diff --git a/sys/include/sys/descrip.h b/sys/include/sys/descrip.h
index bb4b9a9..a012794 100644
--- a/sys/include/sys/descrip.h
+++ b/sys/include/sys/descrip.h
@@ -84,10 +84,21 @@
 #define O_NDELAY        O_NONBLOCK      /* compat */
 #define FPOSIXSHM       O_NOFOLLOW
 
+#define O_DIRECTORY     0x00020000      /* Fail if not directory */
+#define O_EXEC          0x00040000      /* Open for execute only */
+
 #define FCNTLFLAGS      (FAPPEND|FASYNC|FFSYNC|FNONBLOCK|FPOSIXSHM|O_DIRECT)
 
+/*
 #define FFLAGS(oflags)  ((oflags) + 1)
 #define OFLAGS(fflags)  ((fflags) - 1)
+*/
+
+/* convert from open() flags to/from fflags; convert O_RD/WR to FREAD/FWRITE */
+#define FFLAGS(oflags)  ((oflags) & O_EXEC ? (oflags) : (oflags) + 1)
+#define OFLAGS(fflags)  ((fflags) & O_EXEC ? (fflags) : (fflags) - 1)
+
+#define        FMASK   (FREAD|FWRITE|FAPPEND|FASYNC|FFSYNC|FNONBLOCK|O_DIRECT|FEXEC)
 
 struct fileOps;
 struct file;
@@ -180,6 +191,8 @@
 int ioctl(struct thread *, struct ioctl_args *);
 int getfd(struct thread *td, struct file **fp, int fd);
 
+int_kern_openat(struct thread *,int, char *,int int);
+
 #endif
 
 /***
diff --git a/sys/kernel/vfs_calls.c b/sys/kernel/vfs_calls.c
index 067390f..a183143 100644
--- a/sys/kernel/vfs_calls.c
+++ b/sys/kernel/vfs_calls.c
@@ -36,36 +36,13 @@
 #include <ufs/ufs.h>
 
 int sys_open(struct thread *td, struct sys_open_args *args) {
-  int error = 0x0;
-  int fd = 0x0;
-  struct file *nfp = 0x0;
 
-  error = falloc(td, &nfp, &fd);
+  return(kern_openat(td, AT_FDCWD, args->path, args->flags, args->mode));
 
-  if (error) {
-    td->td_retval[0] = -1;
-    return (error);
-  }
-
-
-  nfp->fd = fopen(args->path, "rb");
-
-  if (nfp->fd == 0x0) {
-    fdestroy(td, nfp, fd);
-
-    td->td_retval[0] = -1;
-    error = -1;
-  }
-  else {
-    td->td_retval[0] = fd;
-  }
-
-  //kprintf("sO: 0x%X:%s:", args->mode, args->path, td->td_retval[0]);
-
-  return (error);
 }
 
 int sys_openat(struct thread *td, struct sys_openat_args *args) {
+
   int error = 0x0;
   int fd = 0x0;
   struct file *nfp = 0x0;
@@ -421,3 +398,52 @@
   thr->td_retval[0] = 2;
   return (-1);
 }
+
+int kern_openat(struct thread *thr, int fd, char *path, int flags, int mode) {
+  int error = 0x0;
+  int fd = 0x0;
+  struct file *nfp = 0x0;
+
+  /*
+   * Only one of the O_EXEC, O_RDONLY, O_WRONLY and O_RDWR flags
+   * may be specified.
+   */
+  if (flags & O_EXEC) {
+    if (flags & O_ACCMODE)
+      return (EINVAL);
+  }
+  else if ((flags & O_ACCMODE) == O_ACCMODE) {
+    return (EINVAL);
+  }
+  else {
+    flags = FFLAGS(flags);
+  }
+
+  error = falloc(td, &nfp, &fd);
+
+  if (error) {
+    thr->td_retval[0] = -1;
+    return (error);
+  }
+
+  nfp->f_flag = flags & FMASK;
+
+
+  nfp->fd = fopen(args->path, "rb");
+
+
+  if (nfp->fd == 0x0) {
+    fdestroy(td, nfp, fd);
+
+    td->td_retval[0] = -1;
+    error = -1;
+  }
+  else {
+    td->td_retval[0] = fd;
+  }
+
+  //kprintf("sO: 0x%X:%s:", args->mode, args->path, td->td_retval[0]);
+
+  return (error);
+
+}