diff --git a/linux/blkdev.c b/linux/blkdev.c
index 9b3ea93f..54cd6e9c 100644
--- a/linux/blkdev.c
+++ b/linux/blkdev.c
@@ -180,13 +180,26 @@ struct block_device *blkdev_get_by_path(const char *path, fmode_t mode,
 	if (mode & FMODE_EXCL)
 		flags |= O_EXCL;
 #endif
+	buffered_fd = open(path, flags);
+	if (buffered_fd < 0)
+		return ERR_PTR(-errno);
 
 	fd = open(path, flags|O_DIRECT);
 	if (fd < 0)
+		fd = dup(buffered_fd);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		close(buffered_fd);
 		return ERR_PTR(-errno);
+	}
 
-	sync_fd	= xopen(path, flags|O_DIRECT|O_SYNC);
-	buffered_fd = xopen(path, flags);
+	sync_fd	= open(path, flags|O_DIRECT|O_SYNC);
+	if (sync_fd < 0)
+		sync_fd	= open(path, flags|O_SYNC);
+	if (sync_fd < 0) {
+		close(fd);
+		close(buffered_fd);
+		return ERR_PTR(-errno);
+	}
 
 	bdev = malloc(sizeof(*bdev));
 	memset(bdev, 0, sizeof(*bdev));