diff --git a/repos/ports/src/noux/vfs_io_channel.h b/repos/ports/src/noux/vfs_io_channel.h
index 7f8bad759..e86babc29 100644
--- a/repos/ports/src/noux/vfs_io_channel.h
+++ b/repos/ports/src/noux/vfs_io_channel.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ struct Noux::Vfs_io_channel : Io_channel
 		Registered_no_delete<Vfs_io_waiter>
 			vfs_io_waiter(_vfs_io_waiter_registry);
 
-		if (_fh.status_flags() != Sysio::OPEN_MODE_RDONLY) {
+		if ((_fh.status_flags() & Sysio::OPEN_MODE_ACCMODE) != Sysio::OPEN_MODE_RDONLY) {
 			for (;;) {
 				if (_fh.fs().update_modification_timestamp(&_fh, ts)) {
 					break;