diff --git a/hugolib/alias.go b/hugolib/alias.go
index 9a23d6d0b..63f0bb996 100644
--- a/hugolib/alias.go
+++ b/hugolib/alias.go
@@ -41,14 +41,13 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 type aliasHandler struct {
-	Templates  *template.Template
-	log        *jww.Notepad
-	allowRoot  bool
-	publishDir string
+	Templates *template.Template
+	log       *jww.Notepad
+	allowRoot bool
 }
 
-func newAliasHandler(t *template.Template, l *jww.Notepad, allowRoot bool, publishDir string) aliasHandler {
-	return aliasHandler{t, l, allowRoot, publishDir}
+func newAliasHandler(t *template.Template, l *jww.Notepad, allowRoot bool) aliasHandler {
+	return aliasHandler{t, l, allowRoot}
 }
 
 func (a aliasHandler) renderAlias(isXHTML bool, permalink string, page *Page) (io.Reader, error) {
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ func (s *Site) writeDestAlias(path, permalink string, p *Page) (err error) {
 
 func (s *Site) publishDestAlias(allowRoot bool, path, permalink string, p *Page) (err error) {
 
-	handler := newAliasHandler(s.Tmpl.Lookup("alias.html"), s.Log, allowRoot, s.absPublishDir())
+	handler := newAliasHandler(s.Tmpl.Lookup("alias.html"), s.Log, allowRoot)
 
 	isXHTML := strings.HasSuffix(path, ".xhtml")
 
@@ -183,5 +182,5 @@ func (a aliasHandler) targetPathAlias(src string) (string, error) {
 		a.log.INFO.Printf("Alias \"%s\" translated to \"%s\"\n", originalAlias, alias)
 	}
 
-	return filepath.Join(a.publishDir, alias), nil
+	return alias, nil
 }
diff --git a/hugolib/alias_test.go b/hugolib/alias_test.go
index cd8ef3496..f5e6d8d1f 100644
--- a/hugolib/alias_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/alias_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ package hugolib
 
 import (
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/hugo/deps"
@@ -73,3 +74,45 @@ func TestAliasTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 	// the alias redirector
 	th.assertFileContent(filepath.Join("public", "foo", "bar", "index.html"), "ALIASTEMPLATE")
 }
+
+func TestTargetPathHTMLRedirectAlias(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newAliasHandler(nil, newErrorLogger(), false)
+
+	errIsNilForThisOS := runtime.GOOS != "windows"
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		value    string
+		expected string
+		errIsNil bool
+	}{
+		{"", "", false},
+		{"s", filepath.FromSlash("s/index.html"), true},
+		{"/", "", false},
+		{"alias 1", filepath.FromSlash("alias 1/index.html"), true},
+		{"alias 2/", filepath.FromSlash("alias 2/index.html"), true},
+		{"alias 3.html", "alias 3.html", true},
+		{"alias4.html", "alias4.html", true},
+		{"/alias 5.html", "alias 5.html", true},
+		{"/трям.html", "трям.html", true},
+		{"../../../../tmp/passwd", "", false},
+		{"/foo/../../../../tmp/passwd", filepath.FromSlash("tmp/passwd/index.html"), true},
+		{"foo/../../../../tmp/passwd", "", false},
+		{"C:\\Windows", filepath.FromSlash("C:\\Windows/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+		{"/trailing-space /", filepath.FromSlash("trailing-space /index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+		{"/trailing-period./", filepath.FromSlash("trailing-period./index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+		{"/tab\tseparated/", filepath.FromSlash("tab\tseparated/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+		{"/chrome/?p=help&ctx=keyboard#topic=3227046", filepath.FromSlash("chrome/?p=help&ctx=keyboard#topic=3227046/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+		{"/LPT1/Printer/", filepath.FromSlash("LPT1/Printer/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		path, err := h.targetPathAlias(test.value)
+		if (err == nil) != test.errIsNil {
+			t.Errorf("Expected err == nil => %t, got: %t. err: %s", test.errIsNil, err == nil, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if err == nil && path != test.expected {
+			t.Errorf("Expected: \"%s\", got: \"%s\"", test.expected, path)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hugolib/handler_file.go b/hugolib/handler_file.go
index f5f65d7d4..f2166c5ef 100644
--- a/hugolib/handler_file.go
+++ b/hugolib/handler_file.go
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ type defaultHandler struct{ basicFileHandler }
 
 func (h defaultHandler) Extensions() []string { return []string{"*"} }
 func (h defaultHandler) FileConvert(f *source.File, s *Site) HandledResult {
-	s.w.writeDestFile(f.Path(), f.Contents)
+	err := s.publish(f.Path(), f.Contents)
+	if err != nil {
+		return HandledResult{err: err}
+	}
 	return HandledResult{file: f}
 }
 
