diff --git a/catcli/catalog.py b/catcli/catalog.py
index eee2704..67afe28 100644
--- a/catcli/catalog.py
+++ b/catcli/catalog.py
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ Class that represents the catcli catalog
 """
 
 import os
-from typing import Optional
-from anytree.exporter import JsonExporter  # type: ignore
+from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Tuple, Union, Any
+from anytree.exporter import JsonExporter, DictExporter  # type: ignore
 from anytree.importer import JsonImporter  # type: ignore
+from anytree import AnyNode  # type: ignore
 
 # local imports
 from catcli import nodes
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ class Catalog:
         @debug: debug mode
         @force: force overwrite if exists
         """
-        self.path = path
+        self.path = os.path.expanduser(path)
         self.debug = debug
         self.force = force
         self.metanode: Optional[NodeMeta] = None
@@ -85,7 +86,8 @@ class Catalog:
     def _save_json(self, top: NodeTop) -> bool:
         """export the catalog in json"""
         self._debug(f'saving {top} to json...')
-        exp = JsonExporter(indent=2, sort_keys=True)
+        dexporter = DictExporter(attriter=attriter)
+        exp = JsonExporter(dictexporter=dexporter, indent=2, sort_keys=True)
         with open(self.path, 'w', encoding='UTF-8') as file:
             exp.write(top, file)
         self._debug(f'Catalog saved to json \"{self.path}\"')
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@ class Catalog:
 
     def _restore_json(self, string: str) -> Optional[NodeTop]:
         """restore the tree from json"""
-        imp = JsonImporter()
+        imp = JsonImporter(dictimporter=_DictImporter(debug=self.debug))
         self._debug('import from string...')
         root = imp.import_(string)
         self._debug(f'Catalog imported from json \"{self.path}\"')
@@ -103,3 +105,54 @@ class Catalog:
         top = NodeTop(root.name, children=root.children)
         self._debug(f'top imported: {top}')
         return top
+
+
+class _DictImporter():
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 nodecls: AnyNode = AnyNode,
+                 debug: bool = False):
+        self.nodecls = nodecls
+        self.debug = debug
+
+    def import_(self, data: Dict[str, str]) -> AnyNode:
+        """Import tree from `data`."""
+        return self.__import(data)
+
+    def __import(self, data: Union[str, Any],
+                 parent: AnyNode = None) -> AnyNode:
+        """overwrite parent imoprt"""
+        assert isinstance(data, dict)
+        assert "parent" not in data
+        attrs = dict(data)
+        # replace attr
+        attrs = back_attriter(attrs, debug=self.debug)
+        children: Union[str, Any] = attrs.pop("children", [])
+        node = self.nodecls(parent=parent, **attrs)
+        for child in children:
+            self.__import(child, parent=node)
+        return node
+
+
+def back_attriter(adict: Dict[str, str],
+                  debug: bool = False) -> Dict[str, str]:
+    """replace attribute on json restore"""
+    attrs = {}
+    for k, val in adict.items():
+        if k == 'size':
+            if debug:
+                Logger.debug(f'changing {k}={val}')
+            k = 'nodesize'
+        attrs[k] = val
+    return attrs
+
+
+def attriter(attrs: List[Tuple[str, Any]]) -> List[Tuple[str, Any]]:
+    """replace attribute on json save"""
+    newattr = []
+    for attr in attrs:
+        k, val = attr
+        if k == 'nodesize':
+            k = 'size'
+        newattr.append((k, val))
+    return newattr
diff --git a/catcli/fuser.py b/catcli/fuser.py
index 935a663..50cf6be 100644
--- a/catcli/fuser.py
+++ b/catcli/fuser.py
@@ -74,21 +74,21 @@ class CatcliFilesystem(fuse.LoggingMixIn, fuse.Operations):  # type: ignore
 
