diff --git a/dvc/command/import_file.py b/dvc/command/import_file.py
index e820cdada..55e552633 100644
--- a/dvc/command/import_file.py
+++ b/dvc/command/import_file.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class CmdImportFile(CmdBase):
             System.symlink(data_item.symlink_file, data_item.data.relative)
 
             state_file = StateFile(StateFile.COMMAND_IMPORT_FILE,
-                               data_item.state.relative,
+                               data_item,
                                self.settings,
                                argv=[input, output],
                                input_files=[],
diff --git a/dvc/command/init.py b/dvc/command/init.py
index f1a8043c1..bf8ee12bb 100644
--- a/dvc/command/init.py
+++ b/dvc/command/init.py
@@ -131,13 +131,12 @@ ProjectName =
         empty_data_path = os.path.join(self.parsed_args.data_dir, self.EMPTY_FILE_NAME)
         cache_file_suffix = self.EMPTY_FILE_NAME + '_' + self.EMPTY_FILE_CHECKSUM
         empty_cache_path = os.path.join(Config.CONFIG_DIR, Config.CACHE_DIR, cache_file_suffix)
-        empty_state_path = os.path.join(Config.CONFIG_DIR, Config.STATE_DIR, self.EMPTY_FILE_NAME + '.state')
 
         open(empty_cache_path, 'w').close()
         System.symlink(os.path.join('..', empty_cache_path), empty_data_path)
 
         StateFile(StateFile.COMMAND_EMPTY_FILE,
-                  empty_state_path,
+                  self.settings.path_factory.data_item(empty_data_path),
                   self.settings,
                   input_files=[],
                   output_files=[],
diff --git a/dvc/command/lock.py b/dvc/command/lock.py
index b2dc9e0be..9b8f8a674 100644
--- a/dvc/command/lock.py
+++ b/dvc/command/lock.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class CmdLock(CmdBase):
         for file in files:
             try:
                 data_item = self.settings.path_factory.existing_data_item(file)
-                state = StateFile.load(data_item.state.relative, self.settings)
+                state = StateFile.load(data_item, self.settings)
 
                 if state.locked and target:
                     Logger.warn('Data item {} is already locked'.format(data_item.data.relative))
diff --git a/dvc/command/repro.py b/dvc/command/repro.py
index 6f9662cbb..e96f79dfb 100644
--- a/dvc/command/repro.py
+++ b/dvc/command/repro.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class ReproChange(object):
             raise ReproError('data item {} is not symlink'.format(data_item.data.relative))
 
         try:
-            self._state = StateFile.load(data_item.state.relative, self.git)
+            self._state = StateFile.load(data_item, self.git)
         except Exception as ex:
             raise ReproError('Error: state file "{}" cannot be loaded: {}'.
                              format(data_item.state.relative, ex))
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class ReproChange(object):
         return result
 
     def is_repro_required(self, changed_files, data_item):
-        state_file = StateFile.load(data_item.state.relative, self._settings)
+        state_file = StateFile.load(data_item, self._settings)
         if state_file.locked:
             Logger.debug(u'Repro is not required for locked data item {}'.format(data_item.data.relative))
             return False
diff --git a/dvc/command/run.py b/dvc/command/run.py
index 489345e49..662d4499c 100644
--- a/dvc/command/run.py
+++ b/dvc/command/run.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class CmdRun(CmdBase):
             Logger.debug('Create state file "{}"'.format(data_item.state.relative))
 
             state_file = StateFile(StateFile.COMMAND_RUN,
-                                   data_item.state.relative,
+                                   data_item,
                                    self.settings,
                                    input_files_dvc,
                                    output_files_dvc,
diff --git a/dvc/command/show_pipeline.py b/dvc/command/show_pipeline.py
index e8e168bf4..55f0c6e03 100644
--- a/dvc/command/show_pipeline.py
+++ b/dvc/command/show_pipeline.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class CmdShowPipeline(Traverse):
     def process_file(self, target):
         data_item = self._get_data_item(target)
         name = data_item.data.relative
-        state = StateFile.load(data_item.state.relative, self.git)
+        state = StateFile.load(data_item, self.git)
 
         if name == os.path.join(self.settings.config.data_dir, CmdInit.EMPTY_FILE_NAME):
             return
diff --git a/dvc/state_file.py b/dvc/state_file.py
index 39a6b5be2..b474dac4b 100644
--- a/dvc/state_file.py
+++ b/dvc/state_file.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class StateFile(object):
 
     def __init__(self,
                  command,
-                 file,
+                 data_item,
                  settings,
                  input_files,
                  output_files,
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ class StateFile(object):
                  created_at=time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z'),
                  cwd=None,
                  shell=False):
-        self.file = file
+        self.data_item = data_item
+        self.file = data_item.state.relative
         self.settings = settings
         self.input_files = input_files
         self.output_files = output_files
@@ -123,12 +124,12 @@ class StateFile(object):
         return StateFile.encode_paths([p])[0]
 
     @staticmethod
-    def load(filename, settings):
-        with open(filename, 'r') as fd:
+    def load(data_item, settings):
+        with open(data_item.state.relative, 'r') as fd:
             data = json.load(fd)
 
         return StateFile(StateFile.decode_path(data.get(StateFile.PARAM_COMMAND)),
-                         filename,
+                         data_item,
                          settings,
                          StateFile.decode_paths(data.get(StateFile.PARAM_INPUT_FILES, [])),
                          StateFile.decode_paths(data.get(StateFile.PARAM_OUTPUT_FILES, [])),