@@ -48,6 +51,9 @@ type cssHandler struct{ basicFileHandler }
 func (h cssHandler) Extensions() []string { return []string{"css"} }
 func (h cssHandler) FileConvert(f *source.File, s *Site) HandledResult {
 	x := cssmin.Minify(f.Bytes())
-	s.w.writeDestFile(f.Path(), bytes.NewReader(x))
+	err := s.publish(f.Path(), bytes.NewReader(x))
+	if err != nil {
+		return HandledResult{err: err}
+	}
 	return HandledResult{file: f}
 }
diff --git a/hugolib/hugo_sites_build.go b/hugolib/hugo_sites_build.go
index 5a008a516..a7aac1c52 100644
--- a/hugolib/hugo_sites_build.go
+++ b/hugolib/hugo_sites_build.go
@@ -200,8 +200,6 @@ func (h *HugoSites) assemble(config *BuildCfg) error {
 func (h *HugoSites) render(config *BuildCfg) error {
 	if !config.SkipRender {
 		for _, s := range h.Sites {
-			s.initSiteWriter()
-
 			if err := s.render(); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/hugolib/site.go b/hugolib/site.go
index 6c33eab94..a1e0aced9 100644
--- a/hugolib/site.go
+++ b/hugolib/site.go
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ type Site struct {
 	Menus    Menus
 	timer    *nitro.B
 
-	// This is not a pointer by design.
-	w siteWriter
-
 	layoutHandler *output.LayoutHandler
 
 	draftCount   int
@@ -1215,8 +1212,6 @@ func (s *Site) convertSource() chan error {
 	numWorkers := getGoMaxProcs() * 4
 	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
 
-	s.initSiteWriter()
-
 	for i := 0; i < numWorkers; i++ {
 		wg.Add(2)
 		go fileConverter(s, fileConvChan, results, wg)
@@ -1802,11 +1797,11 @@ func (s *Site) renderAndWriteXML(name string, dest string, d interface{}, layout
 	transformer := transform.NewChain(transform.AbsURLInXML)
 	transformer.Apply(outBuffer, renderBuffer, path)
 
-	return s.w.writeDestFile(dest, outBuffer)
+	return s.publish(dest, outBuffer)
 
 }
 
-func (s *Site) renderAndWritePage(f output.Format, name string, dest string, d interface{}, layouts ...string) error {
+func (s *Site) renderAndWritePage(name string, dest string, d interface{}, layouts ...string) error {
 	renderBuffer := bp.GetBuffer()
 	defer bp.PutBuffer(renderBuffer)
 
@@ -1819,9 +1814,6 @@ func (s *Site) renderAndWritePage(f output.Format, name string, dest string, d i
 	outBuffer := bp.GetBuffer()
 	defer bp.PutBuffer(outBuffer)
 
-	// Note: this is not a pointer, as we may mutate the state below.
-	w := s.w
-
 	transformLinks := transform.NewEmptyTransforms()
 
 	if s.Info.relativeURLs || s.Info.canonifyURLs {
@@ -1878,7 +1870,7 @@ Your rendered home page is blank: /index.html is zero-length
 
 	}
 
-	if err = w.writeDestPage(f, dest, outBuffer); err != nil {
+	if err = s.publish(dest, outBuffer); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -1928,6 +1920,7 @@ func (s *Site) renderThing(d interface{}, layout string, w io.Writer) error {
 }
 
 func (s *Site) publish(path string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
+	path = filepath.Join(s.absPublishDir(), path)
 	return helpers.WriteToDisk(path, r, s.Fs.Destination)
 }
 
@@ -1938,20 +1931,6 @@ func (s *Site) langDir() string {
 	return ""
 }
 
-func (s *Site) initSiteWriter() {
-	if s.Fs == nil {
-		panic("Must have Fs")
-	}
-	s.w = siteWriter{
-		langDir:      s.langDir(),
-		publishDir:   s.absPublishDir(),
-		uglyURLs:     s.Cfg.GetBool("uglyURLs"),
-		relativeURLs: s.Info.relativeURLs,
-		fs:           s.Fs,
-		log:          s.Log,
-	}
-}
-
 func (s *Site) draftStats() string {
 	var msg string
 
diff --git a/hugolib/site_render.go b/hugolib/site_render.go
index c59522b8d..084aad9fc 100644
--- a/hugolib/site_render.go
+++ b/hugolib/site_render.go
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/spf13/hugo/output"
-
 	bp "github.com/spf13/hugo/bufferpool"
 )
 
@@ -100,7 +98,7 @@ func pageRenderer(s *Site, pages <-chan *Page, results chan<- error, wg *sync.Wa
 
 				s.Log.DEBUG.Printf("Render %s to %q with layouts %q", pageOutput.Kind, targetPath, layouts)
 
