diff --git a/ext/inode.cpp b/ext/inode.cpp
index a2c7d087..3bd22b75 100644
--- a/ext/inode.cpp
+++ b/ext/inode.cpp
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ Inode* Inode::Open(const char* elem, int flags, mode_t mode)
 			uint32_t inode_id = entry->inode;
 			assert(inode_id);
 			block->Unref();
-			if ( flags & O_EXCL )
+			if ( (flags & O_CREAT) && (flags & O_EXCL) )
 				return errno = EEXIST, (Inode*) NULL;
 			if ( (flags & O_DIRECTORY) &&
 			     file_type != EXT2_FT_UNKNOWN &&
diff --git a/kernel/fs/kram.cpp b/kernel/fs/kram.cpp
index e4f13c41..3ede404c 100644
--- a/kernel/fs/kram.cpp
+++ b/kernel/fs/kram.cpp
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ Ref<Inode> Dir::open(ioctx_t* ctx, const char* filename, int flags, mode_t mode)
 	size_t child_index = FindChild(filename);
 	if ( child_index != SIZE_MAX )
 	{
-		if ( flags & O_EXCL )
+		if ( (flags & O_CREATE) && (flags & O_EXCL) )
 			return errno = EEXIST, Ref<Inode>(NULL);
 		return children[child_index].inode;
 	}