diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
index 2cc450563d..85028f8130 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
@@ -2,13 +2,9 @@ module Homebrew extend self
 
   def tap
     if ARGV.empty?
-      tapd = HOMEBREW_LIBRARY/"Taps"
-      tapd.children.each do |user|
-        next unless user.directory?
-        user.children.each do |repo|
-          puts "#{user.basename}/#{repo.basename.sub("homebrew-", "")}" if (repo/".git").directory?
-        end
-      end if tapd.directory?
+      each_tap do |user, repo|
+        puts "#{user.basename}/#{repo.basename.sub("homebrew-", "")}" if (repo/".git").directory?
+      end
     elsif ARGV.first == "--repair"
       repair_taps
     else
@@ -88,13 +84,10 @@ module Homebrew extend self
 
     count = 0
     # check symlinks are all set in each tap
-    HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY.join("Library/Taps").children.each do |user|
-      next unless user.directory?
-      user.children.each do |repo|
-        files = []
-        repo.find_formula{ |file| files << user.basename.join(repo.basename, file) } if repo.directory?
-        count += link_tap_formula(files)
-      end
+    each_tap do |user, repo|
+      files = []
+      repo.find_formula { |file| files << user.basename.join(repo.basename, file) }
+      count += link_tap_formula(files)
     end
 
     puts "Tapped #{count} formula"
@@ -102,6 +95,18 @@ module Homebrew extend self
 
   private
 
+  def each_tap
+    taps = HOMEBREW_LIBRARY.join("Taps")
+
+    if taps.directory?
+      taps.subdirs.each do |user|
+        user.subdirs.each do |repo|
+          yield user, repo
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   def tap_args
     ARGV.first =~ %r{^([\w_-]+)/(homebrew-)?([\w_-]+)$}
     raise "Invalid tap name" unless $1 && $3
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/update.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/update.rb
index fcbffb11f7..927eca410f 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/update.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/update.rb
@@ -38,19 +38,16 @@ module Homebrew extend self
     # this procedure will be removed in the future if it seems unnecessasry
     rename_taps_dir_if_necessary
 
-    Dir["Library/Taps/*/"].each do |user|
-      Dir["#{user}*/"].each do |repo|
-        cd repo do
-          begin
-            updater = Updater.new
-            updater.pull!
-            report.merge!(updater.report) do |key, oldval, newval|
-              oldval.concat(newval)
-            end
-          rescue
-            repo =~ %r{^Library/Taps/([\w_-]+)/(homebrew-)?([\w_-]+)}
-            onoe "Failed to update tap: #$1/#$3"
+    each_tap do |user, repo|
+      repo.cd do
+        begin
+          updater = Updater.new
+          updater.pull!
+          report.merge!(updater.report) do |key, oldval, newval|
+            oldval.concat(newval)
           end
+        rescue
+          onoe "Failed to update tap: #{user.basename}/#{repo.basename.sub("homebrew-", "")}"
         end
       end
     end