         maccess = time()
         mode: Any = S_IFREG
-        size: int = 0
+        nodesize: int = 0
         if entry.type == nodes.TYPE_ARCHIVED:
             mode = S_IFREG
-            size = entry.size
+            nodesize = entry.nodesize
         elif entry.type == nodes.TYPE_DIR:
             mode = S_IFDIR
-            size = entry.size
+            nodesize = entry.nodesize
             maccess = entry.maccess
         elif entry.type == nodes.TYPE_FILE:
             mode = S_IFREG
-            size = entry.size
+            nodesize = entry.nodesize
             maccess = entry.maccess
         elif entry.type == nodes.TYPE_STORAGE:
             mode = S_IFDIR
-            size = entry.size
+            nodesize = entry.nodesize
             maccess = entry.ts
         elif entry.type == nodes.TYPE_META:
             mode = S_IFREG
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class CatcliFilesystem(fuse.LoggingMixIn, fuse.Operations):  # type: ignore
         return {
             'st_mode': (mode),  # file type
             'st_nlink': 1,  # count hard link
-            'st_size': size,
+            'st_size': nodesize,
             'st_ctime': maccess,  # attr last modified
             'st_mtime': maccess,  # content last modified
             'st_atime': maccess,  # access time
diff --git a/catcli/noder.py b/catcli/noder.py
index b53e7ee..d0ab9d4 100644
--- a/catcli/noder.py
+++ b/catcli/noder.py
@@ -138,29 +138,31 @@ class Noder:
         @store: store the size in the node
         """
         if node.type == nodes.TYPE_FILE:
-            self._debug(f'size of {node.type} \"{node.name}\": {node.size}')
-            return node.size
+            node.__class__ = NodeFile
+            msg = f'size of {node.type} \"{node.name}\": {node.nodesize}'
+            self._debug(msg)
+            return node.nodesize
         msg = f'getting node size recursively for \"{node.name}\"'
         self._debug(msg)
-        size: int = 0
+        fullsize: int = 0
         for i in node.children:
             if node.type == nodes.TYPE_DIR:
                 sub_size = self.rec_size(i, store=store)
                 if store:
-                    i.size = sub_size
-                size += sub_size
+                    i.nodesize = sub_size
+                fullsize += sub_size
                 continue
             if node.type == nodes.TYPE_STORAGE:
                 sub_size = self.rec_size(i, store=store)
                 if store:
-                    i.size = sub_size
-                size += sub_size
+                    i.nodesize = sub_size
+                fullsize += sub_size
                 continue
             self._debug(f'skipping {node.name}')
         if store:
-            node.size = size
-        self._debug(f'size of {node.type} \"{node.name}\": {size}')
-        return size
+            node.nodesize = fullsize
+        self._debug(f'size of {node.type} \"{node.name}\": {fullsize}')
+        return fullsize
 
     ###############################################################
     # public helpers
@@ -261,7 +263,7 @@ class Noder:
                          parent: str, archive: str) -> NodeArchived:
         """create a new node for archive data"""
         return NodeArchived(name=name, relpath=path,
-                            parent=parent, size=0, md5='',
+                            parent=parent, nodesize=0, md5='',
                             archive=archive)
 
     ###############################################################
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ class Noder:
             fullpath = os.path.join(storage.name, parents)
             out.append(fullpath.replace('"', '""'))  # full path
 
