diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/ext2.c b/kernel-src/fs/ext2.c
index 1fa7e432..ff889e01 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/ext2.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/ext2.c
@@ -1062,6 +1062,10 @@ static int ext2_open(vnode_t **vnodep, int flags, cred_t *cred) {
 		vnode_t *fifo;
 		error = pipefs_getbinding(*vnodep, &fifo);
 		VOP_UNLOCK(*vnodep);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+
+		error = VOP_OPEN(&fifo, flags, cred);
 		if (error == 0)
 			*vnodep = fifo;
 	}
diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/pipefs.c b/kernel-src/fs/pipefs.c
index 3ee3404e..7014e8de 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/pipefs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/pipefs.c
@@ -72,16 +72,14 @@ int pipefs_open(vnode_t **node, int flags, cred_t *cred) {
 	// and there are either no writers or no readers.
 	eventlistener_t listener;
 	EVENT_INITLISTENER(&listener);
-	EVENT_ATTACH(&listener, &pipenode->openevent);
+	if (flags & V_FFLAGS_READ)
+		EVENT_ATTACH(&listener, &pipenode->writeopenevent);
+	else
+		EVENT_ATTACH(&listener, &pipenode->readopenevent);
 
-	while (1) {
-		VOP_UNLOCK(*node);
-		error = EVENT_WAIT(&listener, 0);
-		VOP_LOCK(*node);
-
-		if (error || (pipenode->writers > 0 && pipenode->readers > 0))
-			break;
-	}
+	VOP_UNLOCK(*node);
+	error = EVENT_WAIT(&listener, 0);
+	VOP_LOCK(*node);
 
 	EVENT_DETACHALL(&listener);
 
@@ -90,7 +88,10 @@ int pipefs_open(vnode_t **node, int flags, cred_t *cred) {
 		VOP_UNLOCK(*node);
 		pipefs_close(*node, flags, cred);
 	} else {
-		EVENT_SIGNAL(&pipenode->openevent);
+		if (flags & V_FFLAGS_READ)
+			EVENT_SIGNAL(&pipenode->readopenevent);
+		else
+			EVENT_SIGNAL(&pipenode->writeopenevent);
 		VOP_UNLOCK(*node);
 	}
 
@@ -374,7 +375,8 @@ static void ctor(scache_t *cache, void *obj) {
 	VOP_INIT(&node->vnode, &vnops, 0, V_TYPE_FIFO, NULL);
 	node->attr.inode = ++currentinode;
 	POLL_INITHEADER(&node->pollheader);
-	EVENT_INITHEADER(&node->openevent);
+	EVENT_INITHEADER(&node->writeopenevent);
+	EVENT_INITHEADER(&node->readopenevent);
 }
 
 void pipefs_init() {
@@ -406,6 +408,7 @@ int pipefs_getbinding(vnode_t *node, vnode_t **pipep) {
 
 	if (node->fifobinding) {
 		*pipep = node->fifobinding;
+		VOP_HOLD(*pipep);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -413,6 +416,11 @@ int pipefs_getbinding(vnode_t *node, vnode_t **pipep) {
 	if (error)
 		return error;
 
+	VOP_HOLD(*pipep);
 	node->fifobinding = *pipep;
 	return error;
 }
+
+void pipefs_leavebinding(vnode_t *pipenode) {
+	VOP_RELEASE(pipenode);
+}
diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c b/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
index ab86d9bb..23d0b6f1 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ static int tmpfs_create(vnode_t *parent, char *name, vattr_t *attr, int type, vn
 	return error;
 }
 
-static int tmpfs_open(vnode_t **nodep, int flag, cred_t *cred) {
+static int tmpfs_open(vnode_t **nodep, int flags, cred_t *cred) {
 	vnode_t *node = *nodep;
 	tmpfsnode_t *tmpnode = (tmpfsnode_t *)node;
 
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ static int tmpfs_open(vnode_t **nodep, int flag, cred_t *cred) {
 		vnode_t *fifo;
 		error = pipefs_getbinding(*nodep, &fifo);
 		VOP_UNLOCK(*nodep);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+
+		error = VOP_OPEN(&fifo, flags, cred);
 		if (error == 0)
 			*nodep = fifo;
 	}
diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c b/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
index e468dec6..3253eb08 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <kernel/sock.h>
 #include <kernel/vmmcache.h>
 #include <kernel/block.h>
+#include <kernel/pipefs.h>
 
 #define PATHNAME_MAX 512
 #define MAXLINKDEPTH 64
@@ -57,8 +58,11 @@ int vfs_register(vfsops_t *ops, char *name) {
 }
 
 void vfs_inactive(vnode_t *vnode) {
-	if (vnode->socketbinding)
+	if (vnode->type == V_TYPE_SOCKET && vnode->socketbinding) {
 		localsock_leavebinding(vnode);
+	} else if (vnode->type == V_TYPE_FIFO) {
+		pipefs_leavebinding(vnode);
+	}
 	vnode->ops->inactive(vnode);
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel-src/include/kernel/pipefs.h b/kernel-src/include/kernel/pipefs.h
index 8902ed08..2b95b480 100644
--- a/kernel-src/include/kernel/pipefs.h
+++ b/kernel-src/include/kernel/pipefs.h
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@ typedef struct pipenode_t {
 	ringbuffer_t data;
 	size_t readers, writers;
 	pollheader_t pollheader;
-	eventheader_t openevent;
+	eventheader_t readopenevent;
+	eventheader_t writeopenevent;
 } pipenode_t;
 
 void pipefs_init();
 int pipefs_newpipe(vnode_t **nodep);
 int pipefs_getbinding(vnode_t *node, vnode_t **pipep);
+void pipefs_leavebinding(vnode_t *pipenode);
 
 #endif