diff --git a/kern/devaudio-alsa.c b/kern/devaudio-alsa.c
index 30dfd60..9c0405b 100644
--- a/kern/devaudio-alsa.c
+++ b/kern/devaudio-alsa.c
@@ -25,22 +25,22 @@ void
 audiodevopen(void)
 {
 	if(snd_pcm_open(&playback, "default", SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK, 0) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_open playback");
+		error("snd_pcm_open(playback)");
 
 	if(snd_pcm_set_params(playback, SND_PCM_FORMAT_S16_LE, SND_PCM_ACCESS_RW_INTERLEAVED, 2, speed, 1, 500000) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_set_params playback");
+		error("snd_pcm_set_params(playback)");
 
 	if(snd_pcm_prepare(playback) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_prepare playback");
+		error("snd_pcm_prepare(playback)");
 
 	if(snd_pcm_open(&capture, "default", SND_PCM_STREAM_CAPTURE, 0) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_open capture");
+		error("snd_pcm_open(capture)");
 
 	if(snd_pcm_set_params(capture, SND_PCM_FORMAT_S16_LE, SND_PCM_ACCESS_RW_INTERLEAVED, 2, speed, 1, 500000) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_set_params capture");
+		error("snd_pcm_set_params(capture)");
 
 	if(snd_pcm_prepare(capture) < 0)
-		error("snd_pcm_prepare capture");
+		error("snd_pcm_prepare(capture)");
 }
 
 void
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ audiodevwrite(void *v, int n)
 		if (frames < 0)
 			frames = snd_pcm_recover(playback, frames, 0);
 		if (frames < 0)
-			error((char*)snd_strerror(frames));
+			error("snd_pcm_writei");
 		m = frames*4;
 	}
 
@@ -100,9 +100,11 @@ audiodevread(void *v, int n)
 	do {
 		frames = snd_pcm_readi(capture, v, n/4);
 	} while(frames == -EAGAIN);
-
 	if (frames < 0)
-		error((char*)snd_strerror(frames));
+		frames = snd_pcm_recover(capture, frames, 0);
+	if (frames < 0)
+		error("snd_pcm_readi");
 
 	return frames*4;
 }
+
diff --git a/kern/devaudio.c b/kern/devaudio.c
index 1655262..0009994 100644
--- a/kern/devaudio.c
+++ b/kern/devaudio.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ enum
 	Aclosed		= 0,
 	Aread,
 	Awrite,
+	Ardwr,
 
 	Speed		= 44100,
 	Ncmd		= 50,		/* max volume command words */
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ static	struct
 {
 	QLock	lk;
 	Rendez	vous;
-	int	amode;		/* Aclosed/Aread/Awrite for /audio */
+	int	amode;		/* Aclosed/Aread/Awrite/Ardwr for /audio */
 } audio;
 
 #define aqlock(a) qlock(&(a)->lk)
@@ -114,6 +115,8 @@ audioopen(Chan *c, int omode)
 		amode = Awrite;
 		if((omode&7) == OREAD)
 			amode = Aread;
+		else if((omode&7) == ORDWR)
+			amode = Ardwr;
 		aqlock(&audio);
 		if(waserror()){
 			aqunlock(&audio);
@@ -178,7 +181,7 @@ audioread(Chan *c, void *v, long n, vlong off)
 		return devdirread(c, a, n, audiodir, nelem(audiodir), devgen);
 
 	case Qaudio:
-		if(audio.amode != Aread)
+		if(audio.amode != Aread && audio.amode != Ardwr)
 			error(Emode);
 		aqlock(&audio);
 		if(waserror()){
@@ -324,7 +327,7 @@ audiowrite(Chan *c, void *vp, long n, vlong off)
 		break;
 
 	case Qaudio:
-		if(audio.amode != Awrite)
+		if(audio.amode != Awrite && audio.amode != Ardwr)
 			error(Emode);
 		aqlock(&audio);
 		if(waserror()){