diff --git a/hw/ide/core.c b/hw/ide/core.c
index 3a5afff5d7..c2caa54285 100644
--- a/hw/ide/core.c
+++ b/hw/ide/core.c
@@ -2166,7 +2166,11 @@ uint32_t ide_ioport_read(void *opaque, uint32_t addr)
     hob = bus->cmd & (IDE_CTRL_HOB);
     switch (reg_num) {
     case ATA_IOPORT_RR_DATA:
-        ret = 0xff;
+        /*
+         * The pre-GRUB Solaris x86 bootloader relies upon inb
+         * consuming a word from the drive's sector buffer.
+         */
+        ret = ide_data_readw(bus, addr) & 0xff;
         break;
     case ATA_IOPORT_RR_ERROR:
         if ((!bus->ifs[0].blk && !bus->ifs[1].blk) ||
diff --git a/hw/ide/macio.c b/hw/ide/macio.c
index f08318cf97..1c15c37ec5 100644
--- a/hw/ide/macio.c
+++ b/hw/ide/macio.c
@@ -267,7 +267,9 @@ static uint64_t pmac_ide_read(void *opaque, hwaddr addr, unsigned size)
 
     switch (reg) {
     case 0x0:
-        if (size == 2) {
+        if (size == 1) {
+            retval = ide_data_readw(&d->bus, 0) & 0xFF;
+        } else if (size == 2) {
             retval = ide_data_readw(&d->bus, 0);
         } else if (size == 4) {
             retval = ide_data_readl(&d->bus, 0);