diff --git a/users.py b/users.py
index 752d057..cc69a38 100644
--- a/users.py
+++ b/users.py
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ import datetime
 import queue
 from threading import Thread
 from os import path
+import warnings
+from cryptography.utils import CryptographyDeprecationWarning
+# Suppress noisy TripleDES warnings originating from paramiko.
+warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=CryptographyDeprecationWarning)
 
 # for NLP
 #import spacy
diff --git a/util.py b/util.py
index 2a76cbf..a3105dc 100755
--- a/util.py
+++ b/util.py
@@ -17,17 +17,31 @@ def _ensure_parent_dir(path):
         # Never block the open call due to directory check errors
         pass
 
+# Wrap builtins.open to auto-create parent folders and sanitize buffering.
 def _open_with_dirs(file, mode='r', *args, **kwargs):
     try:
         if isinstance(file, (str, bytes, os.PathLike)) and any(m in mode for m in ('w','a','x','+')):
             _ensure_parent_dir(file)
     finally:
         # Avoid RuntimeWarning: line buffering (buffering=1) isn't supported in binary mode
-        if 'b' in mode and kwargs.get('buffering', None) == 1:
-            kwargs = dict(kwargs)
-            kwargs['buffering'] = -1  # use default buffering for binary
+        args_list = None
+        buffering_arg = None
+        if args:
+            args_list = list(args)
+            buffering_arg = args_list[0]
+        elif 'buffering' in kwargs:
+            buffering_arg = kwargs['buffering']
+        if 'b' in mode and buffering_arg == 1:
+            if args_list is not None:
+                args_list[0] = -1
+            else:
+                kwargs = dict(kwargs)
+                kwargs['buffering'] = -1  # use default buffering for binary
+        if args_list is not None:
+            return _orig_open(file, mode, *tuple(args_list), **kwargs)
         return _orig_open(file, mode, *args, **kwargs)
 
+# Wrap codecs.open mirrors to ensure parent folders exist and fix buffering.
 def _codecs_open_with_dirs(filename, mode='r', encoding=None, errors='strict', buffering=1):
     try:
         if isinstance(filename, (str, bytes, os.PathLike)) and any(m in mode for m in ('w','a','x','+')):