diff --git a/qemu-io.c b/qemu-io.c
index 33c96c4c1c..d2ab6946e8 100644
--- a/qemu-io.c
+++ b/qemu-io.c
@@ -58,30 +58,20 @@ static int openfile(char *name, int flags, int growable, QDict *opts)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    if (growable) {
-        if (bdrv_open(&qemuio_bs, name, NULL, opts, flags | BDRV_O_PROTOCOL,
-                      NULL, &local_err))
-        {
-            fprintf(stderr, "%s: can't open%s%s: %s\n", progname,
-                    name ? " device " : "", name ?: "",
-                    error_get_pretty(local_err));
-            error_free(local_err);
-            return 1;
-        }
-    } else {
-        qemuio_bs = bdrv_new("hda", &error_abort);
+    qemuio_bs = bdrv_new("hda", &error_abort);
 
-        if (bdrv_open(&qemuio_bs, name, NULL, opts, flags, NULL, &local_err)
-            < 0)
-        {
-            fprintf(stderr, "%s: can't open%s%s: %s\n", progname,
-                    name ? " device " : "", name ?: "",
-                    error_get_pretty(local_err));
-            error_free(local_err);
-            bdrv_unref(qemuio_bs);
-            qemuio_bs = NULL;
-            return 1;
-        }
+    if (growable) {
+        flags |= BDRV_O_PROTOCOL;
+    }
+
+    if (bdrv_open(&qemuio_bs, name, NULL, opts, flags, NULL, &local_err) < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s: can't open%s%s: %s\n", progname,
+                name ? " device " : "", name ?: "",
+                error_get_pretty(local_err));
+        error_free(local_err);
+        bdrv_unref(qemuio_bs);
+        qemuio_bs = NULL;
+        return 1;
     }
 
     return 0;