-            out.append(size_to_str(node.size, raw=raw))  # size
+            out.append(size_to_str(node.nodesize, raw=raw))  # size
             out.append(epoch_to_str(storage.ts))  # indexed_at
             if self._has_attr(node, 'maccess'):
                 out.append(epoch_to_str(node.maccess))  # maccess
@@ -392,9 +394,11 @@ class Noder:
         """
         if node.type == nodes.TYPE_TOP:
             # top node
+            node.__class__ = NodeTop
             Logger.stdout_nocolor(f'{pre}{node.name}')
         elif node.type == nodes.TYPE_FILE:
             # node of type file
+            node.__class__ = NodeFile
             name = node.name
             if withpath:
                 if recalcparent:
@@ -407,7 +411,7 @@ class Noder:
             attr_str = ''
             if node.md5:
                 attr_str = f', md5:{node.md5}'
-            size = size_to_str(node.size, raw=raw)
+            size = size_to_str(node.nodesize, raw=raw)
             compl = f'size:{size}{attr_str}'
             if withstorage:
                 content = Logger.get_bold_text(storage.name)
@@ -415,6 +419,7 @@ class Noder:
             NodePrinter.print_file_native(pre, name, compl)
         elif node.type == nodes.TYPE_DIR:
             # node of type directory
+            node.__class__ = NodeDir
             name = node.name
             if withpath:
                 if recalcparent:
@@ -428,13 +433,14 @@ class Noder:
             if withstorage:
                 storage = self._get_storage(node)
             attr: List[Tuple[str, str]] = []
-            if node.size:
-                attr.append(('totsize', size_to_str(node.size, raw=raw)))
+            if node.nodesize:
+                attr.append(('totsize', size_to_str(node.nodesize, raw=raw)))
             if withstorage:
                 attr.append(('storage', Logger.get_bold_text(storage.name)))
             NodePrinter.print_dir_native(pre, name, depth=depth, attr=attr)
         elif node.type == nodes.TYPE_STORAGE:
             # node of type storage
+            node.__class__ = NodeStorage
             sztotal = size_to_str(node.total, raw=raw)
             szused = size_to_str(node.total - node.free, raw=raw)
             nbchildren = len(node.children)
@@ -467,6 +473,7 @@ class Noder:
                                              node.attr)
         elif node.type == nodes.TYPE_ARCHIVED:
             # archive node
+            node.__class__ = NodeArchived
             if self.arc:
                 NodePrinter.print_archive_native(pre, node.name, node.archive)
         else:
@@ -775,9 +782,9 @@ class Noder:
     def _sort_size(node: NodeAny) -> float:
         """sorting nodes by size"""
         try:
-            if not node.size:
+            if not node.nodesize:
                 return 0
-            return float(node.size)
+            return float(node.nodesize)
         except AttributeError:
             return 0
 
diff --git a/catcli/nodes.py b/catcli/nodes.py
index 0f96c45..eb42e81 100644
--- a/catcli/nodes.py
+++ b/catcli/nodes.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class NodeFile(NodeAny):
     def __init__(self,  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
                  name: str,
                  relpath: str,
-                 size: int,
+                 nodesize: int,
                  md5: str,
                  maccess: float,
                  parent=None,
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class NodeFile(NodeAny):
         self.name = name
         self.type = TYPE_FILE
         self.relpath = relpath
-        self.size = size
+        self.nodesize = nodesize
         self.md5 = md5
         self.maccess = maccess
         self.parent = parent
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class NodeDir(NodeAny):
     def __init__(self,  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
                  name: str,
                  relpath: str,
-                 size: int,
+                 nodesize: int,
                  maccess: float,
                  parent=None,
                  children=None):
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class NodeDir(NodeAny):
         self.name = name
         self.type = TYPE_DIR
         self.relpath = relpath
-        self.size = size
+        self.nodesize = nodesize
         self.maccess = maccess
         self.parent = parent
         if children:
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class NodeArchived(NodeAny):
     def __init__(self,  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
                  name: str,
                  relpath: str,
-                 size: int,
+                 nodesize: int,
                  md5: str,
                  archive: str,
                  parent=None,
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class NodeArchived(NodeAny):
         self.name = name
         self.type = TYPE_ARCHIVED
         self.relpath = relpath
-        self.size = size
+        self.nodesize = nodesize
         self.md5 = md5
         self.archive = archive
         self.parent = parent
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class NodeStorage(NodeAny):
                  name: str,
                  free: int,
                  total: int,
-                 size: int,
+                 nodesize: int,
                  ts: float,
                  attr: str,
                  parent=None,
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class NodeStorage(NodeAny):
         self.free = free
         self.total = total
         self.attr = attr
-        self.size = size
+        self.nodesize = nodesize
         self.ts = ts  # pylint: disable=C0103
         self.parent = parent
         if children: