diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index 76f3f9fbc..f13cce949 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -2518,75 +2518,6 @@ p_access(void)
   }
 }
 
-static Int
-p_access2(void)
-{
-  Term tname = Deref(ARG1);
-  Term tmode = Deref(ARG2);
-  char ares[YAP_FILENAME_MAX];
-  Atom atmode;
-
-  if (IsVarTerm(tmode)) {
-    Yap_Error(INSTANTIATION_ERROR, tmode, "access");
-    return FALSE;
-  } else if (!IsAtomTerm (tmode)) {
-    Yap_Error(TYPE_ERROR_ATOM, tname, "access");
-    return FALSE;
-  }
-  atmode = AtomOfTerm(tmode);
-  if (IsVarTerm(tname)) {
-    Yap_Error(INSTANTIATION_ERROR, tname, "access");
-    return FALSE;
-  } else if (!IsAtomTerm (tname)) {
-    Yap_Error(TYPE_ERROR_ATOM, tname, "access");
-    return FALSE;
-  } else {
-    if (atmode == AtomNone)
-      return TRUE;
-    if (!Yap_TrueFileName (RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(tname))->StrOfAE, ares, (atmode == AtomCsult)))
-      return FALSE;
-  }
-#if HAVE_ACCESS
-  {
-    int mode;
-
-    if (atmode == AtomExist)
-      mode = F_OK;
-    else if (atmode == AtomWrite)
-      mode = W_OK;
-    else if (atmode == AtomRead)
-      mode = R_OK;
-    else if (atmode == AtomAppend)
-      mode = W_OK;
-    else if (atmode == AtomCsult)
-      mode = R_OK;
-    else if (atmode == AtomExecute)
-      mode = X_OK;
-    else {
-      Yap_Error(DOMAIN_ERROR_IO_MODE, tmode, "access_file/2");
-      return FALSE;   
-    }
-    if (access(ares, mode) != 0) {
-      /* ignore errors while checking a file */
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-    return TRUE;
-  }
-#elif HAVE_STAT
-  {
-    struct SYSTEM_STAT ss;
-
-    if (SYSTEM_STAT(ares, &ss) != 0) {
-    /* ignore errors while checking a file */
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-    return TRUE;
-  }
-#else
-  return FALSE;
-#endif
-}
-
 static Int
 p_exists_directory(void)
 {
@@ -6756,7 +6687,6 @@ Yap_InitIOPreds(void)
   Yap_InitCPred ("get0", 2, p_get0, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$get0_line_codes", 2, p_get0_line_codes, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$get_byte", 2, p_get_byte, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
-  Yap_InitCPred ("access_file", 2, p_access2, SafePredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$access", 1, p_access, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("exists_directory", 1, p_exists_directory, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$open", 6, p_open, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
diff --git a/C/sysbits.c b/C/sysbits.c
index 06d4b19cc..bf2233932 100755
--- a/C/sysbits.c
+++ b/C/sysbits.c
@@ -2501,38 +2501,6 @@ static Int p_putenv(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-/* set a variable in YAP's environment */
-static Int p_file_age(void)
-{
-  char *file_name = RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(Deref(ARG1)))->StrOfAE;
-  if (strcmp(file_name,"user_input") == 0) {
-    return(Yap_unify(ARG2,MkIntTerm(-1)));
-  }
-#if HAVE_LSTAT 
- {
-   struct stat buf;
-
-   if (lstat(file_name, &buf) == -1) {
-     /* file does not exist, but was opened? Return -1 */
-     return(Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntTerm(-1)));
-   }
-   return(Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntegerTerm(buf.st_mtime)));
- }
-#elif defined(__MINGW32__) || _MSC_VER
-  {
-    struct _stat buf;
-
-    if (_stat(file_name, &buf) != 0) {
-      /* return an error number */
-      return(Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntTerm(-1)));
-    }
-    return(Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntegerTerm(buf.st_mtime)));
-  }
-#else
-  return(Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntTerm(-1)));
-#endif
-}
-
 /* wrapper for alarm system call */
 #if _MSC_VER || defined(__MINGW32__)
 
@@ -3352,7 +3320,6 @@ Yap_InitSysPreds(void)
   Yap_InitCPred ("$alarm", 4, p_alarm, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$getenv", 2, p_getenv, SafePredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$putenv", 2, p_putenv, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
-  Yap_InitCPred ("$file_age", 2, p_file_age, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$set_fpu_exceptions", 0, p_set_fpu_exceptions, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$first_signal", 1, p_first_signal, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
   Yap_InitCPred ("$host_type", 1, p_host_type, SafePredFlag|SyncPredFlag|HiddenPredFlag);
diff --git a/pl/boot.yap b/pl/boot.yap
index 11080bdc7..c992efd00 100755
--- a/pl/boot.yap
+++ b/pl/boot.yap
@@ -1359,3 +1359,6 @@ b_getval(GlobalVariable, Val) :-
 	 '$do_error'(existence_error(variable, GlobalVariable),b_getval(GlobalVariable, Val))
 	).
 		    
+access_file(File, Mode) :- swi_access_file(File, Mode).
+time_file(File, Time) :- swi_time_file(File, Time).
+
diff --git a/pl/consult.yap b/pl/consult.yap
index adbf17b64..7ac6e14ca 100755
--- a/pl/consult.yap
+++ b/pl/consult.yap
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ prolog_load_context(term_position, Position) :-
 	'$file_is_unchanged'(F, R, Age).
 
 '$file_is_unchanged'(F, R, Age) :-
-        '$file_age'(F,CurrentAge),
+        time_file(F,CurrentAge),
          ((CurrentAge = Age ; Age = -1)  -> true; erase(R), fail).
 
 
@@ -621,8 +621,7 @@ remove_from_path(New) :- '$check_path'(New,Path),
 	Stream \= user_input,
 	'$file_name'(Stream,F),
 	( recorded('$lf_loaded','$lf_loaded'(F,M,_,_),R), erase(R), fail ; true ),
-
-	'$file_age'(F,Age),
+	time_file(F,Age),
 	recorda('$lf_loaded','$lf_loaded'(F,M,Age,Reconsult),_),
 	fail.
 '$record_loaded'(_, _, _).
diff --git a/pl/yio.yap b/pl/yio.yap
index 200e185b0..2a2ac6d30 100644
--- a/pl/yio.yap
+++ b/pl/yio.yap
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ open_pipe_streams(P1,P2) :- '$open_pipe_stream'(P1, P2).
 fileerrors :- set_value(fileerrors,1).
 nofileerrors :- set_value(fileerrors,0).
 
-exists(F) :- access_file(F,'$csult').
+exists(F) :- access_file(F,exist).
 
 see(user) :- !, set_input(user_input).
 see(F) :- var(F), !,
@@ -1099,9 +1099,6 @@ write_depth(T,L) :- write_depth(T,L,_).
 is_stream(S) :-
 	catch('$check_stream'(S), _, fail), !.
 
-time_file(File, Time) :-
-	'$file_age'(File, Time).
-
 stream_position_data(line_count, '$stream_position'(_,Data,_,_,_), Data).
 stream_position_data(line_position, '$stream_position'(_,_,Data,_,_), Data).
 %stream_position_data(char_count, '$stream_position'(Data,_,_,_,_), Data).