (the format is documented inside that file)
+#
+# A mandatory first argument is:
+#   list       - to show existing E1/T1/J1 types
+#   dumpconfig - the same, but in a format (almost) suitable
+#                for the configuration file
+#   set        - actually write the setting to the driver
 #
 # Examples:
 #    span_types list
-#    span_types dump
-#    span_types set	# all
+#    span_types dumpconfig
+#    span_types set	     # all devices
 #    span_types set /sys/bus/dahdi_devices/devices/astribanks:xbus-00
 #
 
 
 devbase='/sys/bus/dahdi_devices/devices'
 DAHDICONFDIR="${DAHDICONFDIR:-/etc/dahdi}"
-spantype_conf="$DAHDICONFDIR/spantype.conf"
+spantypes_conf="$DAHDICONFDIR/span-types.conf"
 
 usage() {
-	echo >&2 "Usage: $0 {list|dump|set} [devpath ...]"
+	echo >&2 "Usage: $0 {list|dumpconfig|set} [devpath ...]"
 	exit 1
 }
 
@@ -38,6 +40,11 @@ fi
 action="$1"
 shift
 
+if [ ! -d "$devbase" ]; then
+	echo >&2 "$0: Missing '$devbase' (DAHDI driver unloaded?)"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 # Use given devices or otherwise, all existing devices
 if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
 	DEVICES="$@"
@@ -46,19 +53,28 @@ else
 fi
 
 show_spantypes() {
+	echo "# PRI span types (E1/T1/J1)"
 	for device in $DEVICES
 	do
 		hw_id=`cat "$device/hardware_id"`
 		location='@'`cd "$device" && pwd -P | sed 's,/sys/devices/,,'`
 		cat "$device/spantype" | while read st; do
-			printf "%-10s %-20s %s\n" "$st" "[$hw_id]" "$location"
+			case "$st" in
+			*:[ETJ]1)
+				printf "%-10s %-20s %s\n" \
+					"$st" "[$hw_id]" "$location"
+				;;
+			esac
 		done | sort -n
 	done
 }
 
 dump_config() {
+	echo '#'
+	echo "# Autogenerated by $0 on `date`"
+	echo "# Map PRI DAHDI devices to span types for E1/T1/J1"
+	echo ''
 	fmt="%-65s %s\n"
-	echo "# Map of dahdi_devices to span types for E1/T1/J1"
 	printf "$fmt" '# @location/hardware_id' 'span_type'
 	for device in $DEVICES
 	do
@@ -69,19 +85,24 @@ dump_config() {
 		else
 			id="$location"
 		fi
+		#echo "# Device: [$hw_id] $location"
 		cat "$device/spantype" | while read st; do
 			case "$st" in
 			*:[ETJ]1)
 				printf "$fmt" "$id" "$st"
 				;;
+			*)
+				#echo "#    Skipped local span `echo $st | sed 's/:/ -- /'`"
+				;;
 			esac
 		done | sort -n
+		#echo ''
 	done
 }
 
 # Allow comments and empty lines in config file
 filter_conf() {
-	sed -e 's/#.*//' -e '/^[ \t]*$/d' "$spantype_conf"
+	sed -e 's/#.*//' -e '/^[ \t]*$/d' "$spantypes_conf"
 }
 
 conf_spans() {
@@ -121,7 +142,7 @@ device_set_spantype() {
 	hw_id=`attr_clean "$device/hardware_id"`
 	location='@'`cd "$device" && pwd -P | sed 's,/sys/devices/,,'`
 	spanspecs=`conf_spans "$hw_id" "$location"`
-	echo >&2 "MATCHED($device): $spanspecs"
+	#echo >&2 "MATCHED($device): $spanspecs"
 	cut -d: -f1 "$attr_file" | while read spanno; do
 			for sp in $spanspecs
 			do
@@ -138,6 +159,10 @@ device_set_spantype() {
 }
 
 set_spantypes() {
+	if [ ! -f "$spantypes_conf" ]; then
+		echo >&2 "$0: Missing configuration '$spantypes_conf'"
+		exit 1
+	fi
 	for device in $DEVICES
 	do
 		device_set_spantype "$device"
@@ -148,7 +173,7 @@ case "$action" in
 list)
 	show_spantypes
 	;;
-dump)
+dumpconfig)
 	dump_config
 	;;
 set)