diff --git a/include/cdio/mmc.h b/include/cdio/mmc.h
index c7a4eeaf..d85bc282 100644
--- a/include/cdio/mmc.h
+++ b/include/cdio/mmc.h
@@ -374,18 +374,20 @@ typedef struct mmc_cdb_s {
     unsigned char reserved2;
     unsigned char profile_msb;
     unsigned char profile_lsb;
-  } cdio_mmc_feature_list_header_t;
-
+ } cdio_mmc_feature_list_header_t;
   /** An enumeration indicating whether an MMC command is sending
-    data or getting data.
+    data, or getting data, or does none of both.
+ */
+ typedef enum mmc_direction_s {
+   SCSI_MMC_DATA_READ,
+    SCSI_MMC_DATA_WRITE,
+    SCSI_MMC_DATA_NONE
+ } cdio_mmc_direction_t;
+  /** Indicate to applications that SCSI_MMC_DATA_NONE is available
   */
-  typedef enum mmc_direction_s {
-    SCSI_MMC_DATA_READ,
-    SCSI_MMC_DATA_WRITE
-  } cdio_mmc_direction_t;
-  
+#define SCSI_MMC_HAS_DIR_NONE 1
   typedef struct mmc_subchannel_s
-  {
+ {
     uint8_t       reserved;
     uint8_t       audio_status;
     uint16_t      data_length; /**< Really ISO 9660 7.2.2 */
diff --git a/lib/driver/gnu_linux.c b/lib/driver/gnu_linux.c
index a7eaa663..74a2e256 100644
--- a/lib/driver/gnu_linux.c
+++ b/lib/driver/gnu_linux.c
@@ -1224,13 +1224,12 @@ run_mmc_cmd_linux( void *p_user_data,
   const _img_private_t *p_env = p_user_data;
   struct cdrom_generic_command cgc;
   memset (&cgc, 0, sizeof (struct cdrom_generic_command));
-  memcpy(&cgc.cmd, p_cdb, i_cdb);
-  cgc.buflen = i_buf;
-  cgc.buffer = p_buf;
-  cgc.data_direction = (SCSI_MMC_DATA_READ == cgc.data_direction)
-    ? CGC_DATA_READ : CGC_DATA_WRITE;
-
-#ifdef HAVE_LINUX_CDROM_TIMEOUT
+ memcpy(&cgc.cmd, p_cdb, i_cdb);
+ cgc.buflen = i_buf;
+ cgc.buffer = p_buf;
+  cgc.data_direction = (SCSI_MMC_DATA_READ == e_direction)
+   ? CGC_DATA_READ : CGC_DATA_WRITE;
+ #ifdef HAVE_LINUX_CDROM_TIMEOUT
   cgc.timeout = i_timeout_ms;
 #endif
 
@@ -1639,7 +1638,7 @@ cdio_open_am_linux (const char *psz_orig_source, const char *access_mode)
 
   ret->driver_id = DRIVER_LINUX;
 
-  if (cdio_generic_init(_data, O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK)) {
+  if (cdio_generic_init(_data, O_RDWR|O_NONBLOCK)) {
     return ret;
   } else {
     cdio_generic_free (_data);