diff -r 89116f28083f tools/xenstore/xs.c
--- a/tools/xenstore/xs.c	Wed Dec 08 10:46:31 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xs.c	Thu Dec 09 22:48:18 2010 -0800
@@ -182,12 +182,15 @@
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int get_dev(const char *connect_to)
+static int get_dev(const char *connect_to, int ro)
 {
-	return open(connect_to, O_RDWR);
+	if (!ro)
+		return open(connect_to, O_RDWR);
+	else
+		return open(connect_to, O_RDONLY);
 }
 
-static struct xs_handle *get_handle(const char *connect_to)
+static struct xs_handle *get_handle(const char *connect_to, int ro)
 {
 	struct stat buf;
 	struct xs_handle *h = NULL;
@@ -199,7 +202,7 @@
 	if (S_ISSOCK(buf.st_mode))
 		fd = get_socket(connect_to);
 	else
-		fd = get_dev(connect_to);
+		fd = get_dev(connect_to, ro);
 
 	if (fd == -1)
 		return NULL;
@@ -237,17 +240,37 @@
 
 struct xs_handle *xs_daemon_open(void)
 {
-	return get_handle(xs_daemon_socket());
+	return xs_open(0);
 }
 
 struct xs_handle *xs_daemon_open_readonly(void)
 {
-	return get_handle(xs_daemon_socket_ro());
+	return xs_open(1);
 }
 
 struct xs_handle *xs_domain_open(void)
 {
-	return get_handle(xs_domain_dev());
+	return xs_open(0);
+}
+
+struct xs_handle *xs_open(int ro)
+{
+	struct xs_handle *xsh = NULL;
+
+	if(!ro) {
+		xsh = get_handle(xs_daemon_socket(), 0);
+
+		if(!xsh)
+			xsh = get_handle(xs_domain_dev(), 0);
+	}
+	else {
+		xsh = get_handle(xs_daemon_socket_ro(), 1);
+
+		if(!xsh)
+			xsh = get_handle(xs_domain_dev(), 1);
+	}
+
+	return xsh;
 }
 
 static void close_free_msgs(struct xs_handle *h) {
diff -r 89116f28083f tools/xenstore/xs.h
--- a/tools/xenstore/xs.h	Wed Dec 08 10:46:31 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xs.h	Thu Dec 09 22:48:18 2010 -0800
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
  */
 struct xs_handle *xs_daemon_open(void);
 struct xs_handle *xs_domain_open(void);
+struct xs_handle *xs_open(int ro);
 
 /* Connect to the xs daemon (readonly for non-root clients).
  * Returns a handle or NULL.