diff --git a/sysdeps/pthread/sem_open.c b/sysdeps/pthread/sem_open.c
index e5db929d20..0e331a7445 100644
--- a/sysdeps/pthread/sem_open.c
+++ b/sysdeps/pthread/sem_open.c
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@
 # define __unlink unlink
 #endif
 
+#define SEM_OPEN_FLAGS (O_RDWR | O_NOFOLLOW | O_CLOEXEC)
+
 sem_t *
 __sem_open (const char *name, int oflag, ...)
 {
   int fd;
-  int open_flags;
   sem_t *result;
 
   /* Check that shared futexes are supported.  */
@@ -65,10 +66,8 @@ __sem_open (const char *name, int oflag, ...)
   /* If the semaphore object has to exist simply open it.  */
   if ((oflag & O_CREAT) == 0 || (oflag & O_EXCL) == 0)
     {
-      open_flags = O_RDWR | O_NOFOLLOW | O_CLOEXEC;
-      open_flags |= (oflag & ~(O_CREAT|O_ACCMODE));
     try_again:
-      fd = __open (dirname.name, open_flags);
+      fd = __open (dirname.name, (oflag & O_EXCL) | SEM_OPEN_FLAGS);
 
       if (fd == -1)
 	{
@@ -135,8 +134,7 @@ __sem_open (const char *name, int oflag, ...)
 	    }
 
 	  /* Open the file.  Make sure we do not overwrite anything.  */
-	  open_flags = O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_EXCL | O_CLOEXEC;
-	  fd = __open (tmpfname, open_flags, mode);
+	  fd = __open (tmpfname, O_CREAT | O_EXCL | SEM_OPEN_FLAGS, mode);
 	  if (fd == -1)
 	    {
 	      if (errno == EEXIST)