diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 30cee2c..42c3356 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ int imdb_init(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path)
   DB_SEEK(db, 0);
   DB_WRITE(db, buf, IMDB_REC_LEN);
 
+  close(db->fd);
+  db->fd = -1;
+
   if (bytes != IMDB_REC_LEN) {
     db->errstr = "Can't write database header";
     return -1;
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ int imdb_init(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path)
   return 0;
 }
 
-int imdb_open(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path)
+int imdb_open(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path, int write)
 {
   ssize_t bytes = 0;
   struct stat st;
@@ -87,11 +90,12 @@ int imdb_open(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path)
   }
 
   errno = 0;
-  if ((db->fd = open(path, OPEN_FLAGS)) == -1) {
+  if ((db->fd = open(path, write ? O_RDWR : O_RDONLY)) == -1) {
     db->errstr = strerror(errno);
     return -1;
   }
-  db->path = path;
+  db->write = write;
+  db->path  = path;
 
   memset(buf, 0x0, IMDB_REC_LEN);
   DB_SEEK(db, 0);
diff --git a/src/database.h b/src/database.h
index 7f021db..4e80774 100644
--- a/src/database.h
+++ b/src/database.h
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 
 #define IMDB_REC_LEN 48
 #define IMDB_VERSION  2
-#define OPEN_FLAGS O_RDWR
 
 typedef struct {
   int fd;
+  int write;
   const char *path;
   const char *errstr;
   unsigned char caps[8];
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ extern int imdb_read_blk (imdb_db_t *db, imdb_block_t *blk);
 extern int imdb_write_blk(imdb_db_t *db, imdb_block_t *blk);
 
 extern int imdb_init (imdb_db_t *db, const char *path);
-extern int imdb_open (imdb_db_t *db, const char *path);
+extern int imdb_open (imdb_db_t *db, const char *path, int write);
 extern int imdb_close(imdb_db_t *db);
 
 float
diff --git a/src/query.c b/src/query.c
index b622eb0..2cef990 100644
--- a/src/query.c
+++ b/src/query.c
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
   }
 
-  if (imdb_open(&db, db_path) == -1) {
+  if (imdb_open(&db, db_path, 0) == -1) {
     printf("database open: %s\n", db.errstr);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }
diff --git a/src/sampler.c b/src/sampler.c
index 9d18360..be7eedc 100644
--- a/src/sampler.c
+++ b/src/sampler.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     usage();
   }
 
-  if (imdb_open(&db, argv[1]) != 0) {
+  if (imdb_open(&db, argv[1], 1) != 0) {
     puts(db.errstr);
     usage();
   }