diff --git a/media-converter/src/audioconv/imp.rs b/media-converter/src/audioconv/imp.rs
index d22a8f0c..d494b84c 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/audioconv/imp.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/audioconv/imp.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl AudioConverterDumpFozdb {
                 return self;
             }
 
-            match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(create), AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+            match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(create), false /* read-only? */, AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
                 Ok(newdb) => {
                     self.fozdb = Some(newdb);
                 },
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ impl AudioConverterDumpFozdb {
         }
         if let Some(fozdb) = &mut self.open(false).fozdb {
             if let Ok(read_fozdb_path) = std::env::var("MEDIACONV_AUDIO_TRANSCODED_FILE") {
-                if let Ok(read_fozdb) = fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+                if let Ok(read_fozdb) = fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */, AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
                     let mut chunks_to_discard = HashSet::<(u32, u128)>::new();
                     let mut chunks_to_keep = HashSet::<(u32, u128)>::new();
 
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ impl AudioConvState {
             loggable_error!(CAT, "MEDIACONV_AUDIO_TRANSCODED_FILE is not set!")
         })?;
 
-        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */, AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
             Ok(s) => Some(s),
             Err(_) => None,
         };
diff --git a/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs b/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
index f9ac1f95..658399a6 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ impl PayloadEntry {
 
 pub struct StreamArchive {
     file: fs::File,
+    read_only: bool,
 
     seen_blobs: Vec<HashMap<FossilizeHash, PayloadEntry>>,
 
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ pub enum CRCCheck {
 
 impl StreamArchive {
 
-    pub fn new<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>>(filename: P, fileopts: &OpenOptions, num_tags: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+    pub fn new<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>>(filename: P, fileopts: &OpenOptions, read_only: bool, num_tags: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
 
         let file = fileopts.open(filename)?;
 
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ impl StreamArchive {
 
         let mut ret = Self {
             file,
+            read_only,
             seen_blobs,
             write_pos: 0,
         };
@@ -272,8 +274,7 @@ impl StreamArchive {
                 match res {
                     Ok(p) => {
                         self.write_pos = p;
-                        if tag >= self.seen_blobs.len() &&
-                                self.file.metadata()?.permissions().readonly() {
+                        if tag >= self.seen_blobs.len() && self.read_only {
                             /* ignore unknown tags for read-only DBs, otherwise panic */
                             continue;
                         }
diff --git a/media-converter/src/videoconv/imp.rs b/media-converter/src/videoconv/imp.rs
index e9bf0f5a..95556d2a 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/videoconv/imp.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/videoconv/imp.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ impl VideoConverterDumpFozdb {
                 return self;
             }
 
-            match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(create), VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+            match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(create), false /* read-only? */, VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
                 Ok(newdb) => {
                     self.fozdb = Some(newdb);
                 },
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ impl VideoConverterDumpFozdb {
         }
         if let Some(fozdb) = &mut self.open(false).fozdb {
             if let Ok(read_fozdb_path) = std::env::var("MEDIACONV_VIDEO_TRANSCODED_FILE") {
-                if let Ok(read_fozdb) = fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+                if let Ok(read_fozdb) = fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */,  VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
                     let mut chunks = Vec::<(u32, u128)>::new();
 
                     for stream_id in fozdb.iter_tag(VIDEOCONV_FOZ_TAG_STREAM).cloned().collect::<Vec<u128>>() {
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ impl VideoConvState {
             loggable_error!(CAT, "MEDIACONV_VIDEO_TRANSCODED_FILE is not set!")
         })?;
 
-        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */, VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
             Ok(s) => Some(s),
             Err(_) => None,
         };