-				if err := s.renderAndWritePage(outFormat, "page "+pageOutput.FullFilePath(), targetPath, pageOutput, layouts...); err != nil {
+				if err := s.renderAndWritePage("page "+pageOutput.FullFilePath(), targetPath, pageOutput, layouts...); err != nil {
 					results <- err
 				}
 
@@ -149,7 +147,8 @@ func (s *Site) renderPaginator(p *PageOutput) error {
 			addend := fmt.Sprintf("/%s/%d", paginatePath, pageNumber)
 			targetPath, _ := p.targetPath(addend)
 
-			if err := s.renderAndWritePage(p.outputFormat, pagerNode.Title,
+			if err := s.renderAndWritePage(
+				pagerNode.Title,
 				targetPath, pagerNode, p.layouts()...); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -219,7 +218,7 @@ func (s *Site) render404() error {
 
 	nfLayouts := []string{"404.html"}
 
-	return s.renderAndWritePage(output.HTMLType, "404 page", "404.html", p, s.appendThemeTemplates(nfLayouts)...)
+	return s.renderAndWritePage("404 page", "404.html", p, s.appendThemeTemplates(nfLayouts)...)
 
 }
 
@@ -289,7 +288,7 @@ func (s *Site) renderRobotsTXT() error {
 	err := s.renderForLayouts("robots", n, outBuffer, s.appendThemeTemplates(rLayouts)...)
 
 	if err == nil {
-		err = s.w.writeDestFile("robots.txt", outBuffer)
+		err = s.publish("robots.txt", outBuffer)
 	}
 
