diff --git a/bindings/dotnet/src/Sigar.cs b/bindings/dotnet/src/Sigar.cs
index 8f852e21..8cf50eaf 100644
--- a/bindings/dotnet/src/Sigar.cs
+++ b/bindings/dotnet/src/Sigar.cs
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ namespace Hyperic.Sigar {
         public readonly ulong Used;
         public readonly ulong Free;
         public readonly ulong Shared;
-        private readonly ulong NA_buffer;
-        private readonly ulong NA_cached;
+        public readonly ulong ActualFree;
+        public readonly ulong ActualUsed;
 
         [DllImport(Sigar.LIBSIGAR)]
         private static extern int
diff --git a/examples/sigfreed.c b/examples/sigfreed.c
index 5c662f5f..9e66f627 100644
--- a/examples/sigfreed.c
+++ b/examples/sigfreed.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
             meminfo.buffer / 1024,
             meminfo.cached / 1024);
     fprintf(stdout, "-/+ buffers/cache: %10ld %10d\n",
-            (meminfo.used - meminfo.buffer - meminfo.cached) / 1024,
-            (meminfo.free + meminfo.buffer + meminfo.cached) / 1024);
+            meminfo.actual_used / 1024,
+            meminfo.actual_free / 1024);
     fprintf(stdout, "Swap:   %10ld %10ld %10ld\n",
             swapinfo.total / 1024,
             swapinfo.used / 1024,
diff --git a/include/sigar.h b/include/sigar.h
index a63a5a6f..128e5ded 100644
--- a/include/sigar.h
+++ b/include/sigar.h
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ typedef struct {
         used, 
         free,
         shared,
-        buffer,
-        cached;
+        actual_used,
+        actual_free;
 } sigar_mem_t;
 
 SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem);
diff --git a/src/os/aix/aix_sigar.c b/src/os/aix/aix_sigar.c
index 495386f3..d16e5e9d 100644
--- a/src/os/aix/aix_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/aix/aix_sigar.c
@@ -354,10 +354,10 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
     mem->total  = PAGESHIFT(vm.memsizepgs); /* lsattr -El sys0 -a realmem */
     mem->free   = PAGESHIFT(vm.numfrb);
     mem->used   = mem->total - mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
 
     mem->shared = -1;
-    mem->buffer = -1;
-    mem->cached = -1;
     
     sigar_mem_calc_ram(sigar, mem);
 
diff --git a/src/os/darwin/darwin_sigar.c b/src/os/darwin/darwin_sigar.c
index e0678e56..1fcaa5f0 100644
--- a/src/os/darwin/darwin_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/darwin/darwin_sigar.c
@@ -124,8 +124,9 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
 
     mem->used = mem->total - mem->free;
     mem->shared = -1; /*XXX*/
-    mem->buffer = -1;
-    mem->cached = -1;
+
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
 
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/os/hpux/hpux_sigar.c b/src/os/hpux/hpux_sigar.c
index a0a027a9..4ee5cd60 100644
--- a/src/os/hpux/hpux_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/hpux/hpux_sigar.c
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
     mem->used = mem->total - mem->free;
 
     /*XXX*/
-    mem->shared = mem->buffer = mem->cached = 0;
+    mem->shared = 0;
+
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
     
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/os/linux/linux_sigar.c b/src/os/linux/linux_sigar.c
index 128dc6d7..2160232e 100644
--- a/src/os/linux/linux_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/linux/linux_sigar.c
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ static SIGAR_INLINE sigar_uint64_t sigar_meminfo(char *buffer,
 
 int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
 {
+    sigar_uint64_t buffer, cached;
     char buffer[BUFSIZ];
 
     int status = sigar_file2str(PROC_MEMINFO,
@@ -244,9 +245,14 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
 
     mem->total  = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("MemTotal"));
     mem->free   = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("MemFree"));
-    mem->buffer = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("Buffers"));
-    mem->cached = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("Cached"));
     mem->used   = mem->total - mem->free;
+
+    buffer = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("Buffers"));
+    cached = sigar_meminfo(buffer, MEMINFO_PARAM("Cached"));
+
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
+
     mem->shared = 0; /* XXX where did this go in 2.6?? */
 
     if (get_ram(sigar, mem) != SIGAR_OK) {
diff --git a/src/os/osf1/osf1_sigar.c b/src/os/osf1/osf1_sigar.c
index 76a6474e..5073d67a 100644
--- a/src/os/osf1/osf1_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/osf1/osf1_sigar.c
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
     sigar_mem_calc_ram(sigar, mem);
 
     mem->shared = -1;
-    mem->buffer = -1;
-    mem->cached = -1;
+
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
 
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/os/solaris/solaris_sigar.c b/src/os/solaris/solaris_sigar.c
index 308fcff5..3d977386 100644
--- a/src/os/solaris/solaris_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/solaris/solaris_sigar.c
@@ -180,11 +180,12 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
         
         mem->shared = KPAGE_SHIFT(kMEMPAGES(KSTAT_MEMPAGES_EXEC));
 
-        mem->buffer = KPAGE_SHIFT(kMEMPAGES(KSTAT_MEMPAGES_VNODE));
-
-        mem->cached = -1; /*XXX*/
+        /*mem->buffer = KPAGE_SHIFT(kMEMPAGES(KSTAT_MEMPAGES_VNODE));*/
     }
 
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
+
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/os/stub/stub_sigar.c b/src/os/stub/stub_sigar.c
index 26d8504d..ffd787a0 100644
--- a/src/os/stub/stub_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/stub/stub_sigar.c
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ int sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
     mem->used   = -1;
     mem->free   = -1;
     mem->shared = -1;
-    mem->buffer = -1;
-    mem->cached = -1;
-
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/os/win32/win32_sigar.c b/src/os/win32/win32_sigar.c
index 4e60f516..ac19cf91 100644
--- a/src/os/win32/win32_sigar.c
+++ b/src/os/win32/win32_sigar.c
@@ -276,9 +276,8 @@ SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_mem_get(sigar_t *sigar, sigar_mem_t *mem)
 
     sigar_mem_calc_ram(sigar, mem);
 
-    /*XXX*/
-    mem->buffer = 0;
-    mem->cached = 0;
+    mem->actual_free = mem->free;
+    mem->actual_used = mem->used;
 
     return SIGAR_OK;
 }