diff --git a/lxd/storage/drivers/utils.go b/lxd/storage/drivers/utils.go
index b593ac589554..954ace3074ab 100644
--- a/lxd/storage/drivers/utils.go
+++ b/lxd/storage/drivers/utils.go
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ func copyDevice(inputPath string, outputPath string) error {
 		_ = from.Close()
 	}
 
-	to, err := os.OpenFile(outputPath, unix.O_DIRECT|unix.O_RDONLY, 0)
+	to, err := os.OpenFile(outputPath, unix.O_DIRECT|unix.O_WRONLY, 0)
 	if err == nil {
 		cmd = append(cmd, "oflag=direct")
 		_ = to.Close()
diff --git a/lxd/storage/utils.go b/lxd/storage/utils.go
index a924e3dfdf20..2cd1e3823cd2 100644
--- a/lxd/storage/utils.go
+++ b/lxd/storage/utils.go
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ func ImageUnpack(imageFile string, vol drivers.Volume, destBlockFile string, sys
 			_ = from.Close()
 		}
 
-		to, err := os.OpenFile(dstPath, unix.O_DIRECT|unix.O_RDONLY, 0)
+		to, err := os.OpenFile(dstPath, unix.O_DIRECT|unix.O_WRONLY, 0)
 		if err == nil {
 			cmd = append(cmd, "-t", "none")
 			_ = to.Close()