 	return err
diff --git a/hugolib/site_writer.go b/hugolib/site_writer.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 1de42e368..000000000
--- a/hugolib/site_writer.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,129 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2017 The Hugo Authors. All rights reserved.
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package hugolib
-
-import (
-	"io"
-	"path/filepath"
-
-	"github.com/spf13/hugo/helpers"
-	"github.com/spf13/hugo/hugofs"
-	"github.com/spf13/hugo/output"
-	jww "github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman"
-)
-
-// We may find some abstractions/interface(s) here once we star with
-// "Multiple Output Formats".
-type siteWriter struct {
-	langDir      string
-	publishDir   string
-	relativeURLs bool
-	uglyURLs     bool
-	allowRoot    bool // For aliases
-
-	fs *hugofs.Fs
-
-	log *jww.Notepad
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) targetPathPage(f output.Format, src string) (string, error) {
-	dir, err := w.baseTargetPathPage(f, src)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	if w.publishDir != "" {
-		dir = filepath.Join(w.publishDir, dir)
-	}
-	return dir, nil
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) baseTargetPathPage(f output.Format, src string) (string, error) {
-	if src == helpers.FilePathSeparator {
-		return "index.html", nil
-	}
-
-	// The anatomy of a target path:
-	// langDir
-	// BaseName
-	// Suffix
-	// ROOT?
-	// dir
-	// name
-
-	dir, file := filepath.Split(src)
-	isRoot := dir == ""
-	ext := extension(filepath.Ext(file))
-	name := filename(file)
-
-	if w.langDir != "" && dir == helpers.FilePathSeparator && name == w.langDir {
-		return filepath.Join(dir, name, "index"+ext), nil
-	}
-
-	if w.uglyURLs || file == "index.html" || (isRoot && file == "404.html") {
-		return filepath.Join(dir, name+ext), nil
-	}
-
-	dir = filepath.Join(dir, name, "index"+ext)
-
-	return dir, nil
-
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) targetPathFile(src string) (string, error) {
-	return filepath.Join(w.publishDir, filepath.FromSlash(src)), nil
-}
-
-func extension(ext string) string {
-	switch ext {
-	case ".md", ".rst":
-		return ".html"
-	}
-
-	if ext != "" {
-		return ext
-	}
-
-	return ".html"
-}
-
-func filename(f string) string {
-	ext := filepath.Ext(f)
-	if ext == "" {
-		return f
-	}
-
-	return f[:len(f)-len(ext)]
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) writeDestPage(f output.Format, path string, reader io.Reader) error {
-	w.log.DEBUG.Println("creating page:", path)
-	path, _ = w.targetPathFile(path)
-	// TODO(bep) output remove this file ... targetPath, err := w.targetPathPage(tp, path)
-
-	return w.publish(path, reader)
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) writeDestFile(path string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
-	w.log.DEBUG.Println("creating file:", path)
-	targetPath, err := w.targetPathFile(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return w.publish(targetPath, r)
-}
-
-func (w siteWriter) publish(path string, r io.Reader) (err error) {
-
-	return helpers.WriteToDisk(path, r, w.fs.Destination)
-}
diff --git a/hugolib/site_writer_test.go b/hugolib/site_writer_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e8a9607d7..000000000
--- a/hugolib/site_writer_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,151 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2017 The Hugo Authors. All rights reserved.
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package hugolib
-
-import (
-	"path/filepath"
-	"runtime"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/spf13/hugo/output"
-)
-
-func TestTargetPathHTMLRedirectAlias(t *testing.T) {
-	h := newAliasHandler(nil, newErrorLogger(), false, "")
-
-	errIsNilForThisOS := runtime.GOOS != "windows"
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		value    string
-		expected string
-		errIsNil bool
-	}{
-		{"", "", false},
-		{"s", filepath.FromSlash("s/index.html"), true},
-		{"/", "", false},
-		{"alias 1", filepath.FromSlash("alias 1/index.html"), true},
-		{"alias 2/", filepath.FromSlash("alias 2/index.html"), true},
-		{"alias 3.html", "alias 3.html", true},
-		{"alias4.html", "alias4.html", true},
-		{"/alias 5.html", "alias 5.html", true},
-		{"/трям.html", "трям.html", true},
-		{"../../../../tmp/passwd", "", false},
-		{"/foo/../../../../tmp/passwd", filepath.FromSlash("tmp/passwd/index.html"), true},
-		{"foo/../../../../tmp/passwd", "", false},
-		{"C:\\Windows", filepath.FromSlash("C:\\Windows/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-		{"/trailing-space /", filepath.FromSlash("trailing-space /index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-		{"/trailing-period./", filepath.FromSlash("trailing-period./index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-		{"/tab\tseparated/", filepath.FromSlash("tab\tseparated/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-		{"/chrome/?p=help&ctx=keyboard#topic=3227046", filepath.FromSlash("chrome/?p=help&ctx=keyboard#topic=3227046/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-		{"/LPT1/Printer/", filepath.FromSlash("LPT1/Printer/index.html"), errIsNilForThisOS},
-	}
-
-	for _, test := range tests {
-		path, err := h.targetPathAlias(test.value)
-		if (err == nil) != test.errIsNil {
-			t.Errorf("Expected err == nil => %t, got: %t. err: %s", test.errIsNil, err == nil, err)
-			continue
-		}
-		if err == nil && path != test.expected {
-			t.Errorf("Expected: \"%s\", got: \"%s\"", test.expected, path)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func TestTargetPathPage(t *testing.T) {
-	w := siteWriter{log: newErrorLogger()}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		content  string
-		expected string
-	}{
-		{"/", "index.html"},
-		{"index.html", "index.html"},
-		{"bar/index.html", "bar/index.html"},
-		{"foo", "foo/index.html"},
-		{"foo.html", "foo/index.html"},
-		{"foo.xhtml", "foo/index.xhtml"},
-		{"section", "section/index.html"},
-		{"section/", "section/index.html"},
-		{"section/foo", "section/foo/index.html"},
-		{"section/foo.html", "section/foo/index.html"},
-		{"section/foo.rss", "section/foo/index.rss"},
-	}
-
-	for _, test := range tests {
-		dest, err := w.targetPathPage(output.HTMLType, filepath.FromSlash(test.content))
-		expected := filepath.FromSlash(test.expected)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Translate returned and unexpected err: %s", err)
-		}
-
-		if dest != expected {
-			t.Errorf("Translate expected return: %s, got: %s", expected, dest)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func TestTargetPathPageBase(t *testing.T) {
-	w := siteWriter{log: newErrorLogger()}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		content  string
-		expected string
-	}{
-		{"/", "a/base/index.html"},
-	}
-
-	for _, test := range tests {
-
-		for _, pd := range []string{"a/base", "a/base/"} {
-			w.publishDir = pd
-			dest, err := w.targetPathPage(output.HTMLType, test.content)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Translated returned and err: %s", err)
-			}
-
-			if dest != filepath.FromSlash(test.expected) {
-				t.Errorf("Translate expected: %s, got: %s", test.expected, dest)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-// TODO(bep) output
-func _TestTargetPathUglyURLs(t *testing.T) {
-	w := siteWriter{log: newErrorLogger(), uglyURLs: true}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		outFormat output.Format
-		content   string
-		expected  string
-	}{
-		{output.HTMLType, "foo.html", "foo.html"},
-		{output.HTMLType, "/", "index.html"},
-		{output.HTMLType, "section", "section.html"},
-		{output.HTMLType, "index.html", "index.html"},
-		{output.JSONType, "section", "section.json"},
-	}
-
-	for i, test := range tests {
-		dest, err := w.targetPathPage(test.outFormat, filepath.FromSlash(test.content))
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf(" [%d] targetPathPage returned an unexpected err: %s", i, err)
-		}
-
-		if dest != test.expected {
-			t.Errorf("[%d] targetPathPage expected return: %s, got: %s", i, test.expected, dest)
-		}
-	}
-}